Smyrna times., 1911-04-05

looking man in red flannel shirt and |
muddy trousers.
l asked for writing material and
returned to my room to write to my
wife.
"My darling Alice"
l paused and laid down my pen as
l concluded the words, half smiling
to think what she would say, could
she know of my strange quarters.
Not till both sheets were covered
did lay aside my pen and prepare
for slumber. AS l folded my paper
l happened to glance toward the
couch.
Was it the gleam of a human eye
observing me through the board par
tition, or was it but my own fancy.
There was a crack there, but only
blank darkness beyond, yet could
have sworn that something had
sparkled balefnlly at me. took
out my watch-it was one o'clock.
1t was scarcely worth while for to
undress for three hours sleep. 1
would lie down in my clothes and
snatch what slumber l could. So
placing my valise close to the head
of my bed, and barricading the lock-
less door with two chairs, 1 exiting
uished the light and lay down.
At first l was very wakeful but
gradually a soft drowsiness seemed
to steal over me like a mantle, un-
til, all of a sudden, some startling
electric thrill coursed through my
veins, and l sat up excited and
trembling.
A luminous softness seemed to
glow through the room-no light of
the moon or stars was ever so pene-
trating-and by the little window
saw Alice, my wife, with her long
golden hair knotted back by a blue
ribbon. Apparently she was beckon-
ing to me with outstretched hands,
d and eyes full of wild, anxious
tenderness.
l sprang to my feet and rushed
toward her, but as 1 reached the
window the fair apparition seemed
to vanish in the stormy darkness anC
l was left alone. At the self
instant the sharp report of a pisto
sounded-I could see the jagged
stream of fire above the pillow
straight through the very spot where
e ten minutes since my head had lain
With an instantaneous realization
of my danger l swung myself owe
the edge of the window, jumping
e some eight or ten feet into tanglet
bushes below, and as crouche,
|" there recovering my breath, l hear
the tramp of footsteps in my room
e "Is he dead' cried a voice up tn
ladder-the smooth, deceitful voic
- of the woman with the half close
is eyes.
le "Of course he is," growled
voice back; ''that charge would hav
m killed ten men. A light there
2. quick; and tell Tom to be ready"
le A cold agonized shudder ra
through me. What den of mic
1t night murderers had fallen into
~ And how fearfully narrow had bee
my escaped With the speed ths
tn only mortal terror and deadly per
e, can give, l rushed through tn
40 woods, now illuminated by fair
iy glimmer of starlight. l know M
what impulse guided my footsteps
wv | 4 nhol1 L. hax -
on l crossed my own track, or no
no close l stood to the brink of IL
d. deadly ravine; but a merciful Pro-
idence encompassed me with a gui
ny ing and protecting care, for wh'
the morning dawned with fain
red bars of orient light cross Il
ch stormy eastern sky, l was close
n the highroad. some seven miles fro
R.
'on But the strangest part of n
FL story is yet to come. Some thr
weeks subsequently / received
led letter from my sister, who was wi
Alice in her English home-a lett
'ut whose Intelligence filled me wi
surprise.
81 must tell you something We
strange" wrote my sister, "th
happened on the night of the 18th
October. Alice had not been W,
red for sometime; in fact she had be
confined to her bed for nearly
mt week, and | was sitting beside h
AXE reading. 1t was late--tbe clock h
just struck one-when all at once $
der seemed to faint away, growi
I'M, white and rigid as a corpse. I ha
OPP ened to call assistance, but all {
one efforts to restore animation were
ad, vain. l was just about sending
'ar- the doctor, when her senses retui
or ed as suddenly as they had l.
pts her."
"Alice," l exclaimed, chow J
nIl | IL