The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1895-04-27 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

MOM.  "My God, what is it? Can it be a human creature, or is it a fiend from the nether world?" ho asked himself.  Me might well ask himself the question. The creature on which he gazed WWI • small, misshapen thing, with such horrible distorted features as caused a shndder of loathing to run through Mr. Rodney. The crooked form was clothed with an almost barbaric splendour of apparel—in crimson satin, embroidered in golden thread, while the fire of priceless diamonds flashed from the yellow arms and neck, and upon the tangled braids of coarse, black hair that fell down her back,  She—for he had concluded that it was a woman from the long, black hair, end the womanly apparel—had snatched a fire-brand from the glowing grate, and was now running about the room, uttering discordant shrieks of fiendish glee, while with a ruthless, vandalimnd she held the flaming brand now here, now there, against thesatinliang• Inge surd the filmy lace curtains, the lambrequins, the silken fringe of the chair-covers, until all became a smoldering num, through which small jets of lurid flame began to creep weirdly. Mr. Rodney gazed for a moment like one fascin• ated upon this horrible scene, and then he made a bold and desperate dash into the room. Ile ran up behind the horrible fire-fiend, threw his arm over her shoulder, and wrenched the flaming brand from her clasp, threw it upon the floor, ana trampled it into a black, charred TIMM Then he was obligedto turn round and defend himself. For the dreadful woman bad thrown her. self fiercely upon him, and was choking hislifeout with heriong, talon-like fingers and sharp nails that 'held his throat in a vice-like !pressure. Half strangled, lie made a supreme effort against the furious maniac, and succeeded in tearing ber bands away from their murderous hold. She was wonderfully strong and agile, but he held her firmly, and wild screams of rage issued from her distorted lips. He recognized the sounds as those that had so frightened inm the earlier part of the evening. " This, then, was the ghost of Delaney House!" he thought, grimly. "My God, what can this terrible creature be to Oran Delaney, .and does Aline know of her existence?"  He held her firmly by both hands while she bit and tore and raved in a frenzy of maniacal fury. He was perplexed what to do with her. He knew that she was a dangerous creature, lint:he would not have harmed her for the world. She was already too terribly blasted in body and mind. Bat he longed to make some disposal of her that he might make sonic effort to quench the smoldering flames that had filled the room with a thick and suffocating black vapour. She solved the question for him herself by suddenly wrenching her hands from his and making a rapid exit through the open door. It did n3t occur to him to follow her. Instead he threw all his energies into the task_ of subduing the flames.  He tore down the heavy "satin banging' and trampled them beneath Ins feet. He found a ewer of water and deluged the smoking cushions of the chairs and lounges, fighting bravely amid the smoke and fire, reckless that his strong hands were torn and burned with the superhuman efforts that he made.