Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1871-01-27

Il
of the high chimneys ; and of the ever
| burning mounds near the mouths of the
coal-pits, where blue and yellow flames
/ leaped about, all night, through the
whole year round. 1t was all very well
to think of seeing these things but we
thought much more of walking past old
| Mrs. Wharton's house, and perhaps IN
ducing Mr.. Quincy to tell US, in his way
the story we had so often heard my
mother tell IN hers.
The story was this:
One midsummer morning Mrs. Whar-
ton was so absent at breakfast, that her
| daughter found all attempts at conver-
sation to be in vain. So she quietly fill
ed the coffee-pot, which her mother had
/ forgotten to do, and IN the middle Of
/ the forenoon ordered dinner, which she
found her mother had also forgotten
They had Iust such breakfasting three
times more during the next fortnight
/ Then, on Miss Wharton crossing the
| hall, she met her mother in bonnet and
shawl. about to go out, so early as half
past nine. The circumstance would not
have been remarked, but for the moth
| er's confused and abashed way of ac-
counting for going out. She should not
| be gone long. She had little call to
I IL. .
Gurney. He had hardly Rtlone break
fast, when he was told that Mrs. Whar-
ton wished to speak with him alone.
When he entered the study, Mrs.
Wharton seemed to be as unready with
her words as himself, and when he shook
hands with her, he observed that her
hand was cold She said she was
well, however. Then came a pause,
during which the good pastor was
shifting from one foot to the other,
on the hearth-rug, with his hands
behind him, though there was nothing
N the CRATE but shavings. Mrs. Whar-
ton, meantime, was putting her veil up
and down, and her gloves on and off,
At last, with a constrained and painful
smile, she said that she was really
ashamed TO say what she came to say,
but she must say it; and she believed
and hoped that Mr.. Gurney had known
her long enough to be aware that she
was not subject to foolish fancies and
absurd fears.
mo one further from it, he dropped,
and, now he fixed his eyes on her
face. Her eyes fell under his. when she
went on.
tFor some time past, I have suffered
from most frightful visitation in the
night"
7.Visitation! What sort of visitation?'
She turned visibly cold while she an
swered, "It was last Wednesday fort
night that l awoke in the middle of the
night-that is between two and three in
the morning, when it was getting quite
light, and l saw
She choked little. and stopped.
''Well = said Mr.. Quincy, What did
you see p
II saw at the bottom of the bed. a
most hideous-a most detestable face
gibbering, and making mouths at me. "
"A face r.
"Yes: could see only the face Tex
cept, indeed, a hand upon the bedpostl,
because it peeped round the bedpost
from behind the curtain. The curtains
are drawn down to the foot of the bed. .
She stole a look at Mr.. Gurney. He
was rolling his head and there was
working about his mouth before he ask
ed
..What time did you sup that night ?"
"Now," she replied. you are not GO
ing to say. hope, that it was night
mare. Most people would but hoped
that you knew me better than to sup
pose that eat such suppers as would
y
not know nightmare from reality"
"But. my dear Mrs. Wharton, what
else can say ?"
perhaps you had better listen fur
ther, before you say anything.
He nodded and smiled, as much as
to say, that was true.
81 have seen the same appearance
on three occasions since.
ffIndeed p
"Yes, on three several nights, about
the same hour. And, since the first ap-
Pearance, my supper has been merely a
lite bread and butter, with glass of
water. l chose to exclude nightmare,
as l would exclude anything whatever
that could possibly cause an appear
ance so horrible.
"What sort of face is it p
''Short and broad-silly, and yet sly
and the features gibber and work-Oh
fearfully p
do you hear it come and go
No When l wake-(and I never
used to wake in the night)-it is there
and it disappears-to say the truth
while my eyes are covered for cannot
meer its eyes. l hear nothing. When
ven ture glance, sometimes it is still
there; sometimes it is gone.
Have you missed any property p
mo nor found any trace whatever.
We have lost nothing and there is real
ly not door or window that seems ev-
er to have been touched not an open
ing where any one could get in or out. "
"And if there were, what could be the
object What does your daughter say
to it p
'Oh p said Mrs. Wharton. rising
quickly, "she does not, and indeed, and
must not know word of it. ought to
have said, at first, that what I am tell
ing you is entirely in confidence. If Il
told my daughter It must go no further
We could not keep our servants a week,
if it got out. And if should want to
let my house, I could not get a tenant
The value of the property would go
down to nothing and in justice to my
daughter, must consider that; for it is
to be hers hereafter. And we could
never get guest to sleep in the house a
single night. Indeed, you must not
"Well, well I will not mention it. |
But don't see"
He paused and Mrs. Wharton re-
piled to his thought.
''It is difficult to form coniectures- !
say anything, in such a case, which !
does not appear too foolish to be uttered. |
But one must have some thought and
perhaps-if one can talk of possibilities
lit is possible that this appearance may
be meant for me alone, if l can conceal |
it from my daughter-till I am convinc-
ed whether it is meant for me alone
81 would soon try that, - observed Mr.. |
Gurney. Seeing Mrs. Wharton look
wistfully at him, he continued.
"AIy advice is that you have your
daughter sleep with you, after hearing
your story. Try whether she cannot
see this face"
"You do not think she would p
II think she would not-my dear
friend, if were medical man, l could !
tell you facts which you are little aware
o-anecdotes of the strange tricks
which our nerves play with us-of delu-
sions so like reality
"Do you think have not considered
that?' exclaimed the poor lady. '.Mr |
Gurney, did not think that yo1t would
try to persuade me out Of my senses,
when tell you, that four times have