Year: 1869

tOWdTu tue fcuthaeVis anu SdLeu
through.


l fell back with cry of terror; the
peddler's CHASTITY visage was no longer
there, but only the reflection of the
crimson-dyed coverlet on the rumpied
bed. Quaking with fear, and my
senses fast deserting me, | sank on the
floor. The torture endured that night
will never be effaced from my memory.
Grim forms and unearthly demons
danced around me, mocking and jeer-
ing at my misery; weird monsters,
with huge eyeballs flashing FIRE, men,
aced me. and ghastly skeletons chilled
me with their icy touch. Then came
the tramping of many hoofs along the
road, and the 6endish shouts of merri-
ment mingled with the howlings of the
storm; death was coming swiftly now,
and tried to steel my nerves for one
last struggle.


The demoniacal cav alcade drew rein
beneath my window. Ha! what was
that? No unearthly yell, but sounds
of human voices greeted my ears. /
flew to the easement. "Murderl-
Help" l shrieked, clutching the iron
bars with nervous grasp to prevent my
reeling once more to earth; then came
the heavy tramp of many feet on the
stairs: the door of my room was un-
barred, and l tottered forward in the
arms of the first to enter.


When | had somewhat recovered my
self-possession, they led me into the
other apartment. Near to the threshold,
across the fragments of broken ever,
the body of the landlord lay extended,
a small, round hole in the forehead in
dicating the manner of his death; while
close to the bedside lay the stark corpse
of the peddler, with gaping wound in
his neck, and clinging, with fearful
fright, to one of the new arrivals, was
the golden haired child l had noticed
on the evening of my advent.


The people who had come to my
rescue were four men from the village
of Streamville, and they had been led
by the child who was now with them
She had arrived at the village in
travel-stained and most woe begone
condition, during the evening, stating
that murder had been committed in
her fathers house, that the old negress
who kept house for him had gathered
together all the spoil she could and de-
parted, taking with her the impish-
looking stable boy and herself, that she
had eluded her vigilance, and managed
to escape, and had journeyed alone,
through the storm, to give information
at the village of the terrible tragedy
which had been enacted.


Circumstantial evidence, coupled with
mine, told the whole story. The cry
l heard had, doubtless, proceeded from
the Jew when the landlord was COM
mitting his diabolical deed, and the shot
which had been fired by him when in
the last gasp of mortal agony, had
taken full effect upon his treacherous
foe. The whispering and rustling on
the stairs had been caused by the neT
gress and the boy, when proceeding to
ransack the room, and it was they
who had, probably, removed the body
of the peddler from the bed, while
searching his clothes for the diamonds.


A strict search was instituted for
the woman and lad, but they effected
their escape, and L never afterward
heard of their capture; my little sunny
haired preserver was adopted by one
of the men who had come to my rescue,
he having taken liking to the orphan
for her ind omitable courage. l saw
her--grown now into fine, matronlY
woman--but few months ago, when
revisiting Streamville; and l related to
her wondering children the story of
how their gentle mother saved mo from
a cruel and lingering death