The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-08-15
From the ATLANTIC MONTHLY
THE HAUNTED SHANTY.
(ooNcLuDED.)


But asked, are you sure she is alive p
Have you seen her since Have you asked he
to be merciful and not disturb your
Yes, said he, with bitterness of tone whic
seemed quite to obliterate the softer memories G
his love, I've seen her, an I've begged her Of
my knees to let me alone; but it's no use.-
When it got to be SO bad l couldn't stan it.
sent her letter, but l never got no answer.
Next year, when our second boy dice, frightened
and worried to death, believe, though he wa
scrawny enough when he was born, / took som,
money I'd saved to buy yoke of oxen, anC
went to Toledo o. purpose to see Rachel.
cut me awful to do it, but I was desprit
found her hvin' in a little house, with a bit o
garden, she'd bought. Is'pose she must a haC
tive or six hundred dollars when the farm wa.
sold, an she made good deal by sewin', be
sides. She was sittin' at her work when wen
In, an knowed me at onst, though / don't be.
lleve I'd ever a knowed her. She was ole, an
thin, an hardlookin'; her mouth was pale an
set, like she was bitn somethin' all the time
an her eyes, though they were sunk into hel
head, seemed to look through an through an
away out tn other side O. you.
1t gist shut me up when she looked at me
She was so corpse-ike l was afraid she d dror
dead, then and there; but made out at last to
say, Rachel, I've come all the way from Hi.
|
me, never sayin' word. Rachel saws /, u
know We acted bad towards you. God knows
didn't mean to do it. don't blame you fol-
payIn it back to me the way your dom, but
Mary Ann an the boy never done you no harm
I've come all the way O. purpose to ask your
forgiveness, hopin' you'll be satisfied with
what's been done an leave off bearin' malice
agin u.s. She looked kind o. sorrowful-like but
drawed deep breath, an shuck her head sOh,
Rachel says AN afore l knowed it was
| right down on my knees at her feet,-'Rachel.
don't be SO hard on me- Pm the onhappiest
man that lives. i cant STAN it no longer
Rachel, you didn't use to be so cruel, when we
We're boys an girls together Do forgive me,
an leave off hauntin' me so.'
Then she spoke up, at last, an says she
'Eber Nicholson, was married to you, n
the sight O. God =
4 know it, says 1 /; you say it to me every
night; an it WASH my doIn's that you're not
my wife now: but, Rachel, if | d "a BETRAYED
you, an ruined you,an Killed you, God couldn't
punished me wuss than you're a-punish-
in me-
She Civ kind O. groan, an two tears run
down her white face. 'Eber Nicholson says
she, ask God to help you, Tor | can't There
might a beeh time, says she, when l could
a done it, but it's ton late now
Don't say that Rachel says 1; it's never
too late to be merciful an forgivn''
1T doesn't depend on myself, says she; I'm
sent to you. It is tho only comfort have in
life to be near you; bur I'd give up that, if
could. Fray to God TO let me die, for then we
shall both have rest
And that was all could git out of her
L come home again, knowing I'd spent my
money for nothing. Since then, its been Just
the same as before,--not regular every night,
out sort o comes on by spells, and then stops
three or four days, and then comes on again.
we can't be neighbory we are afraid to have
anybody come to see US we've got no peace
no comfort of being together, and no heart to
work and git ahead, like other folks Its list
killing me, body and soul
Here the poor wretch fairly broke down.
bursting suddenly into an unconditional fit OF
weeping. l waited quietly until the violence
OF his passion had subsidized. misery so
strange,so completely out Of the range of human
experience, SO hope apparently, was not to
be reached by the ordinary utterances of con-
ISOLATION. had seen enough to enable me fully
to understand the fearful nature of the retribu-
ton which had been visited upon him for what
was, at worst weakness to be pitied, rather
than sin to be chaslised. Never was man
worse punished, he had truly said. But / was
as Tar as ever from compromising the secret
OF those nightly visions. The statement of
Rachel Emmons, that they were now produced
without her will, overturned-supposing it TO
De true-the conjecture which l might other
wise have adopted. However, it was now plain
that the unhappy victim sobbing at my side
could throw no further light on the mystery
He had told me all he knew.
My friend, said I,when he had become calm.
er, 1 do not wonder at your desperation. Such
continual torment as you must have endured is
enough to drive man to madness. 1t seems to
me to spring from the malice of some internal
power, rather than the righteous justice of God.
Have you never tried to resist it Have you
never called aloud, in your heart, for Divine
heip, and gathered up your strength to meet
and defy it, as you would to meet man who
threatened your life q
Not in the right way, I'm afraid said he.-I
Fact IS L always tuck it as a judgment hang
ing over me, and never thought of nothing else
than jist to grin and bear it;
Enough of that, urged for a hope of re-
lief had suggested itself to me, you have suffer
ed enough, and more than enough. Now stand
up to meet it like a man. Whensthe noise come
again, think of what you have endured, and let
1t make you indignant and determined. Decide
in your heart that you ,oM be free from it, and
perhaps you may be so. Ifnot, build another
shanty and sleep away from your wife and boy,
so that they may escape at least. Give your
sell this claim TO your wife gratitude, and she
will be kind and forbearing
L don't know but you are more'n half right, |
stranger he replied in a more cheerful tone
Fact Is, never thought on it that Way. Its
llghtened my heart heap, telling you and ifl
l am not too broke AMI used up-like, I'll try to
foller your advice. / couldn't marry Rachel
now, if Mary Ann loaS dead, we've been druv
so fur apart. l don't know how it'll be when
we're all dead: suppose themll go together
that belongs together; leastways, t ought tol
be so.'
Here we struck the Bloomington road, and !
no longer needed guide. When we pulled our
horses around, facing each other, noticed that
the flush OF excitement still burned on the mans
sallow cheek, and his eyes, washed by probably
the first ireshet of feeling which had moistened
them for years, shone with a faint luster of cour
age.
No, no,-none of that said he, as was TAX
ing out my porte-monnaie; you've done me
mighty sight more goods than I've done you,
let alone paying me 20 boot Don't forget the
turn to the left, after crossing Jackson's Run
Goodbye stranger! Take good keer of your
self!'
And with strong, clinging, lingering grasp
OF the hand, in which the poor fellow expressed
the gratitude which he was too shy and awk-
ward to put into words, We parted. He turned
his horses head, and slowly plod6ed back
through the mud towards the lonely shanty.
On my way to Bloomington, l went over and
over the mans story, in memory. The facts
were tolerably clear and coherent: his nara
tive was simple and credible enough, after my
own personal experience of the mysterious
noises, and the secret, whatever it was, must
De sought for in Rachel Emmons. She was still
living in Toledo, Ohio, he said, and earned her
lVing as seamstIess it would, therefore mot
be difficult to find her 1 confess, after his own
unsatisfactory interview, l had little hope of
penetrating her singular reserve; but felt the
strongest desire to see her, at least, and thus
test the complete reality of story which sur
passed the widest fiction After visiting Terre
Haute, the next point to which business called
me, on the homeward route, was Cleveland 81
and by giving an additional day to the journey,
could easily take Toledo on my way. Be-
tween memory and expectation the time passed
rapidly, and week later registered my name
at the Island House, Toledo.
After wandering about for an hour or two, the