The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-25

Alter q little Wnllc We aSreeu 10 play dI CucSS,
and arranged small side-table in front of the
fire. sat in the armchair with my back to
the bedrOom-door, as on the previous night !;
s. was seated opposite to me. consequently
facing the door, which l had closed, locked,
and bOlted, on completing our tour OF lnspec-
ton; s., who was in high spirits, joking AT
me the while. l remembered, however, tnc
uncomfortable tendency il had TO open on its
own account, and determined that it should DC
as securely fastened as good lock ana poit
would admit of. We were both lalr CHESS
players, and equally matched.
Two hours, perhaps had elapsed, when the
interest of the game eliminated, anu we were
considering it with an intentness known Ohly 70
chess-players. The move was with me.
Knowing it to be q critical one, was CONSIDER
ing it at length, in all its aspects my decision !
was lust formed, and was on the polht Oh
moving piece, when gradually, surely, De-
came aware of the same extraordinary selsa.
tion of cold as OH the night before, just as IL
the surrounding atmosphere were becoming
iced into solidty. l felt that the bedroom
door behind me was opening. l looked up
with the intention Of calling SIS attention TO
the phenomenon, but my movement was un-
necessary; he was equally conscious OF IL WIN
myself He had risen from his chair, ana
can never forget the expression of his face,
which was liyid and distorted. His eyes were
wide open, and turned full on the door that
was behind my chair All his features were con-
yulsed, and his appearance, as he bent for
word as in an intensity of horri1ed eXpecta-
ton, was perfectly terrific. actually saw ms
hair lift from his head, and the great BEADS OF
perspiratlon burst from his forehead. He took
not the slightest notice of my movement, Dut
slowly raised one hand, as if pointing to some
thing in the room behind me; then suddenly,
and without giving me moments warning,
with one loud yell of agonized terror, ne
dashed to the door leading into the pass
passage, through the passage, ana OUT Oh tne
main door, which slammed heavily Dehino
him. hurried after him into the passage;
Then remembered that the outer door closed
with a spring-lock, and that the Key was III
the pocket of my great-coat, which was hung
up in the bedroom. We had inadvertently
left the door open on coming in, and thus S-
had been enabled to escape. 1t would be i'm
possible for me to describe my feelings at InC-
ing myself alone in the passage How long IL
was before l mustered sufficient presence OF
mind for reflection, cannot tell, Dut at last
realized to myself the fact that to leave my
chambers it was necessary to get the Key.
With o desperate courage, returned 10 the
sitting-room. The lamp was eXtinguisned !;
the lire was burning with sickly glare WIN
closed eyes / advanced into the bedroom.
quickly felt my way to the peg on whlcd my
coat was hanging, when something nap,
pened that caused my very heart 10 stanu
still, and my blood to freeze heard move
ment in the passage,-a strange, neaVy, shllili-
ing sound, as of a body dragging itsen along
the floor. An impulse eized me, unaccouhta-
BILE as all the other events OF that memoraoe
night 1 felt impeled to follow the tnlng tnat
was painfully, slowly dragging Itself down the
passage l stepped through the dressing
room and as l moved, l heard 1t move on De-
fore me, keeping at the same relative dlstance
from me. l quiekened my pace, L ran DuC
still could not overtake that which stlll
heard dragging itself along.
After three or four headlong rushcs from
room to room stopped in the middle OF the
sitting room to recover breath. AS l stood,
a revulson Of feeling came ov9r me. ELY
eagerness to confront and discover the cause
of the sounds | still could hear, gave way to
horror. felt my life and reason to depend on
my escape. As moved TO the Dedroom-door,
it closed in my face. frantically endeavored
to force the lock- The thing was dragging IT
self along the passage into the room In which
/ was. Again the nauseatins stencil OF the
night before rose into my nostris; rushed
to the window with the intention OF throwing
it open and jumping into the space beneath;
but it was too late. turned my eyes down.
wards 1t was close TO me, and Deneld IL.
man writhing on the floor, his features Dlue,
bloated and decOmposed, the eyeballs turned
up vet bearing full upon me, dead and CLASSY,
an Impure phosphorescent light emanatlng
from the body itself. AS gazed, one dlscol-
Ored hand was raised to the throat, IN winch l
perceived hideous cash. 1t drew itself grad
ually closer to me. Decaine Inscu-
sible. When was discovered in the morning,
nv friends, who were telegraphed fer, re-
moved me to the country, where, amongst
cheerful scenes and people, soon recovered;
S died of brain fever within three days OF
the night on which he sat and watched with
me.
have never cared to make any inquiries Us
to the previous inmates OF the chambers. IL
is true I have heard that an inmate Of one set
cut his throat under peculiarly horrible cir
cumstances; but was never curious to iden-
tify the scene of the suicides death with the
chambers occupied for so short time; IN
deed, nothing would induce me ever again 70
enter Grays-inn-square.