The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-02-22

klonl ana tfOuDle8 wis EbhCuSu VI lnS
day previously suggested-the LIST Of No
vember. All day long from early morn
ing till the middle Of the afternoon SEES
sion, the customary disturbances were In
full lnrce. By long experience the fears
Of the boys had become somewhat dead.
ened, and the furious uproar afforded
them rather more amusement than terror.
While In the middle Of the recitation, q
general alarm from the whole school was
ralsetlsa The lace Of the boy was again
staring in at The window. A lad named
LydstOn, who was at the head oil the class,
looked into the entry, and at once eX-
claimed: "There Is boy out there!"
Miss Perkins fastened into the passage
and beheld what Lydston had discovered,
standing at the further end. She sp-
preached 1t hastily until within six or
seven feet, when she became impressed
with its true character, or, rather, with
the lact that the figure was not substan-
tial. She describes 1t as representing
boy of twelve or thirteen years Of age,
slender In body, and with pale face. He
was dressed in brown clothing, and had
his arms partially folded, with his left
hand somewhat partially projected as If
to receive something. His face, though
somewhat pinched, had pleasant ex-
preston. His eyes were blue; his hair
was Of q yellowish white, such as Is com.
mon among the fishermen's children in
that part Of the town, and II was cropped
off at the back Of the neck, and was dis.
arranged on the top Of his head. About
the neck was bAndsge Of considerable
width.
When Miss Perkins discovered that she
was encountering something unreal, she
faltered, and, being partially overcome,
she seized the coat hooks beside her
shoulder for support. At this moment the
figure OF the boy started from It's position
in the corner beside the window and ad-
Vanced toward the door opposite to him,
which led to the garrett stairs. It opened
Of itself, and he passed through, followed
by Miss Perkins, who attempted In vain
to seize him. He advanced up the steep
stairs, closely followed by the intrepid
girl. Midway up she stumbled over a
brush, and when she again raised her eyes
the figure was standing at the top, looking
flxedly OF her. In this interval it had
changed somewhat-its dress, which had
apparently been composed Of jacket and
pantaloons, had given place 10 u grayish
black, which still retained the distinct out
line Of its form. Miss Perkins FASTENED
on, and the figure retreated. When she
got to the landing above, it was but few
feet in advance OF her. She ran toward 1t,
but as she did so il began TO lose its shape
and To disappear. She made so vigorous
a grasp at il that her finger nails cut the.
palms Of her hands, but she seized noth-
ing. The figure sank beneath her feet
with o tremulOuS motion, and, with its
eyes still fixed upon the lalnting teacher,
1t wholly disappeared.
Her account Of this extraordinary incl
dent Is circumstantial and ineligible.
The boy Lydston Is u lad Of the specula.
tive and obserVsnt type, and his dCscrip-
ton OF the appearance, us well as that Of
his mates, bear outin every particular the
story told by the mistress. rsl4
On the succeeding Friday, this vision
was again seen, at about the same hour
In the afternoon. Miss Perkins followed
It with even moro resolution than before,
but It disappeared from her sight, when
midway up the stairs. The expression oil
It's features, in both cases, though pleasant
at first, became sad before they faded
away.
Between these two dates, Miss Perkins
encountered a new terror. Up TO- the
same day in question, the voices which
had been heard from time to time in the
garrett, had been with one exception,
mufled and indistinct. This exception l
have described. They now manifested
themselves in fresh manner.
One afternoon when tho noises had
been unusually loud, and the influences
especially active, there issued from the
teachers end oflthe schoolroom loud
and coarse tone, which seemed to echo
ut the further end, but with laugh, in.
stead Of diminished voice of its own
character. This was frequently followed
BY q similar duet in the garnet above,
where It was repeated several times. The
scholars, astonished at the novel vista
ton, sat in frightened expectancy. Miss
Perkins saw the necessity oil allaying
their fears, If possible, and she asked
which oil them would go into the attic, 10
see If some one were hidden there.
One Of thelargest boys declared him
self ready TO go, provided the teacher
would accompany him. The expedition
was then arranged, and the two armed
themselves with sticks, and proceeded up
the stairs. They nearly reached the cen.
tire Of the garnet floor, when from behind
them the laugh again arose, with twice It's
former significance. It was low, cold
and iubilant. The teacher, for the first
time in her long experience with all these
unnamable terrors, ielt q thorough sensa.
ton Of fear. She pursued the sound,
when 1t was repeated in another quarter,
and now and then laid Justify about her
with her stick. But as she struck the
root and the chimney, In her efforts to
bring down her enemy, the laugh rose
higher and higher, until the place was
alive with the chilling Sounds. Is.
The teacher and the boy, convinced
that nothing was to BIO discovered, and
being filed with dread, left the spot; and
as they descended the stairs, a perfect tri.
umph Of sounds pursued them until they
re.entered the school-room.
All the accumulated wisdom Of the
school committee, the town officers, and
hundreds Of foreign visitors, have not
absted the phenomena In the smallest de-
gree; and 1t seems that the history Of this
school.house must take an undisputed
place with that Of the celebrated Wesley
Parsonage OF English renoWn.