The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-03-24
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rat. Oh, Rachel, am so scared. Please lei
me come and get in bed with you"
"In bed with me Indeed shall do nothing
of the kind. If hear any more OF this non
sense I shall"
Rap, rap, rap. >,
Not ti1nid, hesitating series of taps, either:
but knock loud enough and imperious enough
to have been given by the strongest man alive
There came faint scream from Cecllla's room
and that was all until demanded in no very
moderate tone: -,
"Who are you? If you don't answer, 1 will
call Colonel Northorp."
Only silence answered me-profound, lmpen-
etrable silence. ...
Then indignation grew very strong within
me. Somebody was evidently trying very stu
pid trick to frighten us, and I, for one, deter
mined to prove that was not easily betrayed
into fear. put out my hand, and felt for the
match box as quietly as possible. Meanwhile,
q frightened cry was coming from Cecilia.
"0h, Rachel, what can it be? What"
"Hold your tongue" I answered shortly.
at is nothing at all"
At that moment laid my hand on the match
es, and knew that it would not take more than
an instant to strike light so l repeated my
words more loudly" 1t is nothing whatever" !"
Rap, rap, rap.
and made it rattle on its hinges. Simultane-
ouslv struck match. The next instant the
candle was lighted, and l sprang to the door.
Cecilia cried out at me, but flung it wide open
and faced
NOTHING.
Then it was, when 1 stood there with the
candle in my hand, the empty passage before
hyp for,ro N ciuht that felt
nv first thrill of superstitious terror. Sitting
here now. with the bright daylight all around
me and the sober pulse of forty-ive beating in
INV veins, I feel it again-that cold shiver, that
vague sense of the Unseen, which flesh and
blood are so little able to resist was never
coward however, and I rallied almost immedi-
ately. I came back to the room, where Cecilia
met me, pallid and trembling, and closed the
door.
ait is very strange" said, "but there's no
need for Mysteries, Cecilia. Well see the end
of it."
q Oh, Rachel" she gasped, "g0-go to Colo
mel Northrop"
"Indeed, I shall do nothing of the sort" 1
answered coolly. at would be fine story that
we went to Colonel Northrop, because we we're
startled by noise we could not explain. You
may 90, if YOU choose. l shall not.
But, as l knew beforehand, she had not the
courage for this So the matter ended by my
bolting the two outer doors, and then giving Ce-
ella leave to get into my bed. "iou surely
won't put out the candle" she pleaded, as 1
placed it on stand close by the bed, and it
was evidently such comfort to her, that re-
piled in the negative. 1 shaded it, however,
and then got in bed myself.
Half an hour, at least, must have passed be-
fore felt Cecil agive quick, conyulsiyc start.
"What is the matter?" asked Immediately.
"I-I thought heard a noise in the passage.
A something like a faint rustling." :.
"Whoever it is must be coming back, thcn,' y
L said, 'or else you have fancied it,"
"There-now again"
/ listened intently, but could hear nothing,
until suddenly the knock fell on my ear louder,
if anything, than ever.
"This is beyond patience" l cried and with
one bound I reached the door, and flung it
open again.
Then, while 1 stood there gazing stupidity
and wonderingly around me, occurred the Sc
cond memorable event of that memorable night.
The candle was in my hand. Cecilia, who had
followed me because she dared not stay behind,
was at my side; when sudden tight grasp en-
circlcd my left wrist, and felt myself drawn,
Oh rather ierkcd, into the middle Of the passage.
There the grasp relaxed, and heard distinctly
% sound as of garments rustling past me.
Before could think or speak, Cecilia gave
loud scream. and rushed down stairs; my aunt's
door opened Colonel Northrop's voice was
heard and the next moment the whole house
was in commotion.
T have little further recollection of that night.
Uproar and discomfort embody the most OF it.
The house was searched from top to bottom,
but nobody was found, nor any clue to the dis
turbancc. Cecilia took refuge in the nursery,
and was inducted, whether 1 would or no. in
to nv aunt's dressing-closet,-so think we
were equally uncomfortable, and equally glad
to welcome morning. Only, as thought with
a sigh of resignation while dressing, what an
immense amount of talking there was to be
done. Immense it certainly was, for it began
before breakfast, and lasted without intermis-
sion until bedtime, when it broke into perfect
storm of expostulation over my resolution to
sleep in nv own room. Alone? Yes, alone
But. good heavens was I not afraid? Afraid
of what? Oh, it was all very fire to take that
tone, but knew something had happened out
of the common way. Thank God, ghosts didn't
knock at the doors every night, and jerk people
down stairs by their wrists, whether they would
or no.
"Who says it was ghost? I, for one, don't
believe it was anything but -"
"But what?" demanded my aunt and Ccci-
liza, triumphantly.
"But whatever find is to be tonight" 1
answered off it is trick, l mean to discover
it, and if it be a ghost-why l have never
harmed any of Gods creatures, so l don't know
that need be afraid to meet any of them."
"That's right, Rachel" said the Colonel,
as we'll as brave. But tell you what, my girl,
there have been cases of people losing their
senses from sheer fright, so it may be as well if
you let me take your place tonight. I'll war
rant you will ferret out the mystery"
"And warrant you that mean to win and
wear my own laurels," answered, gaily. Il
am not afraid of losing my senses, and rs was
the person selected, don't mean to show the
white feather and run away from whatever it
is. shall sleep in my own room tonight