Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-03-18

MARGARET RYMER.

They had gone through the snow to
evening service at North Crabb, the Squire,
Mrs. Todhetley, and Ted, leaving me at
home with one of my splitting headaches.
Thomas had come in to ask if would
have the lamp, but told him l would
rather be without it. So there l sat alone,
beside the fire, listening to Hannah putting
the children to bed up stairs, and looking
sleepily out at the snowy landscape.
AS the fire became dim, sending the
room into gloom, the light outside grew
stronger. The moon was high; clear and
bright as cry stal; what with that and the
perfectly white snow that lay on every
thing, the night seemed nearly as light as
day. The grass plat outside was a smooth
white plain, the clustering shrubs beyond
it being also white.
The room grew darker, the landscape
lighter. Asleep, in another minute, l
should have been, but for circumstance
that suddenly arose. All in n moment
| saw not how or whence it came-a dark
figure appeared on the grass plat, close
before the bank of shrubs, right in front OF
me; the figure of man, wrapped in a
big great coat. He was standing still and
gazing fixedly at the house. Gazing, as
it seemed Qhough that was impossble) at
me. l was wide awake at once and sit
ting bolt upright in the chair.
Yet there could be no mistake and it
was no delusion. The man was tall
man, strong and bony, with mass OF hair
on his face. What could he want? Was
it robber accommodating the premises,
peering and peeping to ascertain whether
all the world was at church before he
broke in to rifle the house
No one, void of such an experience,
can imagine how dark he looked, stand
ing there, amid the whiteness of all the
scene around In one sense. he stood out
more plainly than he could have done by
daylight, because the contrast was greater.
But this kind of light did not show his
features, which were shrouded in obscuri-
Ity.
Presently he moved. His head went
this way and that, and he took step for
ward Evidently he was trying to see
whether the parlor where sat was empty
or occupied. Should 20 out to him Or
should fling up the window and call out
10 ask villa. he wanted / was not fright
ened, don't let anybody think that but
the watching of him brought to me rather
q creepy kind of sensation.
AS left the chair quietly to open the
window, heard the latch of the garden
gate, and somebody came whistling up the
path. The man vanished as if by magic.
While l looked, he was gone.
Anybody at home ?" called out Tom
Coney, as he stopped his whistling and
opened the hall door.
"All right, Tom Come along"
And, to tell the truth, | was not sorry
to see Toms hearty face. He had strayed
away from evening service TO sit with
his mother.
Il say, Tom, did you see any fellow on
the snow there?
where"
There; close before the shrubs" And
told him what had happened. Tom, one
of the most practical fellows living, with
less Imagination than an ostrich, received
the account incredulously.
You dropped asleep, Johnny, and fan
cied it,"
II did not drop asleep. and did not
fancy it. When you came into the garden
was about to open the window and call
to him.
"Those headaches are downright STU
pefying things. Johnny. Jane has them,
you know. One day. remember, she
lell asleep with a bad one, and woke up
and said the sofa was on fire
tom, tell you, the man was there.
A tall. strong looking fellow with a beard.
He was staring at the house with all his
might-at this room, rs it seemed to me,
wanting to come forward, | think, but
afraid TO. He kept close TO the laurels, as
if he did not wish to be seen; forgetting,
perhaps, that they were white and be-
trayed him. When You opened the gate
he was there.
'.lt's odd. then. where he could have
put himself said Tom Coney, not giving
in an inch II II vow not soul was there.
man or woman, when came up the path"
That's true. He vanished in IA mo
ment. While was looking nj him he dis
appeared"
"vanished." Disappeared Your words
apply to ghost, Johnny"
"Ghost be hanged. 1t was some lido
ing tramps, expect, trying to look and
see if he might steal into the house"
Much you know of the ways OF trampS,
Johnny Ludlow TrampS don't come
showing themselves on snow lighted. open
lawns. in the face and eyes OF the front
windows. They hide themselves in OBJ
scure hedges and byways. It's a case of
headachy sleep, young man"
"Look here, Tom. If the man was
there, his ot-prints will be there If he
was not. as you say, the snow will be
smooth and level come ont and see."
We went out at once, Tom catching up
stick in the hail. and crossed the lawn
Sure enough, there were the footprints,
plenty of them, indented in the deep
snow. Tom gave in then.
Il wish to goodness | had seen him
The fellow should not have got off scot
free, can tell him that. What tremend
Gus feet he must have! Just look at the
size, Johnny Reeu'ar crushers.'
Don't you go and say again | was
asleep! He must have stepped back and
got away from these laurels; here are the
marks. say, Tom"-dropping my voice
to a perhaps he's here now"
"We1l soon sec THAI" said Tom Coney
pluuging amid the laurels with crash,
and beating about with the stick.
But there was no trace OF him, and we
went in. Tom peering round partly to his
first opinion, in spite of the footprints.
| mar, ,u.c tbara Tnbnpr hon,