The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-08-29
A Mysterious Sound.

4
Husband, as they were awakened from their
sleep by this strange sound. "Such on aw.
ful sound as that 7 md the clock hrs Just
struck twelve /! Oh! what can il be 7"
"I an sure don't know" said her drowsy
husband; for he was less supersitious thsu
his wife. end, therefore, was not so com
pletely waked up as she BY the mysterious
sound.
"Such sound as that, and at this time oil
night, must be the forerunner Of death !!
soid the old lady in asolemn tone. IL hope
death will not visit our family"
"Tut, tut, wife you. know better than
that. There are no such things as torerun.
ners or forewsrnings and this sound is no.
thing more than the breaking of nail, or
something Of that sort"
"Pray, Mr.. Careful, how cnn nail break
this warm summer night! am sure there
is no frost to break nails"
"But the old house is getting rotton, and
it would be nothing strange for some Of it's
parts to give way"
"Well. do ycu think the giving away Of
some psrt of the old house would cause such
dull. heavy and dreadful sound as that, and
shake the whole house as TINT did 7"
"WelI, no, don't know as i, would" re
luctantly soid Mr. Careful. still not wishing
to ssy anything 10 the contrary to what he
believed though he wished to state some
hing as the cause OF the mysterious disturb
once OF their sleep, as he did not believe in
anything superstitiously Connected.
Then what can it be 7" asked his wife
eager to have him confess that it was caused
by something supernatural.
II am sure don't know, nor can't think
OF anything that would produce such sound
now but we will learn the cluse sometime,
without doubt"
II don't believe we will ever know the
'uthor oil that noise more than at present
1t is a forewarning Of some awful evrnt that
is TO tnke place, something that God has seen
fit 10 give US an intimation Of" ,'s ..
"Oh, what nonsense ! I believe if the
Infinite Being wished to give me any warn.
ing He would do so in plain English, and
not resort TO such o noise as that" said Mr..
Careful, determined to contradict his vie,
th'ueh he was wondering in himself as To
the tthf mys,eriens sound.
"WeIl, I-belevejwe shall hear of some
death after this" continued Mrs. Careful.
"WeIl it would be very strange if we
didn't, us there is hardly week goes by but
what we hear Of more or less deaths from
some source"
"And believe this will be forerunner
OF it, too"
"What ever produced that sound, if it has
any revelation to make, should be Glad to
have it use comprehensive 'lnbgunge."
"WeIl, it may yet," suid Mrs. Careful al
most expecting to hear voice cry out in the
dead OF the night to chide her husband for
his disbelief.
~ with it would, if there is any such thing
as foreworning," sad the old gentleman, af
ter which there was n long silence. Just us
he WINS abunt to speak again there came
shrilI, piercing shrek that echoed strangely
through every part OF the old house, and
frightening the worthy couple half out Of
their wits. Another less piercing shrek,
followed BY deep, heavy gronn. almost i'm.
mediately succeeded the first.
Mrs. Careful was nearly f"in,ing away
with lrigh, and her husband lay perfectly
tongue tied. In vain he tried to speak but
great bends uf sweat started from his brow
"Oh ! 90 - came from the hend Of the
stairs, Immediately over the couple below.
"Oh something has hit me on the head,
oh, dear!" .
The old nun recovered enough Of this to
ask who was there, as the children and an
old maid, who was doing some sewing for
them, slept up stairs.
"Oh it is me-" exclaimed the voice at
the head Of the stairs.
ut is Polly" said Mrs. Careful. coming
to her senses again. "Oh hurry and get a
light she may be almost dead :"
II guess not quite, considering the noise
she con make," tartIy exclaimed her hus.
bond, somewhat recovered, and provoked at
being SO easily frightened, as he proceeded
to light candle, and afterwords showsP Polly,
the cid maid, down the rckety steps Of the
stairs.
When she finally made her appearance
down stairs she displayed q large gush
across her temple, from which the blood was
flow ing pretty freely, ond making her pale
face look ghas,ly enough for a ghost.
"What is the matter, Polly :" eagerly
asked Mrs. Careful, as she arose TO admins.
ter to her wants. r..
"Did you hear that awful sound I" asked
Polly, apparently frightened out Of her wits.
eyes but what bit you on the temple 2"
"Oh I don't know what it was. AS I'D
got the too,hache, thought I'D get up and
get something to put Ia it ; and just as got
my gown on, and got half way across the
floor. 1 heard that noise and it scared me
so thatI couldn't 60 for some time. When
l did start Sgain, and got most 10 the stairs,
something hit me-on the head. Oh, dear |!
does it look very bad :"
She was completely out Of bEeath as she
asked this Of the old lady, who was bathing