Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-09-20
Horror Seven Hours Long !
Al Eahisi'i9n q Courage BY a Yankee
schooiNa am


/ .
I is said" remarked the ol,
:. i doetor, that a person CAM
I'VE and retain his senses ~
state Of blind, animal terror -,
moretha very few minutes al time
Either nature viii take refuge In be,
cyclone cellar, unconsciousness ann
me person will faint; or the brain ten.
sion vii get beyond the snapnino noir,
and he will become insane; or the hear
VIII collapse under the strain AM
oeaih Will follow Or any two or al
OF these things may occur at once. s.
cay me authorities was Of the same
OPINION once, but I've known better 70,
gooo many years, although I've never
seen second case TO disprove the rule
DO IT ever occur 10 YOU when SONS
long-standiug record Of courage or en-.
onrance, or the ability 10 bear pain ha.
been broken how often it is a woman
that breaks il?
This was a young woman. a New
England school-teacher by the name OF
Mildred Wieks. She had been invited Ia
pay visit 10 two elderly maiden
aunts who lived on the outskirts of an
Old town in the central part of Viz.
Einia, where / began the practice Of
medicine. The house was one Of those
Unrestricted southern colonial sfruc.
lures with broad verandas and futeo
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 % the guest chambers. but
which now for years had been little
used.
By some Misunderstanding the
Young woman arrived just a week ear.
Tier than She was expected to find her
aunt's house in the midst Of prepare.
tory housecleaning II 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. II 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 il and solid mahogany furni
ture Of somber, old-fasbioned type.
The elderly aunts were somewhat
apprehensiye lest the remoteness and
long disuse Of the chamber might cause
their niece some uneasiness, but she
was a healthy young person not given
20 nervousness. and scoffed al the idea.
II was arranged. nevertheless, that the
housekeeper. who ordinarily slept 10
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. II was suddenly re-
memnered that the keys TO both the
young woman's and the housekeeper's
chamber had been missing for a mum.
Der Of years, and the doors were also
with inside bolts. The only
duplicate keys were in the housekeep'
er's bunch held together by a solid
brass ring. from which they could be
removed only by breaking or filing the
brass ring. Leaving the young WON
ans door entirely unsecured was, Of
course, not to be thought Of The
finally proposed that She
should lock the door for the night from
the outside. taking the keys with her
INTO her own room and unlocking IL
lgain early in the morning. The win
iows Of the chamber being three
stories from the ground there was no
Of intrusion from that
,ource. and should the housekeeper's |
presence be needed al any time during |
he night il needed only few vigor-
BUR raps on the wall 20 summon her.
The Young woman found no objection |
10 this plan. and the housekeeer, after
bidding her goodnight. went out and
ocked the door after her.
left 10 herself. the young woman.
tired from her journey, lost no time in
undressing and getting into bed. and
nee I'm bed e was a very few moments
until she was sound asleep. The next
De knew she found herself sitting up
tarinr out into the room. How long
he had been asleep She could not tell;
ours. she thought, since there had
,een no moon when she had gone to
ed and II now shone in her window
rom well up in the sky.
..Then with a start it came to her
hat She had not awakened naturally;
hat there had been some sort Of a
oise. She peered around the room
nj could see nothing alarming, and, /
ave for the sound Of the insects, the ]
igh, was as quiet as the grave. So
nally she lay down again snd in few
,omtnts was halfway in a coze. Then I
,5denlv She found herself sitting up !
rain her heart throbbing wildly {
Cmethine was moving along the base y
I the wall opposite her bed. As It s
,ov.s there came series Of gurgiing, 7
,utterinr. sterterous sounds exactly {
,bonob some one was choking, The q
mo woman clutched the bed clothes I
IN tried 10 pierce the darkness. But (
~ could distinguish only the vague =
.,,l;,. acrouchiug form. The ehok-