The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-07-08
The Ghosts Summons.
"Wanted, SRA patient"

al career, Wnen patents were scarce and
fees scarcer, and though was in the act of
sitting down 10 my chop, and had promised
myself a glass of steaming punch afterward,
in honor of the Christmas season, hurried
instantly into my surgery. entered briskly
but no sooner did catch sight of the figure
standing against the counter, than started
back with strange feeling of horror, which
for the life of me l could not comprehend.
Never shall l forget the ghastliness of that
face-the white horror stamped upon every
feature-the agony which seemed to sink the
eyes beneath the contracted brows it was aw-
full to me to behold, accustomed as L was to
scenes of terror,
"You seek advice?'' 1 began, with some
hesitation.
''No; / am not ILL.,"
"You require then
"Hush J" he interrupted, approaching
more nearly, and dropping his already low
murmur to mere whisper,
81 believe you are not rich. Would YOU
be willing 10 earn thousand pounds?"
A thousand pounds! His words seemed to
burn in my very ears.
81 should be very thankful if l could do
so honestly" replied with dignity. ''What
is the service required of me?''
A peculiar look of intense horror passed
over the white face before me, but the blue
black lips answered firmly, "To attend a
death bed.''
ga thousand pounds to attend death bed
Where am to go, then? Whose is it?''
"Mine."
The voice in which this was said sounded
so hollow and distant that involuntarily
shrank back.
yours What nonsense! You are not
dying man. You are pale, but you appear
perfectly healthy. YOU
''HushP' he interrupted; 81 know all
this. You cannot be more convinced of my
physical health than / am myself; vet
know that before the clock tolls the first hour
after midnight l shall be dead man,
"But-''
He shuddered slightly, but, stretching out
his hand commandingly, motioned me to be
silent. II am too well informed of what 1
affirm" he said, quietly; 81 have received
mysterious summons from the dead. No
mortal aid can avail me. am as doomed as
the wretch on whom the judge has passed
sentence. l do not come to seek your advice.
or TO argue the matter with you, but simply
to buy your services. l offer you a thousand
pounds to pass the night in my chamber,
and witness the scene which takes place. The
sum may seem to you extravagant. but /
have no further need to count the cost of anv
qualification, and the spectacle you will have
to witness is no common sight of horror"
The words, strange as they were, were
oPohCH coiniy cuouSu3 DuG as Lno last sem
tence dropped slowly from his lvd lips. an
expression of such wild horror again passed
over the strangers face that in spite of the
immense fee, hesitated to answer.
"Yoa fear to trust the promise of dead
man? See here, and be convinced he ex-
claimed, eagerly; and the next instant on
the counter between us lay parchment doc
ument; and following the indication of that
white muscular hand, 1 read the words,
And to Mr.. Frederick, of IA High street,
Alton, bequeathe the sum of one thousand
pounds for certain services rendered to me-
II have had that will drawn up within the
last twenty-four hours, and signed it an
hour ago, in the presence of competent wit
nesses. L am prepared, you see. Now do
you accept my offer or not?"
My answer was to walk across the room
and take down my hat, and then lock the
door OF the surgery communicating with the
house.
1t was a dark, icy-cold night, and some.
how the courage and determination which
the sight of my own name in connection
with thousand pounds had given me
tagged considerably as / found myself hurt
rled along through the silent darkness bv the
man whose death-bed was about to attend.
he was grimly silent, but as his hand touched
mine, in spite of the frost, it felt like burn
ing coal.
On we went-tramp, tramp through the
snow, on, Oh, till even grew weary, and
at length on my appalled, ear struck the
chimes OF church-clock, while close at
hand distinguished the snow hillocks of
churchyard. Hesvens! was this awful scene
of which l was to be the witness to take
place veritably among the dead?
'Eleven!' groaned the doomed man,
"Gracious Godl but two hours more, and
that ghostly messenger will bring the sum
To-
hasten"
There was but a short road separating us
now from wall which surrounded a large
mansion. and along this we fastened until
we reached small door. Passing through
this, in few minutes we were stealthily as
cending the private staircase to a splendidly
furnished apartment, which left no doubt of
the wealth of its owner. All was intensely
silent, however, through the house; an
about this room in particular there was a
stiffness that, as gazed around, struck me
almost ghastly.
MY companion glanced at the clock on the
mantel-shelf, and sank into large chair by
the side of the fire with shudder. ssOnly
an hour and a half longer" he muttered.
"Great Heaven! thought had more for
titude. This horror humans me.'' Then in
fiercer tone, and clutching my arm he
added, "Ha! you mock me; you think me
see."
l put my hand on his wrist; for there was
now fever in his sunken eyes which
checked the superstitious chill which had
been gathering over me, and made me hope
that after all my first suspicion was correct,
and that my patient was but the victim of
some fearful halucination.
Mock you!' answered soothingly. "Far
from it; 1 sympathize intensely with you,
UnnIh do 10 oil ".
sleep. Lie down and leave me to Watch.o
Ae groaned, but rose and began throwing
Off his clothes, and, watching my opportu- |
nifty, slipped sleeping powder, which 7
had managed to put into my pocket before |
leaving the surgery, into the tumbler of clar- |
ct that stood beside him.
The more | saw the more felt convinced |
that it was the nervous system of my patient |
which required my attention; and it was
with sincere satisfaction that saw him
drink the wine and then stretch himself on |
the luxurious bed.
"Ha," thought l, as the clock struck ~, |
and, instead of groan, the deep breathing |
of the sleeper sounded through the room, |
"you won't receive any summons tonight, |
and may make myself comfortable"
Noiselessly therefore, / replenished the |
ire, poured myself out glass of wine, and |
drawing the curtain so that the freight |
should not disturb the sleeper. / put myself |
in position to follow his example.
How long l slept know not, but suddenly |
I aroused with start and as ghostly thrill |
of horror as l ever remembered to have felt |
in my life. Something-what knew not |
seemed near; something nameless, but I'M |
utterably awful.
l gazed round. Tee fire emitted faint |
blue glow, just Sufficient to enable me to see |
that the room was exactly the same as when |
/ fell asleep, but that the long hand of the |
clock wanted but five minutes of the mystic |
rious hour which was to be the death mo-