The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1861-10-31
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THE HAUNTED sHANTY.
FROM THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY.
ICoNCLuDEp.l

lCoNCLUDEp.
On my way to Bloomington, went over
and ovel the mans story, in memory. The
facts were tolerably clear and coherent: his
narrative was simple and credible enough,
after my own personal experience of the
mysterious noises aud the secret, whatever
il was, must be sought for in Rachel En-
mons. She was still living in Toledo, Ohio,
he said, and earned her living as q seam
stress; it would therefore not be difficult to
find her. / confess, after his own unsatis-
actory interview, had little hope of pene-
rating her singular reserve; but felt the
strongest desire to see her, ct least, and
thus test the complete reality Of story
which surpassed the widest fiction. After
visiting Terra Hautc the next point TO which
business called me, on the homeward route,
was Cleveland; and by giving an additional
day to the journey, could easily take To-
ledo on my way. Between memory and ex-
pectation the time passed rapidly, and a
week later registered my name at the Is
land House, Toledo.
After wandering about for an hour or two
the next morning, | finally discovered the
residence of Rachel Emmons. 1t was q
small story-and-a-half frame building. on the
western edge of the town, with locust
tree in front, two lilacs inside the paling
and a wilderness of cabbage-stocks and
currant-bushes in the rear. After much
cogitation, had not been able to decide up
on any plan of action, and the interval be-
tween my knock and the opening of the
door was one of considerable embarrass-
ment to me. A small, plumpish woman of
furty, with peaked nose, black eyes, and but
two upper teeth, confronted me. She, cer-
tahlly, was not the one | sought.
Is your name Rachel Emmons p asked,
nevertheless.
No, m not her. This is her house,
though
Will you tell her gentleman wants to
see herP' said |, putting my foot inside the
door as | spoke. The room, | saw, was
plainly but neatly furnished. A rag carpet
covered the floor ; green rush-bottomed
chairs, a settee with chiutz cover, and q
straightforward rocking chair were distrb-
uted around the walls; and for ornament,
there was an alphabetical sampler in a
frame, over the low wooden mantel-piece.
The woman however, still held the door
knob in her hand saying, Miss Emmons is
busy. She can't well leave her work. Did
you want some SEWN done p
NO. said !; Il wish to speak with her.
It's on private and particular business.
WELL she answered with some hesita-
ton, III tell her. Take cheer
She disappeared through door into a
back ROOM and | sat down. In another m n
ute the door noselessly reopened, and Ra-
chel Emmons came softly into the room. l
heliove should have known her anywhere.
Though from Eber Nicholson's narrative,
she could not have been much over thirty
she appeared to be at least forty-ive. Her
hair was streaked with gray, her face thin
and of an unnatural waXy pallor, her lips of
a whitish-blue color, and tightly pressed to-
gether and her eyes seemingly sunk far
back in their orbits, burned with a strange
ghast tly--I had almost said phosphorescent
light. remember thinking they must
shine like touch-wood in the dark. | have
come in contact with too many persons,
passed through too wide range of eXpori-
ence, to lose my self-possession easily but
[ could not meet the cold, steady gaze of
those eyes without strong internal trepd-
alton. 1t would have been the same if
had known nothing about her.
She was probably surprised at seeing a
stranger, but could discern no trace of it
i'll her face. She advanced but few steps
into the room and then stopped, waiting
for me to speak.
You are Rachel Elnmons p asked, since
commencement of some sort must be
made
Yes
4 come from Eber Nicholson said l, fix,
ing my eyes on her face.
Not muscle moved, not nerve culver.
| ed, but fancied that faint purple flush
| played for an instant under the white mask
! If | were correct, it was but momentary.--
She lifted her left hand slowly, pressed il
on her heart and then let it fall. The mo.
ton was 50 calm that should not have no.
| ticed it if had not been watching her sc
| steadily.
We'll 2 she said, after a pause.
| Rachel Emmons,' said and more than
one cause conspired to make my voice earn
| est aud authoritative,-'l know all. | come
to you not to meddle with the sorrow-let
me say the sin-which has blighted yom
| life not because Ebcr Nicholson sent me
not TO defend him or to accuse you but
! from that solemn sense of duty which makes
every man responsible TO God tor what he
| does or leaves undone. An equal pity fol
him and for you forces me to speak. He
cannot plead his cause you cannot under
! stand his misery. | will not ask 10y wha
wonderful power you continue to tormelt
his life; will not even doubt that you pity
| while you afflict him; but ! ask you to re-
| feet whether the selfshness Of your sorrow
may not have hardened your heart, anc
blinded you to that consolation which Goo
! offers to those who humbly seek it. Yor
say that you are married to Eber Nicholson
in His sight Think, Rachel Emmons, think
of that moment when you will stand before
! His awful bar, and the poor, broken, suffer
ing soul, whom your forgiveness nigh
still make yours in the holy marriage o
! heaven, shrnks from you with fear anc
pain, as in the remembered prosecutions o
! earth /!
The words came hot from my very heart
! and the ce-crust OF years under which herr
| lay benumbed gave way before them. Sht
trembed slightly; and the same sad, hope
less moan which had heard at midnight il
the Illinois shanty came from her lips. Sh,
sank into a chair, letting her hands fal
heavily at her side. There was no move
ment of her features, yet saw that hel
waXy cheeks were moist AS with the SLOW
ooze of tears SO long unshed that they haC
forgotten their natural flow.
i do pity him, she inurmured at last, 'anc
/ | believe forgive him; but oh I've becom,
an instrument OF wrath for the punishmen
of both .e-.
If any feeling of reproof still fingered il
my mind, her appearance disarmed me a
once. felt nothing but pity for her for
despair, rather than the GOODNESS of cher
ished malice, which had so frozen her life
Still, the mystery of those nightly persecu