The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-05-06
Ghe1lt(fellltila!gssltfe'rlI;.
Moc-KoN=o-WHA;
OR
THE PHANTOM HAND:
4 STORY OF WHEELING N TREEARLY BAYS
ny An OLD EEsIDESr.
CHAPTER II!

Sill It beckoned me on. j hesitated.
thought OF the baby,-"I must not leave
it, said. l turned toward the house
again, but OF that, moment Iheard the
voice Of my husband calling, Elizabeth !"
'sEIizabctli "'G0, Elizabeth! Oh, make
haste; make haste r.! The agony ofthC
tone aroused me. The sound was nearly
lost in the distance as fit came from the
bottom Of a well, Or the depths Of some
cave, but it was nevertheless. sufficiently
distinct. Ihesltated then no longer, but
whirling about''I fairly flew after the
white phantom. Down through the
marsh road to the float bridge, made Of
logs and stretched Obliquely over the
creek from where Hubbard's saw.mill
now stands, to Market street, or perhaps
alittle below. ts7i l lTrt
Centre Wheeling was then q cornfeld.
The Charred stuInps were sill in the
ground, and here and there were piles Of
halt.burned logs. A narrow roadway,
ran through the cornfeId TO a
point on the river bank, very near where
the railroad shops now stand. That pro.
perty has changed hands 50 often since
that time that l have forgotten who own.
ed it tlIeu; but / remember distinctly that
II was worked on shares by man whose
name was Whitney. His family lived in
q small cabin Just near the Presbyterian
Church, and | believe, were the only peo-
pie who lived over tho creek at the time.
Maxwell, Of late, Ind boarded with the
Whftney's, and people wondered at their
blind infatuatiOn.f 1t seemed they could
not sacrifice too much for him.
Their stupid attachment was iOnly
when others ,Ieyiled him,
and their poor daughter became II not q
willing atlcast an unrcsisting victim to
his flaltering tongue. ...,
The parents would believe nothing,
their confidence was so complete; but
when their eyes were opened at list, | am
sure the wretChed people experienced the
most poignant shame. ras'.
When ! had crossed tho bridge, pass-
cd through tho blrs at the head Of the
lane or fOad, and He'd along through tic
t o. '.I' ..f
The wind mOaned and whisLlel through
the bare branChes'of the blaZed trees that
stood here and there through the field,
and the long stalks Of the ripening corn,
bent drenched and dripping even to the
middle Of the rOad, wetting my garments
Us I fled along. 81
Sometimes for IN instant the hand van
shed, but II | Tagged OF hesitaied, il up
Deared before mel the distance and beck
Dned me on.
About midway in the field passed
Phebc Whitney. Though the night was
lark, Isaw her distinctly. She was wrapt
in long cloak aud carried small bundle
IN her hand, and at her feet on the ground
stood one of those old Dutch carpet bags,
about the size of pillow case, She APP
Deared to be writing, AS rushed past her
looked up; she was startled at seeing
me, and thought she was weeping.
Till this minute il had not occurred TO
my mind that any danger threatened the
baby; but the sight Of The wrctched girl,
and fearful though she was,
brought an image to mind Of some hide
Dus bird OF prey,
Before | had gone ten rods stopped
and would have turned back, hut the
hand flultered impatiently and began to
approach me. | smotG my breast with
my cienched fist, and when | saw tho
phantom advancing buried my face in
nv apron to shut Il from my sight, for on
reflection, | cOnlenled with myself that
must be a victim of some wild hallucina'
lion. -.. L.. ..-.... Il.
When once gave sway to the thought
how rapidly it took possession Of my
mind! 1t seemed utterly prepostrOtls to
believe l was nearly II mile from my
home on such q night, in such place and
on such an expedition, and now that |
thought Of it, days seemed To have Glaps.
ed since had heard the rap OF the win
low and seen the phantom hand. Now,
Of Counsel understood that the balance Of
nv mind was disturbed, and that meas.
nrcd the flight Of normal time by abnor.
NAL conditions, coming out wrong be.
cause | begun wrong. Calculating by
events that had never occurred only in
my distracted Imagination, TO be sure |
could not make Il appear otherwise than
that the usual amount Of time had been
consumed in their evolution.
"This is but an igRis tatUuS," l said to
myself. 81 will lower my eyes and 1t will
soon be gone" and true as the thought,
when l looked up the next instant the
phantom had disappeared.
/ stood for n moment 10 contemplate my
felt myselftugging atmy
skirts, as Il an infant pulled them. !
snatched them in my grasp and prepared
to run back; but ut that instant heavy
moan coming up from the rivers bank in
deep muffletI-accents, checked my STEPS.
waited for n moment and then bent my
head and listened. heard 1t aglin, low
and weak, as IL the breath came hard, but
could recognize distinctly my husbands
voice, and at the next breath lie called my
name, In snch u long.draWn, mOurniul
way: "0h, Elizabeth! Elizabeth that
| thought he must be dying.
Without stopping for q moment to
think of what danger might expose my.
self to, Without thinking Of anything but
the fact that he needed me, I dashed off
through the wet corn in the direction
from which the sound had come. Just
before l came to the bank Of the river l
ran upon the little soTel mare my
husband rode away IN the morning, hitch.
ed to stump. The animal cringed and
tremblel, as II she expected to be beaten.
| looked around for my husband, but saw
no human being, dead, dying or alive in
The. grOOn. was repeated.
1t came Enthusiastically from the river. l
rushed ontlll Preached the bank. Nothing
was to be seen. peerel into the dark.
ness, stopped TO listen, and was Just on
the point OF calling out when the groan
was repeated. 1t came from a few
rods below. heard scuffle and med
lev orvoices. l ran down along the top
OF the bank; and listened again. This
time l heard them beneath my feet, US it
seemed: "Giye DER, give Ger, mon; and
odd your noise, or ave your lie. Ere,
lend q and, Davy; the mon as brokethe
cord. Come, quick there; lend and ~
"Oh! watts the use o mincin' thingi