The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-05-31

light my candle. then examined
every part OF the room carefully, and
especially the wall ut the head OF my
bed, sounding il with my knuckles. 1t
was firm and solid there rs in all other
places. untastened my door, and ex-
plored the passage and the two adjoin.
ing rooms, which were unoccupied and
almost destitute Of furniture. They
had evidently not been used for some
time. Search as would, could gain
no clue to the mystery. Returning 10
my room, sat down upon the bed in
great perplexity and began to turn over
in my mind whether it was possible
could have been Observation-Disclosures the
sound which caused me such distress
might be the offspring Of some dream
or nightmare; but to that conclusion
could not bring myself at all, much as l
wished it; for the grooming had con.
tinued ringing in my ears long after
was wide awake and conscious. While
was thus rejecting, having neglected
to close the door, which was opposite
TO the side of my bed where was sit
ting, heard q soft footstep at dis
lance, and presently a light appeared
at the farther end OF the passage. Then
saw the shadow of man cast upon
the opposite wall. 1t moved very slowly
and presently stopped. saw the hand
raised, as if making q sign to some one;
and knew from the fact of the shadow
being thrown in advance, that there
must be q second person in the rear, by
whom the light was carried. After
short pause, they seemed to retrace
/ - hou1v,n hod q
glimpse OF them, but only Of the
shadow which had come before and
which followed them as they withdrew.
1t was then little after one o'clock,
and l concluded they were retiring late
to rest and anxious to avoid disturbing
me, though have since thought that
it was the light from my room which
| caused their retreat. felt half inclined
to call to them, but shrank, without
knowing why, from making known
what had disturbed me; and while !
hesitated they were gone so fastened
my door again and resolved to sit up
and watch a little longer by myself.
But now my candle was beginning to
burn low, and l found myself in this
dilemma either ! must extinguish it
at once, or should be left without the
means Of procuring light in case !
should be again disturbed. regretted
that had not called for another candle,
while there were people yet moving in
the house; but could not do so now
without making explanations; so l
grasped my box of matches, put out my
light, and lay down, not without shud-
der, in the bed.
"For an hour or more lay awake,
thinking over what had occurred: and
by that time i had almost persuaded
myself that had nothing but my own
morbid imagination to thank for the
alarm which had suffered. 1t is an
outer WALL said to myself; they are
all outer walls, and the house is built of
stone; it is impossible that any sound
could be heard through such a thick
ness. Besides, it seemed to be in my
room close to my ear. What an idiot
must be to be excited and alarmed
about nothing; I'll think no more about
| it, So / turned on my side, with q
smile (rather forced one) at my own
foolshness, and composed myself to
sleep.
"At that instant, heard with more
distinctness than / ever heard any
other sound in my life, gasp, a voice
less gasp, as if some one we're in agony
for breath, biting at the air, or trying
with desperate efforts to cry out or
speak. II was repeated a second and
third time; then there was pause !;
then again that horrible gasping; and
then a long drawn breath, an audible
drawing up of the air into the throat,
such as one would make in drawing a
deep sigh. Such sounds as these could
not possibly have been heard unless
they had been close to my ear; they
seemed to come from the wall at my
head, or to rise up out Of my pillow.
That fearful gasping and that drawing
in of the breath in the darkness and
silence of the night, seemed to make
every nerve in my body thrill with
dreadful expectation. Unconsciously |
shrank away from it, crouching down,
as before, with my face upon my knees.
1t ceased, and Immediately a moaning
sound began. which heightened out
into an awful, protracted groan, wax.
ing louder and louder, as if under an
increasing agony, and then dying away,
slowly and gradually, into silence, yet
painfully and distinctly audible, even
to the last.
"As soon as could rouse myself from
the freezing horror which seemed to
penetrate even to my joints and mar
row, crept away from the bed, and in
the farthest corner of the room, lighted
with shaking hand, my candle, looking
anxiously about me as | did SO, expect
ing some dreadful revelation as the
light flashed up. Yet, # you will be
} lieve me, did not feel alarmed OF
! frightened, but rather oppressed, and
penetrated with an unnatural, overpow