Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1872-01-18

v
simple Should we have another call |
have no doubt we shall be able to trace
effect to cause. and that I am confident
will prove TO be simple TO absnrdity "->
She reluctantly withdrew into her room
and closed the door. l re-enterei niue.
and was fumbling for another match to re-
new the experiment of lighting the gas.
when the raps. were repeated with such
deliberate aud startling distinctness that
actually jumped into the hall. determined
to be there soen- enough to ascertain all
about il. AT the same instant her door
opened. Look" she gasped, pointing
to the patch Of moonlight under the sky
light. | did look, and thrill of com
mingled ave aud curiosity shot through
me and held me spell bound. In the cen
ire Of the plat OF moonlight stretching
from the skylight to the floor, was some
thing intensely black Of so dense a
blackness was this gigantic shadow. the
middle Of large trunk that stood against
the wall behind it was completely hidden
from view. Only the projecting ends
were diScernihle.
| was. and still am. a practical man,
with no glamor of the occult about me
There had been nothing in my experience
upon which | could ''hang the ghost" of
a belief in dcmonology But for once
was confronted with an appearance" not
provided for in my philosophy. For an
instant stood appalled,. Curiosity to an
! alyze this marvel soon got the better of
less agreeable emotions | approached
and deliberately thrust my hand into aud
through it. The sensation startled me
more than the appearance bad The effect
was the same as it would have been had
my hand been thrust into n current of
! Arctic air. or bucket of leo water. Ii
was terribly cold. and sent an involuntary
shiver all over me. | Withdrew the hand.
1t was behumbed-paralyzed. Slowly
the blackness dristed upward, waving to
aud fro, as though blown upon by gen
tie wind. | looked down. and with the
shrek of the terrified woman ringing in
my ears. turned aud fled into my room.
The lifting Of that ebon drapery disclosed
three ybastly, misshapcn, naked feet. from
which eXhulad q sickly. pale white phcs-
rhorescent ligAt. 1t was half an hour
and seemed an eteruity-bcfore | could
summon sufficient courage TO look into the
hall. When did the whtc-footci ter
ror was gone. looked for the lady
She was lying in her doorway. She had
tainted and fallen forward upon her face
Ii took some time To restore her to con-
sciousncss, and longer still to tranquility.
She bcsccchcd and implorei to be taken
from the house. To acccdc TO her frantic
appeals al two o'clock at night was hard
ly advisable. | remained with her un-
til her husband returned Alarmed
at her condition, he naturally inquired
the cause. lie was told she had had fit
of Mysteries. The information relieved
him Of anxiety at once. An opium pill
soon relieved her.
At half-past two sought my Own room
in rather n pcrturbel frame Of mind
The moon shone clearly through the sky
light. Assuring myself that the phantom
was gone for that night. csSayed to find
4 match with my right hand. 1t fell upon
the table like stone | had forgotten i,
was paralyzcd. With my left I lit n
match, and then the gas. Idisrobcd my
self rs expcditiously as the use Of one
hand would admit, turned down the gas
and jumped into bed. | closel nv eyes.
No sooner had done so than | heard
three faint measured. scpulchral raps.
cmanating this time from door in the
lower hall. concluded to lie still and
await devclopmcnts-or quict-whicheve
the fatcs might decree | was nervous
and think was justified in being so.-
| even envicd the woman in the next
room the Oblivion brought her bv the OPT
um pill. thought would get up and
procure one for myself. but did not. By
unconscious degrees fell into doze. from
which was awakened bv hearing, or
thinking | heard. feet coming up stairs.
listened. ''Pat-pat-pat." quick and
light: then sudden cessation. After
while | dozed again; and again '.pat-pat-
Pat, on the stairs. quick and light, awoke
me. I unused on the systematic regulari-
ty of the sounds. Three raps, three feet.
three steps. Was Three n potent of a
coming event? Did il signify three hours.
three days, three weeks. three months or
three years? Did actually hear and see
what saw and heard Or was mad
My head felt like ball of molten fire.
My heart was beating with the rapidity of
n battle reveillc. lifted my right hand
to my forehead. 1t was as cold. stiff and
senseless as the hand of dead man.
These things were so. was not deceiv-
ing myselI-it was not an illusion. |.
would get up and rush Into the street
anywhere, out of Ibis house of the infer
nal. l sprang from the bed and CROPPED
for clothes. Doing so | CHANGED to
glance up a, the transom light over NV
room door, Ii consisted Of three panes
OF glass In the centre of each pane fash
ed, for luminous instant. fery figure
- " Again. Thre.i The terrors ofap-
Prehensiou climaxei here. Nature could
endure no more and the reaction came. |
laughed aloud-de6antly. l cared for
nothing. Can't you DO something in the
-Four or Five ways" exclaimed this
Three Business S becoming mouotonous. +"
] awaited and expected something diabol-
icai in response. Nothing came. l went
out into the hall and looked dorm stairs
! saw nothing. The moon had gone down.
The first faint, sshy gray light Of the ear
ly morning shin,aered "a a feeble, uueer-
tain way through The skylight. sat
down ut the head Of the stairs and Mound
ed the wall with my parslyred hand
Richards sorloquy, Here tonight, bu.
where Tomorrow night = iuated shruusa