The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-11-25

TO taste a morsel of each slain wetb,
er.
| My father shook his head. 1T have
heard of such cases, too" he said:
"but ia this instance am tempted to
think the malice OF some unknovn
: enemy has been Mt work. The teeth
or Dog have bccu busy no doubt,
but the poor shecv have been mutt
lated IN q fantastic manner, as strange
as horrible; their hearts, IN especial,
have been torn out, and left nj some
PAGES off, half.gnawed. Also, the
= men persist that they found the print
Of q naked human foot in the soft
! mud of the ditch, and near it--this"
c And he held up what seemed bro
ken link of rusted iron chain. -,
Many were the CALCULATIONS of won.
| der and alarm, and MANY and shrewd
The conjectures, but none seemed ex-
octly to suit the bearings ofthe case.
: And when my father went on to saw
that two lambs of the same valuable
T breed bad pcrished in the same slug.
ular manner three DAYS previously,
: land that they also were found man.
. gled aud gore. stained, the am,zsnient
B reached a higher pitch. Oil Lady
I Spellhurst listened with calm intelli
gent attention, but joined in none OF
Ionr exclanations. At length sho
said to my father, ''t'rc and tecol.
lcct-have vou notN M, among your
: lneighhors? Ms thcr started, and
knit bis brows. "Not one that
know Of he replied, and indeed he
was popular man and kind land.
lord. The more lucky you," said
the old dame, with one Of her grim
smiles. 1t was now late. and we ri.
tired to rest before long. One bv
Que the guests dropped OFF 1 was
1.-THE member Of the family selected to
escort old Lady Speldhurst to her
Iroom-thc room had vacated In her
favor. | did not much like the office.
| felt remarkable repugnance to my
godmother, but my worthy aunts Ia.
sisted So much that I should ingrati
/ ate myself with one who had so much
TO leave that | could not but comply.
I The vistor hobhled up the broad
foaSen stairs nrtivoly' enough, prSi,oed
on my arm and Ter ivory crutcli. -
! The room never bad looked more
genial and pretty, with its brisk fire,
modern furniture, aud the CAV French
paper on the walls. "A nice room,
my dear, and ought TO he much
obliged to YOU for it, since my mail
tells me it is yours" said her lady.
ship; "hut / ain pretty sure you re.
pcnt your generosity TO me, after slt
those ghost stories, and tremblc to
think of n strange bed and chamber,
eli p / made some commonplace
reply. The old lady arched her eve
brUws. Where have they put you,
child p she asked; "in some cock loft
OF the turrets, ohG or in lumber.
roOm--a regular ghost-trap? can
hear your heart beating with fear
this moment. You are not fit to be
alone" l tried to call up m, pride,
and laugh off the accusation agains.
my courage, all the more, perhaps,
because | felt its truth. DO you
want any thing more that / can got
yon, Lady Speldhurst7' I asked,
trying to icign Il yawn OF sleepiness.
The old danes keencyes were upon
me. Il rather like YOU, my dear"
she said. "and liked your mamma
well enough before she treated me 30
shameIully about the christening din.
ner. Nov, know YOU are fright.
ened and fearful, aud if an owl should
but Zap your window tonight, II
might drive vou into fits. There ia u
nice little soft bed in this dressing.
closet-calb ypur maid to arrange it
for you, aud you can sleep there
snugly, under The old witch's protec.
ton, and then no goblin dare harm
you, aud nobody will he a bit the
wiser, or quiz YOU for being affaid."
How little knew what hung in the
balance ot my refusal or acceptance
Of that trivial proGer! Had the veil
Of ol the future been lifted for one in.
slant hut that veil is impenetrable
to out gaze.
left her door AS | crossed the
la..-liat5 L-islt slosn came from
another room, whose door was lett
ajIr; it (the light) fell like bar Of
golden sheen across my path. As
approache the door opeaed and M
9 ,tcr Lucy. who had been watching
for me, came out She was already
in white cashmere wrapper, over
which her loosened hair hung darSly
and heavily, like tanglcs of silk
Rosa, love, she whispered, Min
ME and can / bear the idea Of your
sleeping ont there, all alone, IN that
solitary room--thc very room, too,
nurse Sherrard used 10 talk about
So, 40 you know Minnie has given up
her roor, and come to sleep in minc.
stIl we should SO wish you to stop
with us TO night at any rate. and
could make up bed on the sota for
myself you - and - stopped
Lucy's mouth with kiss. I deciin.
ed her offer, / would not listen to IL.
In fact, my pride was up IN arms, aud
/ felt felt | would rather pass the
night in tho church. yard itself than
accept proposal dictated, I felt
sure, by the notion that my nerves
wer0 shaken by the ghostly lore we
had been raking up, that I WAS
weak, superstitious creature, unable
to pa5s night in strange chamber.
50 | would no. listen to Lucy, but