Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-09-20

hofIoiy grOtesque resemblance TO a
man. Having reached the second cor.
her II began TO move along the third
wall straight toward the foot Of the
bed. The young girl stumbled out al
me head to the floor. The thing pulled
Itself over upon the footboard and be-
gan 10 search through the bedclothes
Flnding nothing it tore the clothes
with teeth and hands furiously. The
young woman watched the process
from halfway down the wall. She tried
10 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 crawled 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 u. The housekeeper ex.
peeted 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 il stuck closely 70 the base
board, feesing its way along. The dis
tant clock struck two. Then il seemed
10 the young woman that the journeys
around the room were being made al
slower rate. The thing paused often
er, and longer al a time Finally il
must have stopped for a quarter Of an |
hour, only TO creep on yard or TWO
and stop again After that IL moved |
no more. The young woman stood |
watching half a dozen yards further
along the wall.
In the morning the housekeeper I'M
locked the door, looked IN, and prompt
ly 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 the 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 screaming:
Mildred, what has happened%
"Then the young woman smiled and
began talking foolishness. They called
ne in 10 see her within an hour. II
happened that | had seen her on her
arrival he afternoon before, a brown
eyed, dark-haired, beautiful girl II
was small wonder. therefore. that l
was a bit shaky when ! had been
brought into the presence of my pa
iient. In one night her face had been
scared and furrowed as with the cares
and sorrows Of three-quarters of 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, and
life itself. hung in balance that would
have turned for a hair. But four
months later. when she went back
home under the care Of her mother.
her mind was as good as il had ever
been, and the lines and burrows had
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 official
There was poor-farm
some eight miles from our town, and a
miserable pauper. having gone violent
" insane, they knew nothing better to
10 with him than chain him in an out {
house and treat him like a dangerous {
inimal. You can imagine. or rather.
.ou can't imagine the effect on both
iis personal appearance and on his dis
,ase. One afternoon he escaped, carry !
ng part Of his chain with him, and in q
lis wanderings reached the elderly v
,unt's house. which stood open in the {
midst of house cleaning. Attracted by
he GOODNESS inside he had crept up /
INTO the old wing. where he had en- =
cred one of the chambers and hid !
en in the great fireplace, and gone j,
o sleep. The light Of the young wom- t
MS candle that night had reused him, L
nd his journeys round the wall were n
lere animal instinct searching for an L
Kit.
They called for him the same morn /,
NJ. and / saw the poor devil when they 1
1und him lying up there in the room.
is a solemn fact that his CANNES
rejected an inch below his upper lip. G.
L didn't have on enough rags 10 cover Al
he backs Of a mans two har Is. and q
Is hair and beard and skin had been
misused, and the poor :
reich was in the last stages Of con- h
lmption. But his nights adventure "
owed not such a bad thing for him, W
n he died two weeks later in compar- u
i've comfort. But the manager Of q
lat poor-farm had no such easy exit n
ON the troubles which overlook him" p
n. Y. sun.
"