Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-07-28
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3 A ManiaC'S Freak I
Z r,e Terrible Experience That Ba"'he' n
WOlnAns HAT W
axauA1A.HA1;A 1H"6T"'
,,o rxnerIence That Blanched

M,yn.rd rs we sat on the piazza Oh
his nretty villa, discussing lne u'ne''
emf effects of terror on dlssili'''"' W."
nsromeuts without replying to me.
The doctor turned to his WIFE, an"
said: .. a.. INV
"lIelen. will you please relate 10 my
aid friend the incident WITHIN your
own experience: 1t is the mos. con-
yincing argument can advance
looked at Mrs. Maynard in sur
,,se | had observed that her ha'r'
which was llxuriant, and dressed very
hecomingly. was purely colorless' o.'''
as she was young woman anu "'s y.
a very pretty one, / surmiSea III" ~
was powdered to heighten the pr'i-
liancy of her fine dark eyes.
Thc doctor and J. had been fellow
students, but, after leaving college
we had drifted apart; ! to commence
| nractice in an eastern city he u Pur-
sue his profession in growing Town
in the west. svas now on VISIT 10
| him for the first time since his mar
riagc.
Mrs. MAYNARD. no doubt reading my
supposition by my look OF Inefeau'''N'
smiled ms she shook her snowy tresseS
over her shoulders. and, seating hcr-
self by her husbands side, related the
following interesting episode:
II was nearly two years ago since
NV husband was called ON one evening
| to visit a patient several miles away
Our domestics had all gone to a WaNe
in the vicinity, the dead man oel'ig
a relative of one of our serving WON
on. Thus | was left alone. But felt
M fear. for we never had heard or
burglars or any sort of desperadoes
in our quiet village, then consisting or
n few scattered houses. The windows
leading out on the piazza were open
MS now. but l secured the blinds be-
fore nv husbands departure, and
locked the inside doors. all except the
front one, which I left for the doe
tor to lock after going out. so that
If should fall asleep before his re-
turn. he would enter without nronsing
me. / heard the doctors rapid foot
steps on the gravel, quickened by the
urgent tones of messenger who
awaited him; and, aftcf the sharp
rattle of the carriage wheels had be-
come but an echo. | seated myself
by the parlor astral. and very soon
became absorbed in the book ! had
been reading before being disturbed
by the summons.
But after time my interest sue.
cumbed to drowsiness. and ! thought
of retiring. Then the clock in the
doctors study struck T., so I deter"
mined to wait a few moments more,
feeling that he would be home very
soon. / closed my book, donned Il
robe de chambre. let down my hair.
and then returned to my seat to pa
tiently wait and listen. .>ot the faint
est sound disturbed the stiffness of
thapight. Not breath of air stirred
the leaves. The silence was so pro
found that it became oppressive. [
longed for the sharp click of the gate
latch and the well-known step ON the
gravel walk. did not dare to break
the hush myself by moving or singing.
was so oppressed with the deep still
ness. The human mind is a strange
torturer of itself. / began to coniure
up vivid fancies about ghostly visit
ants. in the midst of which occurred
to me the stories | had heard from
superstitions people about he troubled
spirits of those who had died sudden
ly. like the man whom my servants
had gone to "wake." who had been
killed by an accident at the sawmill.
In the midst of these terrifying re-
f1ections, ! was startled by Il atealthy
football on the piazza. listened be-
tween fear and hope. IT might be
The doctor. But no. he would not
tread like that; the step WAS too soft
and cautious for anything less Wily
than n eat. AS I listened again, my
eyes fixed on the window blind. saw
the Stats move slowly and. cauIcus-
~. and then the rays Of the moon dis
closed thin. cadavcrous fac. and
bright, glittering eyes. pcer'ng at me.
Horror. Who was it: or what WAS
it? I felt the cold perspiration start
at every pore. I seemed to he frozen
in my chair. 7 could moi move: 7
could not cry out; my tongue seemed
glued to the roof of my mouth, while
the deathly white face pressed closer.
and the great sunken eyes wandered
in their gaze about the room. In a
few moments the blind g oNed rs
noiselessly rs it had been opeucd. and
the cautious footsteps came toward
the door. "Merciful heavens" Il cried
in horrorstricken whisper. as I
heard the key turn in the lock. "the
doctor. in his haste. must have for
gotten TO withdraw the KEY"
| heard the front door open. the
step in The hall, and. helpless as u
statue, / sat riveted to my char. The
parlor door was open. and in II stood
tall, thin man, whom | meyer before
beheld. lie was dressed in Il long.
loose robe. sort of gaberdine. and
black velvet skull-cap partially con-
cealed broad forehead. under which
cleaned black eyes, bright as living
Goals. and placed so near together
that their gaze was preternatural in
their distinctness; heavy. grizzlcd
eyebrows hung over them like The
tangled name of lion; the nose was
sharp and prOminent: the chin wos
overgrown with white hair. which
hung down in locks as weird as the
Ancient Mariners. He politely dotted
his cap, bowed. replaced it. and then
said. in slightly foreign accent:
Madam. it is not necessary fer me