Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-08-01
THE 4PPARITIoN.

Margaret the wiL'o" OF Joun bu
chan, of Edinburgh slept soundly
for two hours; nor ev,'n In dream
did honest John Buchan, with the
square hat and broad coat W. .'th crown
buttons, appear to her. At the emo
of that time she was awakened, yet
without knowing what had disturb ed
her. The clock in the kitchen strike
one, and again another one-it was
two O'Clock, but strange as the sound
of the old wooden timepiece slways
was-more resembling the scream of
some weird creature in agony-each
toll accomplished, too, with a strain
ing as if the difficulty increased by
every effort, than any merely artifi-
cial note--there was something about
it now which terrified her. The door
between the kitchen where the clock
stood and the room where Margaret
lay, must have been opened between
the first stroke and second. But
then there was no human creature in
the house; yet it appeared certain to
her that the door had been opened.
Under this impression she lay for
minute or two. The whole energies
of her spirit seemed collected and
concentrated in her ear, wherein the
sense became so painfully acute that
she could detect even the low breath
ing of some one in the room. She
strained her eyes in the direction of
the sound, and even in the darkness
of the apartment she thought she
discovered moving body, but so
indistinct that she could define it to
no form. There were two distinct
footballs in the direction of the bed.
Again breathing, so well heard |
that she could even he certain that
the body was within a few feet of
where she lay. Yet not word was
spoken; and so overcome was hon
est Peggy with mysterious fear, that
she could exercise no control over
the motionless limbs that lay as if
and palsied they were for
the time. While the orbs were thus
strained looking into darkness, a
CLEAN Of light was suddenly thrown
into her face, which seemed to be re-
hected from the FURNISHED back of a
lantern, the slide of which had been
drawn up.
The power of the charm had now
reached its utmost, when the lantern
was moved SO that the top of it was
turned back, and she could now see
the face and the upper portion of the
figure of man. 1t was not the fig- {
ure of John Buchan; and though a
modern reader may think that it
would have been strange thing if it
had been. he is to remember that
MS widow thought it was a very
strange thing it was not. The CLEAN
had not only showed to her that the |
igure was very unlike that of her
husband, but, having glanced on +
Johns picture on the wall, brought i
'ut by the light, the contrast was
7ividly apparent Those deep seat a
I'd eyes were shaded by bushy eye.
,rows; the cold stern look of the O
,ronzed face was not that of her F
husband. But if she had required t
ime for comparison, that she was
let afforded, for the words rang out a
ough and surly: il
"Do you know me?" "
The widow paused tt
"Come, insist upon an answer" tt
le continued. "My fate. death, and tc
omething after, depend upon it a
peak! speak. I demand; do you fl
now me?"
SAY, weel do I ken ye," though N
70 tax on mony a strange shape"
"And will you hold my secret al
hen?" continued he, not understand b.
ng the allusion she had made to W
ertain nameless parsonage. d.
Say, if you dinna harm me-" re- m
lied she.
II won't harm you But you must b,
wear before heaven" tv
'Heaven!" calculated she, "and 10
Q you have faith in heaven?' G
81 have" responded he, as he put w
is hand on ''the Book" which lay fu
= the top of the old chest of ce
Rwers. "Swear that you will nev- th
reveal that you saw me here" ha
~ swear" echoed the widow. he
sand now reward you," said he, fe
Z he placed his hand again on the W.
ible, and deposited something We
lereen. eff you fail of your oath," IA
E continued, with stern look, s:you th
~ repent it through time and eter-
iiy." 81 Oh
The light was then turned, as the
cure wheeled slowly round. 1t
llde again for the door, which she ap
ard creak and shut. She heard th,
u other retreating sounds-the mi
%p, the opening of the outer door, ca,
y locking of it; all was again 81 a {
i.