Year: 1868

wild roll of the fierce eyes, the ivid palor Of the
fair cheeks. I hear her shrilI scream of triumph
as she sees and seizes the small knife gttering on
the ground, where I had left it, and with super
natural Will, lift my feet which seemed rooted to
the earth, and run-run for dear life. I hear still
ringing in my ear that fearful burst Of unnatural
dreary laughter, bubbling from her lips-the sharp
hysterical, animallike cry of ''Blood !" and then
the swift and light steps Of. pursuit. I know not
which way to turn, when suddenly think Of the
gate and rush in, that direction. l hear her steps
gaining rapidly upon me; 1 feel her hot breath
upon my neck as turn the corner and see the
gate at the end of the walk. I fly like the wind.
Shall reach the gate in time? It may be locked,
1 think No, mercy it is ajar. am just through
when, with savage yell and cat-ike spring, she
is on me. I feel her iron grasp upon my throat,
and my heart stands still with terror. A passing
cloud had obseated the moon, and now I felt more
than saw the ghostly shimmering of her white
dress, the faint, distorted outlines Of her terrible
face, and the convulsive strainings Of her frame.
7 think of the knife-nay, feel its sharp point
touching, wounding my cheek With sudden,
desperate effort shake off the paralysis Of terror
which is freezing my blood 10 ice, and with all the
strength am master Of, wrench myself free from
her murderous grasp, and, seizing her wrists, fling
her violently, savageg from me. She falls 1t il
no time for qualms !; and I rush on bleeding and
breathless, through" the gate, up the walk, oset
lawn and Hower.bed, straight to the open window
of the ballroom. As I reach the terrace l hear
the gate open and my pursuer's rapid footsteps on
the gravel path. have only time to wrap my
handkerchief around my bleeding hand and enter
the ballroom, when she rushes after me with the
spring Of tiger, shrieking, with foaming bps, the
same fearful cry Of s'Blood blood! -.


Four If the muscular attendants seize the 1.-THE,
struggling figure of the poor maniac-for maniac
she was-and bear her, in spite Of her terrible
shrieks, out of the apartment ~ -


s1'll never come to these asylum balls again, y "
said nervous, corpulent old gentleman, who had
been near witness Of the scene. 81 thought
these violent ones were never allowed to be pres
ent. shall see after my carriage at once Too
bad-too bad"


1 understood it all now. The little practical
joke, so pleasantly arranged by my friends in the
morning, was to take me unwitingly to the asylum
ball, that they might extract a little fun out Of
me--amuuse themselves, in fact, at my freshness
and innocent mistakes. ] went up to them, and
was on the point of seeking an explanation of the
whole business, when stopped short. For the
first TIME in his life, Osborne was not up to taunt
or sneer. His lips were bloodless, his whole as
spect that of man shocked to his very marrow
and as reached him he fell senseless to the
ground. =: ..e-'-


The unhappy girl I had 80 strangely met was
his sister-the only being he had ever really loved.


vas, as may be imagined, much shaken by
what had gone through and 1 saw the last Of
my friend Osborne when I left him safe at his
chambers on that eventfully July evening. -