Year: 1873

my companion and the woman sat beside
it, talking in low tone. and third per.
son sat at tho table, eating-a short,
etout. villainous-lo looking man, in . red
flannel shirt and muddy trowsers.


I asked for writing materials. and re.
turned to my room to write to ny wife.


My darling Alice ris


paused and laid down my pen as I
concluded the words. half smiling to
think what she would say could she know
Of my strange quarters.


Not until both sheets were covered did
l lay aside my pen and prepare for slum-
ber. As folded my paper. l happened
to glance towards the couch.


Wac it the CLEAN Of human eye OBJ
serving me through the board partition
or was it but my own fancy There was
crack there. but only blank darkness
beyond /; yet coald have sworn that
something had sparkled balefully at me.


l took out my watch-it was one
o'clock. 1t was scarcely worth while
for me to und ress for three hours sleep.
l would lie down in my clothes and
snatch what .lumber could. So, plac-
ing my vaiise close 70. the head of my
led, and baricading the locklets door
with two chairs, I extinguished the light
and lay down.


At first l was very wakeful. but grad
ually eoft drowsiness seemed to steal
over me like misty mantle. until, all Of
a sudden, some startling electric thrill
coursed through my veins. and l sat up.
excited aud trembling . -.... --.


A luminous softness seemed to glow
through the room-no light Of the moon
or stars was ever so penetratius-and by
the little window saw Alice. my wife,
dressed in floating garments Of white.
with her long. golden hair knotted back
by blue ribbon. Apparently che was
beckoning to me- with outstretched hands
aud eyes full Of wild anxious tender.
ness.


Isprang to my feet and rushed toward
her. but as reached the window, the
fair apparition seemed to vanish into the
stormy darkness. and was left alone.
At the self same instant the sharp report
of pistol sounded-I could see the
jagged stream of firslabove the pillow
straight through the very spot where ten
minutes since my head bad lain.


With an instantaneous realization Of
my danger, l swung myself over the
edge of the window, jumping some eight
or ten feet into tangled bushes below, and
as I crouched there, recovering my
breath. l heard the tramp of footsteps
into my room.


is he dead 7 cried voice up the
smooth, deceitful voice Of
the woman with the half closed eyes.


OF course he is growled a voice
back that charge would have killed
ten men. A light. there. quick. and tell
Tom to be ready


A cold. agonized shudder ran through
me. What den of midnight murder
ers had fallen into And how fearfully
had been my escape.


With the speed that only mortal ter
lor and deadly peril can give, l rushed
through the woods. now illuminated by
q faint glimmer Of starlight. l know
not what impulse gui.ised my footsteps
I never shall know how many times l
crossed my own track or how close l
stood to the brink of the deadly ravine
but merciful Providence eneompassed
me with a guiding and protecting care.
for when the morning dawned. with faint
red bars Of orient light against the stormy
eastern eky. l was close to the high road
some seven miles from R


Once at the town, l told my story to
the police, and a detachment was sent
with me to the spot.


After much searching and many false
alarms. we succeeded in finding the ruin
ous old house but it was empty-our
birds had flown nor did l recover my
valise and watch and chain, which latter
| had left under my pillow.


Its Drew's gang said the leader of
The police, and they've troubled US these
two years. l don't think. though. they II
come back here just at present


Nor did they.


But the strangest part Of my story is
yet 10 come. Some three weeks subse-
3ueutly I received letter from my els
ter, who was with Alice in her English
home-a letter whose intelligence filled
ne with surprise


i must tell you something very, very
wrote my sister, that happened
IN the night of the 18th Of October.-I
A lice had net been well for some time
~ fact. she had been confined to her bed
nearly a week, and I was sitting beside
her. reading. twas late-the clock had
ust struck one-when all o. a sudden
he .eemed to faint away. growing white
md rigid as corpse. l hastened to call
,ss;stance. but all our efforts to restore