Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-03-21


we should. find shelter in the house. One
of them entered through back window,
and opened the door to the party. Album
dant fuel was at hand, and we klndled
fire, while the horses were led to the sta
bles. Our quarters were soon comfortaDie
Dry walnut sticks blazed, Cracked and tell
astinder in the middle, while smoking Goals
fell out upon the hearth. But as outward
comfort increased, our inner CONSCIOUSNESS
aWoke' to a keener sense OF our peculiar
situation. When the minds free, the
body's delicate-and 0jc6 cefSa.
Z n We discussed the singularity OF our
position most of us with growing uneasl-
ness, while two OF three treated the affair
humorously. Will Ashley became abb
stracted gazing now into tile fire, and
anon starting and psering into the corners.
of the room, or Looking at the doors as 1t
he expected them to open, He was think
ing Of Margaret Rivers and anticipating
some ghostly visitation for his momentary
perfdy.. The unearthly owl he had seen
on the chimney top of this same house,
while yet the course of love ran smoothly,
was bird of evil omen the falling of the
great tree which had stopped our way,
BODIED sorrow to some one, and Will doubt
ed not that he himself was the BALKAN on
WHOSE account
barred the road. Suddenly we all started
to our feet. ,,-45 fT &C..
".'What was that p asked Anna Frank
lin looking terrified. % a'i.i@ra4 6 - .0a.
"'Did YOU not heara bellg' said another
It certainly was a bell Dear me am
frightened to death!' ~
"' What is the Ilatter?' cried Dick Lee.
What did you all jump up for?" thought
the old one himself was coming. Don't
you know any bettor than to scarea fellow
out of his senses 2
Tinkle; tinkle, tinkle,' went the bell
again. a'f e7ssasqzu l.9teg III
Who on earth can be ringlnga dinner
bell this time of night? 2 continued Dick
SWELL, l must give in; but he won't hurt
me he and l have had too many good
times together, He will be calling the roll
soon, so prepare We must answer our
names, as l once heard the Irish alderman
at a meeting of the board, when Twas in
Cork in ship /" Will Ashley 2" " Ere,
Sir r" '";Dick. Lee?" " Ere, yer honor !"
And SO he went through the whole com
pany.' 10 !'8@ 4"y I,ob - ~ ! :, :, ,
cried Mary Moore. How can you make
light of such things? | ann almost dead
with fright .--
3" For some moments the bell was silent,
but terror was impressed on every counte-
nance save that of Dick Lee, who appeared
resolved to brave it out.
Is "eCome Will Ashley said he, cheer up,
man. i know what you are thinking Of
you have had little flare up with those
| blue eyes down the road yonder That's
| the reason Margaret is not with us. So you
expect the devil to carry you off as he ought
| to. Hark Twill sing you a ballad for the
occasion .....
| ellis rich voice added greatly to the
mournful power of the lines, as to our con-
sternation he sung that dear old English
ballad, which, however beautiful, is not
| precisely the thing that one loves to hear
| in haunted house, lotto .t So
I sss,Twas in the silent solemn hour
When night and morning meet,
| In glided Margaret's grimly ghost,
| And stood at Williams feet
| ere the singing ended, the bell ringing
was again heard, together with other sounds,
apparently approaching the cellar stairs.
Dick looked startled, but resolutely con-
tinued his singing-the rest Of us standing
| in silent terror. t..ei --1-a q" a.
sssThis is the dark and fearful hour,
| When injured ghosts complain "ri f.L
G Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,- tramp, tramp,
tramp'-louder and nearer-but Dick was
stout hearted, and went on):
when drea aE gFaHes give up their dead
| "But at this moment, the cellar door
swung wide open. Dick looked over his
shoulder, uttered yell and rushed head
long from the ROOM All save Will Ashley
and myself followed him out into the storm.
| Will, who had been scarcely less terrified
hxr 10 ho1 no fol, %
sounds, imagining that restitution for his
faithlessness was now at hand, and perhaps
asking his own heart, like the Moore why
should honor outlive honesty?-let it 60
| ALL sank powerless upon the floor. Why
I did not fly with the others, cannot tell.
/ Perhaps the reason exists in some law of
metaphysics which / do not understand
My eyes were fixed i'll unspeakable amaze
ment upon the spectacle that rose before
me. Through the shadowy passage to the
cellar, rose a black, frightful face, crowned
with horns that curled all around the head.
Back of this apparition were others, all
with long, wistful faces, apparently half
human and half brute, and with eyes like
great pieces of brass. Utter silence pre-
vailed in the room, save 50 far as broken
by the raging storm without. There /
stood, confronting / knew not what, and
feeling as if in a trance. Presently viii
- go, Mr. Devil said he, I did not mean
it did not mean to quarrel with Margie!
Let me off this once, and will go right
back and tell her how sorry am ? ..'i
g" Em-ba- alb ? said the spectre, and came
gathering right out on the kitchen floor,
while bell under his neck tinkled furi
ously. The other heads crowded fast after
him, the cloven feet Gathering as they
leaped from the upper stair into the room
looked at Will, and Will at me- There
was queer expression upon his face-a
shadow of lingering terror blended with an
exceedingly foolish look of modification.
Still the strange visitors increased in num-
Der, stamping and bleating, and apparently
looking for something to eat.
Then Will laughed wildly like an insane
man, exclaiming - #-,at sa be9a29
a2 40, the fool that | have been! IT'S
Mr.. Marvins flock of sheep I / heard
day or two ago that they were lost, and
somehow they must have got into the
cellarp .e,eg 80 1905.
II, too, had heard that three days before
Mr. Marvin had missed his entire flock,
The, same day there happened a fall of
snow so that he could not track them Our
terror was now entirely gone, and Will,
rendered by the reaction more courageous
than ever before in his life, volunteered to
go into the cellar and examine Twas sur
prised, for he seemed as bold as a lion; but
this suppose was consistent with so incon-
sistent thing as human nature. was a
farmers daughter and not afraid of sheep,
SO he left me with them while he went
down with blazing brand. At the back
of the house he found that portion of the
cellar wall had fallen. Through the aper-