The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-05-12
A GHOST STORY.
FROM MARK TWAIN.

FROM MARK TWAIN.
took q large room, far up Broad
way, in a huge old building whose up
per stories had been wholly unoccu-
pied for years, until 1 came. The
place had long been given up to dust
and cobwebs, to solitude and silence.
I seemed grouping among the
tombs and invading the privacy of the
dead, that first night climbed up to
my quarters. For the first time in my
life a superstitious dread came over
me and as turned a dark angle OF
the stairway and an invisible cobweb
swung its slazy woof in my face and
chung there, l shuddered as one who
had encountered a phantom.
was glad enough when I reached
my room and locked out the darkness.
A CHEEKY fire was burning in the CRATE
and sat down before it with COM
forting sense ofrelief. For two hours
1 sat there, thinking of bygone times
recalling old scenes, and summoning
half-forgotten faces out of the mists
of the past; listening, in fancy, to
voices that long ago grew silent for
all time, and to once familiar songs
that nobody sings now. And as my
reverie softened down to sadder and
sadder pathOs, the shrieking of the
winds outside softened to vail, the
angry beating of the rain against the
panes diminished to tranquil patter.
and one by one the noises in the street
subsided, until the hurrying footsteps
of the last belated straggler died away
in the distance and left no sound be-
hind.
The fire had burned low. A sense
of loneliness crept over me. 1 arose
and undrcssed, moving about ON tip
toe, doing stealthily what had to do,
as if / were environed by sleeping
enemies whose slumbers it would be
fatal to break. 1 covered up in bed,
and lay listening to the rain and wind
and the faint creaking of distant shut
tiers, till they lulled me to sleep.
slept profoundly, but how long ]
do not know. All at once found
myself awake and filled with shud-
dcring expectancy. All was still-all
but my own heart; / could hear it
beat. Presently the bed clothes began
to slip away slowly towards the foot
of the bed, as if some one were pulling
them! could not stir: could not
speak. Still the blankets slipped
deliberately away, till my brest was
uncovered. Then with great effort
/ seized them and drew them over my
head. waited, listened, waited.
Once more that steady pull began, and
once more I lay torpid century of
dragging seconds till my breast was
again naked. at last / reused my en-
ergies and snatched the covers back to
their place apd held them with a
strong grip. Iwaited. By-and-by 1
felt faint tug, and took fresh grip.
The tug strengthened to a steady
strain-it grew stronger and stronger.
Ny hold parted, and for the third time
the blankets slid away. 1 groaned.
An answering groan came from the
foot of the bedl Beaded drops of
sweat stood upon my forehead. l
was more dead than alive. Presently
l heard heavy footstep in my room
the step of an elephant, it seemed to
met was not like anything human.
But it was moving from me-there
was relief in that. heard it ap-
proach the door, pass out without re-
moving lock or bolt, and wander away
among the dismal corridors, straining
the floors and joists till they creaked
again as it passed, sand then silence
reigned once more.
When my excitement had calmed
said to myself: This is dream
simply hideous dream" And SO
lay thinking it over until convinced
myself that it was dream, and then
a comfortable laugh relaxed my lips,
and was happy again. / got up and
struck light, and when I found that
the locks and bolts were just as / had
left them, another soothing laugh
welled in my heart and rippled from
my lips. l took my pipe and lit it,
and was just setting down before the
fire, when-down went the pipe
from my nerveless fingers, the blood
forsook my cheeks, and my placid
breathing was cut short with gasp !
In the ashes on the hearth, side by side
with my own footprint, was another SO
vast that, in comparison, mine was
but tiny infants. Then I had had a
visitor, and the elephant tread was ex-
planned.
put out the light and returned to
bed, palsied with fear. I lay long
time peering7 into the darkness and
listening. Then I heard grating
noise overhead, like the dragging of a
heavy body across the floor; then the
throwing down of the body, and the
shaking of my windows from the
concussion. In distant parts of the
building / heard the muffied slamming
of doors. 1 heard, at intervals, steal
thy footsteps creeping in and out
among the corridors, and up and down
the stairs. Sometimes these noises
approached my door, hesitated and
went away again. heard the clank-
ing of chains family in remote pass.
ages, and while it wearily climbed the
stairways, marking each move by the
loose surplus of chain that fell with
the accented rattle upon each succeed
ing step as the goblin that bore it ad-
vanced. / heard muttered sentences,
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