Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-04-27


and / noticed. with sickly shudder, that
as the fire, stirred and renewed, leaped up
in rampant flames, the figure became agi-
tated moved its foot, now up, now down
swayed little from side to side; some
times seemed TO step backward sometimes
fofW1rd, IKE. one unceftaan winch way 70
60; That the rms worked, as y clasplng
th1ir burden tight1f; andstill, through y
all, came the light from the window, and
the outline Of the opposite wall and still
l stood staring in silent terror, believing
disbelieving. How could believe the ex-
.ploded folly of spirits departed coming
back to haunt the spot where they had
suffered and been released. And yet how
disbelieve my own cyesight!
At length my sister, from the other END
Of the room, astonished at my silence and
the still open door, turned suddenly round
started at my fixed look and face of terror,
and exclaimed, SIS anything the matter
What are you looking at"
The sound other voice was an immense
relief to me; it aroused my paralyzed
senses Still keeping my eyes fixed on the
appariti0u, 4 said quietly, Come here q
moment; don't be frightened; there II
something strange on the stairs"
She came hurriedly, but in spite Of my
caution, gave cry of terror as she caught
sight of the figure. "Good heavens! what
can it be-" she whispered. 10 ii
"Don't move" said; Eve must watch
it. You remember what the sweeper told
us about the greengrocer's wife,"
Silent and shivering we stood exchang'
ina Aow and then a frightened whisper.
Had any one told me Beforehand that
should see such figure, and inquired
how / would act under the circumstances,
/ should have said, would walk straight
IN to it,: but standing where did now,
felt that the distance was not at all too
great between it and me, and had no wish
whatever toiessen 1t. XIII. q
For long time we watched, and the
ONLY change in the figure was one or an
other Of the movements have mentioned.
Meantime the fire burned low; the phafl-
tom became rather less distinct, and re-
manned quiet. We stood with the door
only partly opened, and had not courage
to put it any wider. At last with sud-
den resolution, shut it. .frt4-e.,} =;
ct is no use looking any longer" l
said; 1--WE shall only terrify ourselves to-
death, and catch dreadful colds. besides"
Then we sat down by the fire, and dis
cussed the matter. The strange appear
ance no longer visible, my natural hardi-
hood and disbelief In spectres returned.
NJ don't care" / said, inanswer TO re-
mark from my sister; "thoughEI have
stood and looked at the dreadful thing for
nearly an hour, l don't believe in it, 1t
must have q cause. Perhaps figure out
side the window light is SO deceiving."
But" said she, whist figure would
stand so still for such AtifneY EB go 4
This point I could not argue, but still
persisted in attributing it to natural
agency. But we could not go to bed easily
without looking to see il our supernatural
visitor was still at her post. We went
slowly and hesitatingly to the door, lin
gered moment, and then flung it open to
It's full tent,-the stair was unoccupied;
the figure was gone! Much relieved, we
closed the door quickly, and bctook our
selves TO rest. vs
Next morning we were disposed to
laugh at the ghost, as q creation of our
own fancy; nevertheless; we grew rather
anxious as night came on. was courage
Gus enough to 20 up during the evening,
and cast hurried glance at the stairs be-
fore ! opened our bedroom door; but
nothing was there, and sped down again
In great glee, convinced that our eyes the
previous night mad been fog-bound. But
in spite Of this. when we went up late,
and came TO the door TO take last reassur-
ing glance, there was the thing again, in
precisely the same attitude, making the
same movements, agitated when the fire
blazed up, mOtionless when it burned
low.
Time went on, and night after night we
watched, till wealmOst became accustomed
to our nocturnal visitor. Notwithstand-
ing the continually renewed fear caused
by the sight Of it, l had an underlying
conviction that IL was produced by natural
means. What means, Icould not imagine,
for we had tried every possible experiment
the room, we placed the. light in different
positions, we stationed ourselves now at
one point, now at another-without affect |;
the figure stood unchanging
All this time we kept the matter to our
selves, knowing the foolish fear of ser.
wants, and how such areport would spread
like wild-fire among our friends, and scare
them away from the house. 1t so hap
pened that justthen cousin came to pay
us visit, and We determined to let her
into the secret, partly toprevent her from
seeing the figure unawares, and being, per-
haps, frightened TO death; partly that she
might help us with her opinion and advice
Sa the first night Of her arrival, we brought
her into our noon and r having told the
facts, and warned her against sudden
fright, took her 70 the door, and pointed
out the spectre. Though so prepared, and
utterly sccptical as to anything ghostly,
her terror was SO great as to alarm us
Talking of ghosts and looking at them are
two such very different matters. still
persisted in referring the apparition to
natural causes, and though this was my
cousins belief In theory, practical evidence
to the contrary appeared to have shaken
her creed TO it's very foundations. Shu.-
ting out the CHASTITY object, however, to a
certain extent restored her self. possession,
and then we all three set to work, both
by suggestion and experiment, to throw
some light on the subject; but to no pur-
pose. The wretched, puzzling, intangible
substance, the unreal, reality stood its
ground and mocked al our efforts.
After time the thaw set in the weather
became as wagm as 4 had before been
cold, and we dispensed with the fire in
our room. That night-O wonder of
wonders I'VE looked, and watched in
vain not a tracesof the figure was to be
seen. / was more puzzled than even.