Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-08-23
many pauses, but oh oking and gurgling

:
always. Once she thought it might be
some sort of animal, but as ii passed
near he moonlight at the windows she
saw that it was not. 1t had rather a
horribly grotesque resemblance to a
man. Having reached the second cor
ner it began to move along the third
wall straight toward the foot of the
bed. The young girl stumbled out at
the head to the floor. The thing pulled
itself over upon the foo, board and be-
gan to search through the bedclothes
Finding nothing it tore the clothes
with teeth and hands furiously. The
young woman watched the process
from half way down the wall. She tried
to think what would have happened to
her had she failed to awake when she
did.
"By degrees it seemed to grow calm
er. and finally in turn crawed down
from the head of the bed. The young
woman could not tell whether it saw
her or whether it could see. AS it APP
preached. she moved softly along the
wall. When she reached the corner
she proceeded down the next wall, the
thing following. until, with many
pauses. they had made the circuit of
the room. Then the circuit was re-
peated. On this time round she heard
a clock in some distant part of the
house strike 10. The housekeeper eX
pected to call her about seven. Later
she heard the same clock strike one.
Once she shuddered at the thought of
fainting in the things path, but She
knew that she should not faint. She
thought of its leaving the wall and
making for her directly across the
room. but it stuck closely to the base
board, feeling it's way along. The dis
tant clock struck two. Then it seemed
to the young woman that the journeys
| around the room We're being made at
slower rate. The thing paused often
| er, and longer at time. Finally it
must have stopped for quarter of an
hour, only to creep on a yard or two
and stop again. After that it moved
no more. The young woman stood
watching half dozen yards further
along the wall.
"ln the morning the housekeeper I'M
locked the door, looked in, and prompt
lv tainted across the threshold. The
young woman still stood with her
hands against the wall. She tiptoed
across to the housekeeper, dragged her
| into the hall, locked he door behind
her. and went swiftly downstairs. In
the sitting-room she came upon her
aunts. When they saw her one of them
tainted as promptly as had the house
keeper upstairs. The other ran up to
her screa ming:
Mildred, what has happened?'
"Then the young woman smiled and
began talking foolishness. They called
me in to see her within an hour. 1t
happened that l had seen her on her
arrival the afternoon before. a brown
eyed. dark-haired. beautiful girl. 1t
was small wonder. therefore, that
was a bit shaky when l had been
brought into the presence of my pa
tient In one night her face had been
scared and furrowed as with the cares
and sorrows of three-1rRrters of a cen
fury. and her hair was as white as
snow. incidentally she was suffering
from an ugly-looking case of brain
fever. and for two months reason. anC
life itself. hung in balance that would
have turned for a hair. But fCul
months later. when she went back
home under the care of her mother
her mind was as good as it had even
been, and the lines and, burrows ha(
been rubbed out of her face, and the
plumpness and color of youth was re
turning fast. But her hair was never
anything else but white as snow.
What was the thing in her room
Nothing in the world but "a horrible
example of public savagery and otficia
carelessness. There was a poor-farn
some eight miles from our town. and /;
miserable pauper. having gone violent
ly insane, they knew nothing better t.
do With him than chain him in an out
house and treat him like a dangerous
animal. You can imagine. or rather
YOU can't imagine. the effect on boil
his personal appearance and on his dis
case. One afternoon he escaped. carry
ing part of his chain with him. and il
his wanderings reached the elderl,
) aunt's house. which stood open in thu
midst of house cleaning. Attracted b,
the GOODNESS inside he had crept VI
into the old wing, where he had Ell
tered one Of the chambers and hid
den in the great fireplace, and gor
to sleep. The light of the young WON
! ans candle that night had reused him
and his journeys round the wall wer
| mere animal instinct searching for a
: exit.
They called for him the same morn
!. ing and saw the poor devil when he
: found him lying up there in the room
e 1t is Il solemn fact that his canine
D rejected an inch below his upper liz
He didn't have on enough rags to cove
4 the backs of mans two hands. an
p his hair and beard and skin had bee
:. indescribably misused. and the poo
e wretch was in the last stages of cor
t sumption. But his nights adventur
:, proved not such a bad thing for hin
y for he died two weeks later in compal
e ative comfort. But the manager {
S that poorfarm had no such easy ex
t from the troubles which overlook him