Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1901-02-07
Horror Seven Hours Long J
An Exhibition Of Courage by Yankee
HehoolAAam.


state oil DllIu, huliudl ttiIoi ioi
more than a very few minutes at 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 hear.
will collapse under the strain, and
death will follow. Or any two or all
OF these things may occur at once. 30
saw the authorities. was Of the same
opinion once, but I've known better for
a good many years. although I've never
seen second case TO disprove the rule.
Did Il ever occur TO you when some
long-standing record OF courage or en-
durance, or the ability 10 bear pain has
been broken, how often II is a woman
that breaks it?
This was a 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 began the practice Of
medicine. The house was one OF those
three-storied southern colonial Istruc-
lures with broad yerandas and tiuted
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
which now for years had been little
used.
"By some misunderstanding the
young woman arrived Just week ear
lier than she was expected, TO find her
aunt's house In the midst Of prepara-
tory housecleaning. 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. 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 IRE
place in It and solid mahogany furni-
ture Of somber, old-fashioned type.
The elderly aunts were somewhat
apprehensiye lest the remotcnts" and
long disuse OF the chamber night cause
their niece some uneadness, but she
was n healthy young person not gwen
10 nervousness, and scoifed at the idea
1t was arranged, nevertheless that the
housekeeper, who ordinarily slept IN
the main division Of the house, should
occupy, that night, chamber adJoln'
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 housekeepert
chamber had been missing Tor num-
Der of years, and the doors were a'so
unproyided with inside bolts Inc only
duplicate keys were In the housekeep
er's bunch held together by SOHO
brass ring. from which they could o'
removed only by breaking or hling we
brass ring Leaving the young WON
ans door entirely unsecured was, oi
course, not to be thought OF. Inc
housekceper finally proposed that sh'
should lock the door for the night IRON
the outside taking the Keys WIN he'
INTO her own room ana uh'ocNlhg u
again early IN lhe morning. Inc WIN
dows OF the chamDer oelhR three
stories from the grounu 'h're was nc
possibility OF intrusion from ina
source ana shoulu the houS'N''P,'
presence be needed AT any 'lm' out'Nl
the nlght II heeded ohly " ''" \'k"r
our raps on the wall TO summon her
The young woman FOUND no ohJeclloi
TO TINS pIan' ana the houS'heeor' aI'''
bidding her goodnight went out "h'
locked the door ht'er her
Left TO herself, the young woman
tired from her journey lost no time II
undressing and getting into bed, an'
once In bed II was very few momenn
until she was sound asleep The mex
she knew she found herself siiting NJ
staring out into the room. How Ion'
she had been asleep she could not tell
hours, she thought since there hn'
been no moon when she had gone II
bed and II now shone In her windov
from well up in the sky.
Then with start It came to he
that she had not awakened naturally
that there had been some sort Of
noise, She peered around the room
hut could see nothing alarming, and
save for the sound Of the insects, th
night was as quiet as the grave. 81
finally she lay down again and in q f,,
moments was halfway Ia ajose TAu
suddenly she found herself sitting uI
again, her heart thrubuiIg Wildly
Something was moving along th, ba,
OF the wall opposite her h,d As /
moved there came series , f gurglue
sputterinv. stertcrlus sounds. ,Nactl