Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-08-23
Horror Seven Hours Long
An Exhibition Of Courage 10y Il Yankee
Schoul-Ma am.

doctor, that a person can't
live and retain his senses in a
state of blind, animal terror for
more than very few minutes at a time.
Either nature will take refuge in her
cyclone cellar. unconsciousness, and
the person will faint; or the brain ten
sion Will get beyond the swapping point
and he will become insane; or the heart
will collapse under the strain, and
Death will follow. Or any two or all
OF these things may occur at once so
say the authorities. ] was Of the same
opinion once. but I've known better for
good many years. although I've never
seen a second case to disprove the rule.
Did it ever occur to YOU when some
long-standing record of courage or en-
durance. or the ability to bear pain has
been broken. how often it is a woman
that breaks it?
"Ihis was young woman. New
England school-teacher by the name of
Mildred Wicks. She had been invited to
pay visit to two elderly maiden
aunts who lived on the outskirts of an
old town in the central part of Nir-
ginia. where l began the practice of
medicine. The house was one of those
three-storied southern colonial struc-
lures with broad verandas and futed
columns the entire height of the front.
From the left. in the rear, there extend
ed a considerable wing which. in some
former period of prosperity, had been
given over to the guest chambers, but
y, oh, f., Ia IL Ia
used
'Bv some misunderst anding the
Young woman arrived just week ear
lier than she was expected. to find her
aunt's house in the midst of prepara-
tory housekeeping. 1t consequently
became necessary. until the room in
the main part of the house could be
prepared for her to put her in one OF
the wing chambers, and in one of these,
on the third floor, she was duly in
stalled. 1t was one of those enormous.
high-studded rooms that have entirely
gone out of fashion nowadays. even in
large houses. There was a great fire
place in it and solid mahogany furni-
ture of a somber, old-fashioned type.
appreilensive lest the remoteness and
long disuse of the chamber might cause
their niece some uneasness, but she
was healthy young person not given
to nervousness. and scotfed at the idea
1t was arranged. nevertheless. that the
housekeeper, who ordinarily slept III
the main division of the house, should
occupy, that night, a chamber adjoin
ing the visitors for the sake of com
pany.
'At bedtime, however. an unexpected
difficulty arose. 1t was suddenly re
membered that the keys to both the
Young woman's and the housekeeper's
chamber had been missing for a mum
Der of wears, and the doors We're also
unprovided with inside bolts. The only
duplicate keys were in the housekeep
er's bunch held together by sole
brass ring. from which they could bt
removed only by breaking or filing thu
brass ring. Leaving the young Won
ans door entirely unsecured was, o
course, not to be thought of. Thu
housekeeper finally proposed that sh'
should lock the door for the night from
the outside. taking the keys with he
into her own room and unlocking j
again early in the morning. The win
Gows of the chamber being three
stories from the ground there was NJ
possibility Of intrusion from tina
source. and should the housekeeper'
presence be needed at any time durin!
the night it needed only a few vigor
our raps on the wall to summon her
The young woman found no objection
to this plan, and the housekeeer, afte
bidding her goodnight. went out an,
locked the door after her.
Left to herself, the young woman
tired from her journey. lost no time i
undressing and getting into bed. an
once in bed it was a very few moment
until she was sound asleep. The mex
she knew she found herself sitting u
staring out into the room. How Ion
hours, she thought. since there ha
been no moon when she had gone /
bed and it now shone in her windo,
from we'll up in the sky.
Then with a start it came to he
that she had not awakened naturally
that there had been some sort of
noise. She peered around the room
but could see nothing alarming. ant
save for the sound of the insects, til
night was as quiet as the grave. S
finally she lay down again and in fe'
moments was halfway in doze. The
suddenly she found herself sitting II
again. her heart throbbing Wild
Something was moving along the bias
OF the wall opposite her bed. AS
moved there came series of gurglin
suffering, sterterous sounds. exact
rs though some one was choking. TT
young woman clutched the bed cloth.
and tried to pierce the darkness. B,
she could distinguish only the vag,
outline of crouching form. The cho
ing. gurgling sounds, however, CONT
ueG. and then suddenly she heard II
\ cank of chain being dragged alo1
the floor.
The thing reached the corner of II
wall and paused there for momer
-