Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1870-12-17
TINE moro / saw the more /

Deus
Ha thought !, ~ the clock struck
twelve, and instead Of a groan tine :
deep breathing Of the sleeper sounded
TIN ough the room; "you won I receive
any summons tonight, and ] may :
make myself comfortable"
Nioselessly, therefore, replenish j
tho fire, poured myself out glass Of
wine, and drawing the curtain so that
the freight would not disturb the
speaker, Iput myself IN a position to !
follow his example.
How long / slept know not, but
suddenly aroused with q start, and as !
ghostly thrill Of horror as ! ever re- !
member TO have felt in my life. eohss-
Aiaa-yhat, knew not-seenled neaF;
something nameless, but unutteramy
awful.
Igazed around. The lire emitted
faint blue glow, just sufficient to show
me tllat the room was exactly the same I
AZ when | fell asleep, but that the long
hand of the clock wanted but i've mIn-
utes Of the mysterious hour that was to
be the death moment OF the "summon- I
ed, man.
Was there any thing in it, then ?
sny truth in the story he lad told? {
The silence was intense. c0uid not
even hear breath from the bed ana
| was about to rise aud approach, when
again that awful horror seized me, and
al the same momont my eye fell upon
the mirror opposite the door, anu
saw a E. .s 8
Great heavens! that awful shape
that chastity mockery OF humanity!
Was it really a messenger fronl Tire
buried, quiet dead? 1t stood there ~
! visible death-clothes; but the awful
face was ghastly with corruption ard
the sunken eyes cleaned forth a green,
CLASSY glare which seemed veritable
blast from the Internal fires below To
move OF utter a sound iu that hideous
presence was impossible; and Ike
Statue sat and saw that horrid shape
move slowly toward the bed. :,
What was the awful scene enacted
t.ere | know not. | heard nothing,
excepta low, stihed, agonized groan :;
and saw the shadow Of that ghaetly
messenger lending over the bed :
Whether il was some dreadful Dut
: worldless sentence its breathless lips
conveyed an it stood there, know not
Lut for an instant the shadow OF q
claW-like hand, from which the third
finger was missing, appeared extended
. over the doomed mans head ana
then as tile clock struck one clear, s,-
| very stroke, it fell, and a wild shrleK
! rang through the room death
r Shrek.
! I am moi given to lainting, but | eer-
' tainly confess that The next ten mn
4 utes of my existence was cold DlanK'
and when [ lid manage to stagger tC
( nv feet, egazed around, yainly en-
: deayoring to understand the chilly
d horror which still possessed me.
Thank God the room was rid of ina
7 awful presence--I saw that sol gult
inc down some wine, lighted a wa22
, taHer and staggered toward the bed
y All, how | prayed that, after all,
n mirbt have been dreaming, and tina
d nv own excited imagination had GU
Is conjuredup some hideolH memory D
p the dissecting-room
y Rut one glance was sufficient to an
F.. ,wer that. No! The summons has
a. indeed been given and answered.
~ flashed the light over the dead lace
~ n swollen eonvulsed still with the death
~ 70 agony; but suddenly shrank back
a. Even as / gazed, the expression OF III
= face seemed to change; the blacKnes
/. fade,i into a deathly whiteness, IN
,r conyulsed features relaxed, and, eve
y as ifthc victim of that dread apparl
H. ton still lived, sad solemn smii
/ stole over the pale lips. ..u
ce 7 was intensely horrihed, Dul sun
4 retained sufficient self-consciOusness. t
ar he struck professionally by such ph6
" nomepon. Surely there was SOM
,a thjne more than supernatural agenc
en ia all this this? n
" and even the threat and chest; Due VIII
fine exception of a tiny pimple on on
nj femnIe. beneath cluster OF hair, not
~. 'o mark appeared. 10 look at that corps
"a - ona % woilId have believed that this ma
as had indeed died by the visitation
as God. peaceful while sleeping:
vL How long | stood there | know no
80 80 bnt time enough to gather my seatteft
r. r. senses, and to reflect that, all thinl
ND considered, my own position would
~ verv unpleasant if | was found I'll
nnexpectedly in the room Of the my
,,h tariolisly dead man. So, noiseless
e. e. ~ could, | made my way out OF q
ar M house. No one met me on the prlya
= staitrase. the little door opening III
,ed the road was easily uhiasteheHi a. !
thankful indeed was again 70 ieei
icb fresh Wintry air, as hurried Mo
ice that road by the churchySfu'
There was magnificent [lneI
al al sonn I'M that church, and ~ was 81
nv fLaI III. Young widow Of the burr
ms man was iuconsolable; aud then
lei mors rot abroad OF horrible apl,d
tinn Which had been seen On tiie nlg
~ nj fine death; and 1t was whispered
ueu 0s'd vonng widow was terrified, ana insls
"" Inou leaving her splendld mansion.
oYl. Nv6s too mystlfed with the WI
,sga MI affair to rislS my reputation by say
sad what | knew; and ] should nave
n.y. Wa lowed my share in it to remain lore
wy bnrjed in oblivion had | not suuuel
9eiy heard that the widow o1Iettiilg
~ MANY OF tile legacies IN the lastsWli
ieie @ h,,r lIilsbaud, intended to dispute II
'hui tlsa soore Of insilnityi and then gre
,.l aitv arose the ruifor Of his bellel
~ i1,S : having reueived mysterious "
with llnOns, ieF5l s
half On this went 10 tis lawyer
Fem! se,lt a message to the lady that, as
,Fhis last person which had attended
,rrer husband, ] undertook to prove lIls
1ed iiy: and I besought her - grant "a
me interview, in which would reiat'
mn strange and horrible q story ~
had ever heard. The same eysltll
.l,.re reeeived aninyilatiWA to got0 the \
ewes Sion, | was ushered, immediately
chin a splendid room, aud there stan'
and bag5re the fire, was the most dazziil
drt beautiful creature 4 had ever seeii.'
na- was very small, but eNanlsilely nai
JarHfnl md if net beenfor the dignity ot
carriage, l should have believed Y
hmy- mere child. With q stately bow
4 iII-a advanced, hut did not speak. ~.
nueh4 q / come on q strange and pssilltI
Lie randi I began; pild ptep ] stnrte'
= n Il A4|I