American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-04-17

OF the dead mans blood. Altogether.
the sight was one to make even as
hair Drained a fellow as | timid. But
| sought to drive unpleasant fancies
away. | threw myself down on a
bench by the table and waited the
issue of.my adventure. l lay quietly
some tlme-so quietly | could hear
my heart beat. The stiffness was
oppressive. ] grew nervous under
the awful hush of the midnight, and
fancied a thousand horrible sights
and sounds. / thought | saw the Old
man as he lay i'll his Shroud; thought
heard the old familiar voice plead
ing for mercy at the hands of his as.
sassin. Little by little, however, my
perceptions became less ard less dis
tlnct. My eyelids dropped, and / fell
into Slumber. How long | slept |
have no idea; but | woke tip sudden
ly, and became conscious that / was
no longer ALONE. | tclt-for my
eyes were still closed-that there was
something or Notwithstanding
or somebody that had entered while
l slept-near me. It's presence was
raipable to all my finer senses. !
seemed to be, as it were, enfolded by
invisible arms-wrapped in a spell so
absolute and terrible, that ] was pow
erless to resist. But | knew that to
yield would be fatal; and so, with d
mighty effort Of will. opened my eyes,
and looked in the direction whence
the strange influence came. On the
other side Of the table, directly oppc-
site, and not more than forty feet dis
tant, sat human figure, or what
seemed one. The face was in shadow,
the side of the head turned toward
me. That it was that of an old man,
| could see from the Stoop Of the
shoulders and the thin locks Of grey
hair that dropped from the temples.
He was dressed in the quaint long
socks and knee brecches of the Welch
peasant. His hands rested on his
knees, his head was bent toward the
tloaf. For moment was paralyzed
with terror; but, by one Of these re
vulSionS of feeling We cannot explain,
the next instant had half-perSuaded
myself that my companion had been
playing { trick upon nc. 'One OF
eie fellows, I said to myself,
has dressed himself to look Ike Old
Eu Hirwan, has come in while slept
and means to freighten me into los
ing my wager Determined to be
even with the rascaIs, | caught up a
stout walking stick that lay beside me
| 81 u .DnI :. lNlnyy OF tl,n s,1,a,,i,l,,.. x,F
| the mysterious intruder. Great God
1t struck impalpable air. could see
it pass through what seemed a solid
body without meeting the least re-
Sistance, striking The floor with a
crash. The next instant the figure
rose slowly from tie chair, turned
rGund and faced me. Shall I even
forget the paralyzing agony CT the
dreadful moment There StoOd with
in a few hands breadth Of ne what
seemed once the mortal part OF Old
IIu IIirwan; but how awfuIly chan g
ed. The face had tAe liyiI hue OF
death; the eyes were SuHkcn and
burned with d ghasly glare: The
GampneSs of the grave was upon tiiE
shrive!ed brow. The woand on tbs
side of til" head gaped hiGeously. ]
was toe terrified to speak-too ttII-
fed to movc-but stood helpless
staring at the spectre. had not cyei
will enough to shut my eyes to thu
awful vision; yet | had sufficient self
possession to know that the spell by
which | was neId must be speedily
broken or | should die; and remem
bcring what had been so often TOLD
me OF the efficacy OF speech, | sum
m0ned all my energies for the las
effort and gaSped out: In the name
of the Most High, command you t,
tell me what Your cTrand is Th
clammy lips quiyered, the shrunhel
face became eloquent with a horrible
intelligence, and the spectre spoke a
follows: fell by the hand of Owel
Roberts, my kinsman, who came t,
rob me. Den0unCe him as my nun
F, l2rer, see that lie is brought to jus
! tice, and | shall disturb you Ii
, more The light went out from til
a hollow eyes, the form of the dea
: man seemed tDshrivcl and fade ava
, and was left alone.
a You smile, sir; You think / dream
! ed all this. Wait un,il You hay
! heard me through. | rushed cat {
:. the hut, bounded over the gardC
wall, and ran home as if all the lirnd
, were after me Next day | calle
. upon the magistrate Of the town an
told him my story. Strange to sa!
he betrayed little surprise, and II
marked that facts Lad recently con
II to his knowledge which induced hir
60 believe that Owen Roberts va
: the real murderer. and that the o
' der for his arrest was already isSuc'
) J few hOurS-latc Roberts WAS in I'll
. clutches Of the law, and when tul
" that lie was ACCUSED bY witncSst
- both frGm this world and the worI
u Of ghosts, broke down completed
', AMI confessed all. He WAS tIie
d convicted and hanged Oh the ycl
gal!OWS where poor lt.cI huIna |
= noceutly swung: The ghost ct q
r Hu came no more and the good ng'
- PIE of Rh0Slan enjoyed long ii
~ affinity from suP"l natural VIsitHti0
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROL
d Standardization, says the ild%"lie
AdrrJfjsc,, has completely killed 4
10 University of South C0roIiud. r
ii University bill, which has lately !
of com,c : law, provides that there Sli;
70 be no distinction in this institute