The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-25
EJEGEl.D BI A GHOST.
BY JoiiNrrlTNAN.


OH the right, was the door of the sitting room,
the three windows Of which looked on to u
dinisy green cxImnsr, where stood II few tall
Saunt London trees. In one corner oil the
sitting room WAS IL door leading into the bed
room, which communicated with II drcssn.
room. This dressing room had IL door lcain:
maln entrance from the l;in,iing Thus could
make tle' complete circuit Of my premises
from the sitting room, through the bed and
dressing rooms into the passage, ana through
the passage Into the sitting room again am
anxious TO be understood on inns POM. rs u
realization OF tho topography OF the place is
necessary iaS the comprehension of Tie inci-
dents haSvUlO relate.
will premise by assuring my reader that ut
the time of which am speaking was in
thorough physical health. AS Is the case with
most sucking barrlsters, rather pride,l my
self on cultivating u habit of mind that should
not permit Inc TO be undily impressed by
causes nnwnrrantcd by calm reflection. had
been accustomed TO u scdcn'ary, to some eX-
tent q solitary life, and In moving TO Gray's-
inn-sqiiare had determined To apply myself
unrcmitlingly TO legal Studies.
My new chambers had been unOccupicd for
some months, and after making sure tlint they
had been well cleaned and scrubbed. sent In
my furniture, and took possession. II was on
chill dark October evening thut, after dining
III an accustomed cating-housS, | wcndcd my
way TO my new quarters. / Shall never forget
that evening: there WAS heavy clnmmy feel
Ing In tho air Of the streets and ns turned
INTO The drrary square the mir seemed heavier
niLu CititiHicT. VII uTFlNlu1 3t my cl1lmDtrS,
found the deaf spirit sodden old creature
VINO had attached herself 10 me us laundress
and charwoman In the act Of setting out the
te;s-things. The lamp Was lighted and bright
the OLD woman mu,nbicd u rrw words, the
meaning of which did not catch; however,
wen iI,t..red with the air of comfort she had
Impaired To the place, ] wished her q CHEEKY
good night rs she went ont.
Having closed and locked the outer door,
returned down the passage into the sitting
room. can perfectly call 10 mind its appear
ancc on that night The polished furniture
was cleaning and glistcning In The light, the
windows were yelled by thick curtains, and
the door Leading into the bedroom stood ajnr.
| congratulated myself on my possessions, and
having poured myself ont II cup of tea, and
lighted my pipe, settled myself with n volume
'oI Italian IN an armchair by the fire. | had
bcen reading for some time, my attention had
somewhat wandered to vague sleepy con-
sideriliun OF matters not strictly rclcvun; TO
constitutional history, when became aware
9i @ Strange all-pervading sensation OF cold.
The sensation was so sudden. SO acute, that |
rose from my chair shivcrng, In The cXpccta-
tion of finding one ei the Windows open. Bmt
no they were oil closed and fastened. Through
the panes could discern the gaunt branches
0i The trees, unstirrcd by any gust OF wind.
On glancing round the room, noticed The
flame OF the lamp which, though somewhat
aim, did not flicker or seem agitaictl by The
ICY stream of air which chilled ne TO the
bones, Tho bedroom door. MS I have mcr-
TONED, was ajar and thinking the drnlirht
might proceed from one OF the inner rooms /
iiShtcd candle, with the Intention Of looking
through them But the instant entered the
bedroom the candle went out not suddenly MS
from current Of mir, hut quietly, inslnntinc-
ously, as though II had been introduced into
an atmosphere of carbonic-acid gas Al the
same moment the sensation of cold again
came over me with ten times greater intensity
than before. The gaslight III The square shone
my way through them into the passage, and
back into the sitting-room. My sensations ap-
pearcd to me somewhat unaccountable but
attiioufing them to some draught, Of which
closed the doors and resumed my place by the
hre; After n little while fell again into my
interrupted train OF dreamy Thought, and
gra,dmmaily GRADUAL ieil asleep. Now, before proceeding
victim TO nervous iancies. Nothing had ever
occurred TO me bearing in the rcmotcst way
on the events am about TO relate, events 80
utterly ineXplicabc by natural causes, and yet
50 fahtastically real, that even after q lapse of
many years call them to mind with shudler
OF horror.
the appearance Of the room as unused laZiiv
essa;s oaga sFF F&Fe &aS pSyns f s
times seeming to be almost close to me, Mt
times, again, seeming to proceed from some |
great distance. The fire had burned low, ,occa-
sipnally cracking and ticking; the lamp, as |
large portion of the room was In deep shadow.
l do not know how long had slept when [ |
became conscious OF my own being. cannot |
say that awakened; for though all my mental |
faculties were struggling painfully into life,
my vital action seemed suspended, and was
unable to move hand or foot. a cold perspi-
ration burst from all my pores AZ | made tre-
mendous but vain efforts 10 shake OH the |
incubus that was upon me. My feeling was
not one of Impotence 1t WAS rs though had
been frozen into solid block OF ice. Il en-
deavorcd to call Orl had no power over nv
VOICE. n Il,,t
gasped nn,l painted. there stole into my nos
trils deadly, terrible, ovrrpowerin. stencil,
llilmiSlaknbic In its penetrating sicklness TO
me who had ircyncnicd hospitals II was The
drGaq odor Of decompoIng mortality that was
suflucating me rs sat. felt that | must
break the spell, or die. With one terrific cxcr-
ION That strained every nerve and muscle, |
burst from the chair, and fell covering on my
knees before the fire. The lamp had gone ont,
U iaint Slcam from the fire afforded the on Y !
light In the room. relightcd the lamp, nn6
ored to collect my thoughts. Ny first ilra |
was, that dead body must be solYowllcre |
concealed in the room. The hidcous odor sill
chung to my nosirlls, and the absurdity of such
tho room, but OF course found nothing
though, To my astonisliment, the bedroom
door, which had carefully closed. was wide
open. As advanced towards It with tho in
tcntfon or shutting II again, my lamp was cN-
In the same unaccountablc manner
ms before; locked 1t, however, securely, and
again struck light.
by this time | had sufficiently recovered TO
cndeayOr 10 reconcile my sensations to nat,-
raj causes, OF nj any rate to formidable at
tack OF nightmare. lighted my pipe, In the
hope of neutralising the terrible stencil that
pervaded the room. Leaning on the mantel-
piece, actually smiled at bdholding my own
pale scared.lookng face In the mirror. Ash
looked, sndde.ily every pulse in my body stood |
still. beheld tho reelection of the bedroom
door, which gradually. nOisclessly, opened OF |
Itself. tried to command myself, and turned
round towards the door. The same intense
thrill of cold, but not soul was there. / con
sldered for nn Instant, and cross-cx!ininrd
myself rs tony own condition. II was c,l-
dent that my nerves wcrccomplctcly unslrilI,Y,
and decided, US reflected in the looking,
glass my own ghasily-lOoking face, that vs.
not In y condition to Investigate the matter
any further for that night, A dread was unun
me TINT could nol Slllkn off. sn hn.,iiir ~