Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1901-02-07


saw that it was not. IT had FaiEera a
horribly grotesque resemblance to
man. Having reached me second cor
ner IT began to move a.era he taird
wall straight toward tie ec' Of the
bed. The young girl s;unD.ee out at
the head to the floor. The thing pulled
ilself over upon the fooiboard and be-
gan TO search through ihe btdclothes.
Finding nothing it tore the clothes
with teeth and hands furiously. The
Young woman watched he process
from half way down the wall. She tried
to think what would have happened to
her had she failed to awake when she
did.
"By degrees II 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 IL could see. IS II APP
preached. she moytd softly along the
wall. When she reached the corner
she proceeded down the next wall, the
thing following, until, with many
pausos, they had made the circuit OF
the room. Then the circuit was re-
peuted On this time round she heard
clock in some distant part Cf the
house strike u. The hCu.ckceper ex-
pCcied 10 call her about seven. Later
she heard the same clock strike one.
Once she shuddcred 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 1t stuck closely to the base
board, feeling its way along. The dis
tant clock struck two. Then ii seemed
to the young woman that the journeys
around the room were being made at
slower rate. The thing paused often
er, and longer at time. Finally it
must have stopped for quarter OF an
hour, only TO creep on a yard or two
and stop again After that it moved
no more. The young woman stood
watching half dozen yards further
along the wall.
"ln the morning the housekeeper un-
/ 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 cne Of them
fninted as promptly rs had tho house
keeper upstairs. The other ran up to
her screaming:
Mildred, what has happeued|
"Then the young woman smiled and
began talking foolishness. They called
me in to see her within an hour. II
happened that | had seen her on her
arrival the afternoon before, a brown
eyed, dark-haired beautiful girl. 1t
was small wonder, therefore. that
was bit shaky when had been
brought into the presence of my pa
tient. In one night her face had been
scared and furrowed as with the cares
and sorrows OF three-quarters OF cen
tury, 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 foul
months later, when she went back
home under the care Of her mother
her mind was MS good as it had ever
been, and the lines and burrows hat
been rubbed out of her face, and the
plumpness and color Of youth was re
turning fast. But her hair was nevel
anything else but white as snow.
what was the thing in her room
Nothing in the world but horribl,
example of public sayagery and oilicia
carelessness. There was a poor-faru
some eight miles from our town, and {
miserable pauper, having gone violent
ly insane, they knew nothing better e
do with him than chain him in an out
house and treat him like Gungcrou
animal You can imagine. or rather
you can't imagine, the effect ON boil
his personal appearance and ON bis dis
ease. One afternoon he ESCAPED, carry
ing part OF his chain with him, and %
his wauGcriugs reached tbo ,'aer1
auurs house. which stood ,.tu .u Joe
mid,t Of house cleaning Ai.ttDC b,
the GOODNESS inside he Ga' yVpt ul
into h, ola wing, whore he tau en-
tered one II Ia, chambers and hid
den iu the great fireplace, aad Enn
to sleep, The lightotthy Young wom
ans candle that night had oCs,d him