Cruel As The Grave

On horror's head Horrors accumulate.--Thompson.

An icy sweat of terror bathed Sybil's form. She tried to cry out, and

did utter a low half-stifled scream. But the cold fingers of the ghastly

creature closed tightly upon hers, and a thin, hollow voice murmured: "Hush; don't you make a noise; don't be frightened. I can't hurt you.

I'm chilled almost to death. And you were so warm. I crept to your side

to tell you something. You are in hiding here, and so--Ah-h-h!"

The reed-like murmur ended in a terrific shriek. There was a silent

movement, and Sybil felt the clammy form snatched up from her side and

borne away in the darkness.

And then the spell that had bound her faculties was unloosed, and she

uttered scream after scream as she shook and awakened her husband.

"In the name of Heaven, Sybil, what now?" he exclaimed, as he started up

into a sitting posture.

"Oh, Lyon! for the love of mercy, get up! Get a light! I shall go mad in

this horrible place!" she cried in a perfect frenzy of terror.

"Calm yourself, Sybil. There is nothing to fear. I am here with you. I

will strike a light," answered Lyon Berners quietly, as he got up and

groped about in the darkness for the tinder-box.

Striking a light in those days was not the quick and easy matter that it

is now. When the tinder-box was at length found, the flint and steel had

to be struck together until a spark was elicited to set fire to the

tinder. So it was full five minutes from the time Lyon was awakened, to

the moment that he lit the candle and looked upon the pale and

horror-stricken face of his wife.

"Now then, Sybil, what is it?" he inquired.

"Oh, what is it! This place is full of devils!" she cried, shaking as

with an ague fit.

"My dear wife!" he said, in surprise and concern to see her shudder so

fearfully, to hear her speak so wildly.

"It is, I tell you, full of devils, Lyon!" she repeated with

chattering teeth.

There chanced to be a little wine in their stores. He went and poured

some into a glass and brought it to her, made her drink it.

"Now then, tell me what has thrown you into this state? What has

happened to terrify you so much? another dream, vision, apparition?

what?" he inquired, as he took from her hand the empty glass.

"Oh, no, no, no! no dream, no vision, nothing of that sort. It was too

dark to see anything, you know; but oh! it was something so ghastly and

horrible that I shall never, never get over it!" she exclaimed, while

shudder after shudder shook her frame.