The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-05-31
ths oppo.ise wall. i. moved yery slowly

anu Il KNEW from the ldct OF the sHduoH
being thrown in advance, that there
must be second person in the rear, by
whom the light was carried. After a
short pause, they seemed to retrace
their steps, without my having had a
glimpse of them, but only of the
shadow which had come before ana
(which followed them Us they Withdrew.
Ii was then little after one o'clock,
and | 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 j 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 little longer by myself.
But now my candle was beginning to
burn low, and | found myself in this
dilemma: either | must eXtingulsh 1t
at once, or | should be left without the
means of procuring light in case
should be again disturbed. | regretted
that had not called Tor another candle,
while there were people yet moving III
the house; but | could not do SO now
without making explanations; so |
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 | 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; il is impossible that any sound
could be heard through such thick
ness. Besides, it seemed 10 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 a
smile (rather forced one) at my own
foolishness, and composed myself to
sleep.
AT that instant, heard with more
distinctness than | ever heard any
other sound in my life, gasp, voice
less gasp as if some one were In agony
for breath, biting at the air, or trying
with desperate efforts to cry out or
speak. 1t was repeated a second and
a third time; then there was pause !;
then again that horrible gasping; and
then 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 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, if you will be.
lieve me. did not feel alarmed or
frightened, but rather oppressed, and
penetrated with an unnatural, overpow-
ering sentiment OF awe. | seemed to
be in the presence of some great and
horrible mystery, some bottomless depth
of woe, or misery, or crime. | shrank
from il with a sensation of intolerable
loathing and suspense. 1t was feel
ing akin 10 this which prevented me
from calling to my landlord. | could
not bring myself to speak TO him OF
what had passed; not knowing how
nearly he might be himself involved in
the mystery. was only anxious to es-
cape as quietly as possible from the
room and from the house. The candle
was now beginning to flicker in its
socket; but the stars were shining out.
side,an there was space and air to breathe
there, which seemed to be wanting in
my room: so | hastily opened my
window, tied the bed clothes together
for rope, and lowered myself silently
TO the ground.
"There was light still burning in
the lower part of tie house; but
crept noiselessly along, feeling my way
carefully among the trees, and in due
time came upon beaten track which
led me to road, the same which | had
been travelling on the previous night
| walked on, scarcely knowing whittier,
anxious only TO increase my distance
from the accursed house, until the day
began to break, when almost the first
object could see distinctly was small
body of men approaching me. 1t was
with no small pleasure that recognized
at their head my friend the Cabo di
Polizia. All = he cried, unfortunate
Inglese, what trouble you have given
me ! Where have you been? God be
praised that | see you safe and sound |!
But how? What is the matter with
you? You look like one possessed
I" told him how had lost my way.
and where | had lodged.
"And what happened to you there p
he cried, with look of anxiety.
a. vvas dieturbad In tho ,;cL. 7