Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1903-05-07

my dear sir, it is past midnight and
you must not thinks of returning to
your home" Scar, uncle" she inter"
posed. eyes your car, thank you.
your car tonight" 49,
| insisted that I must, and thanked
him for his thoughtfulness and gen
erous kindness; but my friend would
expect me and would doubtless
arouse the police if I did not return.
':Oh, don't co." she begged, II am
afraid that cruel man will kill you.
you must not. We can call you at
any hour. If you will stay we will
make you very comfortable I assure
| YOU" "And besides added the
uncle, II must say you will run great
risk. The man who followed my
niece and you is evidently insane.
He has conceived the idea, no doubt,
that he is in love with her, and now
| looks upon. you as his rival; fear
for your life if you leave this house
tonight ....,. ....... ..o..... ... ,,.,,.
This last remark had great weight
with me. was not armed, and even
if I was, 1 could not bear the thought
| that the blood of fellow being
should stain my hands. Nor did
fancy the idea that he might slay me
the moment I stepped into the dark
ness of that wretched night. there
fore, with undisguised reluctance,
yielded to their persistent entreaty.
She ran away up the stairs. Her
soft voice was heard in minute or
two calling us to come and we walked
side by side half the way up and
stopped.
'Where are you, dear?" he asked.
"Come on; am in the room but there
is no light. Have you a MATCH?
I had a little silver match box
which I placed in his hand. He light
ed the gas in the hall, and we passed
on quietly to the door of small
room, which was feebly lighted by
very small jet in the corner near
miserable apology for mantelpiece.
':The room is rather small" he said
in low voice, ''but the house is full
of company and every one but this
is occupied. The gas gives poor
light somehow, the plumbers never
GOMEZ when you want them. But you
will frest. Good night, good night"
they said and shut the door with q
bang.
The light was so dim could hard,
ly see anything in the room. There
was not a chair nor table; not a
piece of furniture except the bed.
My feeling was anything but pleas
ant. The conviction deepened that
was in trap, and in the hands OF
murderers and thieves. This opinion
was confirmed when I examined the
door and found it was fastened by 4
spring lock on the outside. There
was no knob nor key-hole. The
plain strong door perfectly fast was
there before me. I was a prisoner.
I lifted the covering of the bed
which hung down to the floor and tc
my inexpressible horror saw the feet
Of man. Cold chills ran up and
down my back; the sweat broke out
over NE and my hair seemed to be
rising upon my head. There was
nothing whatever with which to de-
fend myself and no possible way of
escape.
Summoning all the courage within
me, said in a hoarse unnatural voice
which seemed to me as if it was some
one else speaking, the very sound OF
which frightened me more and more.
"Come out of there!" There was not
sound or a motion. This en-
bolden me little. 'Come out,
say; I see you! Come out! or 1 will
pull you Quit"
Still not sound. I caught him by
the ankles and dragged him from un-
der the bed. He was lying face
downward. I threw him over upon
his back, and saw by the dim light
the most CHASTITY and horrible spec
tacle my eyes ever beheld. The eyes
and mouth were wide open, and the
throat cut from ear to ear, the
whole face and bosom q fearful mass
of blood. ss... az.
''Good God! What should I do?"
I saw in that bloody, hideous corpse
my own sure doom. 1 realized that
my time was short, but determined
to sell my life as dearly as could.
Rolling the wretched looking thing
back under the bed commenced to
try the little posts and found they
could be taken apart. One of these
1 secured and took it to the light t"
| examine. It was about three feet
| long, two and half inches in diam
eter and of oak wood, which made it
an effective club.
| 1 turned off the light entirely and
found that by the street lamps ]
could barely outline any object
which might he in the room.
I knew full well that when the
mailman had given me time to fall
asleep he would return to do his
deadly work. "a >'.a
Taking my stand beside the door,
in position which gave me COM
mand of the situation, held my cluA
conveniently, and waited for the first