Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-05-30


raised, as if making sign to some one
and | knew from the fact of the shadow
being thrswn in advance, that there
must be a 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 and
which followed them as they Withdrew.
1t was then little after one o'clock,
and | concluded they were retiring late
to rest and anxious to avoid distur bing
me, though | have since thought that
1t 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 l
hesltated 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 extinguish it
at once, or should be left without the
means of procuring light in case 1
should be again disturbed. l regretted
that l had not called for another candle,
while there were people yet moving in
the house; but l could not do SO now
without making explanations; so 1
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 l had nothing but my own
morbid Imagination to thank for the
alarm which l 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 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 l turned on my side, with a
smile (rather forced one) at my own
foolishness, and composed myself to
sleep.
''At that instant, hoard with more
distinctness than l ever heard any
other sound in my life, a 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
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
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.
GAS soon as l could rouse myself from
the freezing horror which seemed to
penetrate even to my joints and mar
row, l crept away from the bed, and in
the farthest corner of the room, lighted,
with shaking hand, my candle, looking
anxiously about me as l 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. l seemed to
be in the presence of some great and
horrible mystery, some bottomless depth
of woe, or misery, or crime. | shrank
from it with sensation of intolerable
loathing and suspense. 1t was a feel
ing akin to this which prevented me
from calling to my landlord. 1 could
not bring myself to speak to him of
what had passed; not knowing how
nearly lie might be himself involved in
the mystery. l 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, land 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 the house; but l
crept noiaelessly 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.
l 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. 'Ah!' he cried, unfortunate
Inglese, what trouble you have given
mel 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
" / told him how l had lost my way,
and where l had lodged.
"'And what happened to you there p
h. 18Th n lo0l- of