The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-12-14
TIVE PHANToM LIGHT.
An Exceedingly Thrilling But True Ghost
b. Story.

An Exceedingly lnFHlluB Dub lIue UhVnb
|, Story.
1t was about IL O'clock at night.
Nellie and were sitting by the bow
window in our drawing room, which she
lhad thrown wide open. Tue day had
been most opressiyelv hot, but now a
faint breeze was coming in from the sea,
most reireshingly welcome after the sui
try, stifling heat of the day.
1t was quite dark-that soft, Velvety
darkness that belongs only to perfect
lly moonless, starless night.
just down below our window lay the
yard or two OF garden, then the long,
straight line Of the promenade, with its
asphalt walk and drive dimly defined
lby shadowy row OF white posts con-
nected by ornamental chains. Beyond
the emhankment lay the wide, desolate
waste or sands, stretching away for
miles and miles on eithe hand.
The tide was trout, SO far that only a.
sort of pale gray gleam on the horizon
showed where the sea was just begin
ming to creep over the shoals and sand
banks off the Southport coast. Seven
miles away to the right, across the
estuary Of the Ribble, the steady light
from the Ly ythanl, lighthouse kept vigi-
liant watch and ward over tue danger
lous Horse Bank, that treacherous,
dangerous shoal on which many a good
Isbip has gone to Its doom of shipwreek
ana death.
Nellie was leaning out OF the window,
her elbow ON The SUI. her eyes fixed on
the misty, soft darkness outside. 1t
was as dark inside as out; we had no
thought OF lighting the gas that long
| summer evening"
"How still it isp she said dreamily.
HWhat spell of solemn silence the
1 oi, rbf nVarVthinpl ~
AS II to contradict her words, faint
sound like far-of voice SCENE sudden
lv to rise from the sands below and
} swept by with a prolonged, mournful
cry. .,,,
"Some one is calling down on the
sands" | said. "The intense stiffness
carries the sound a great distance at
night
ming" she went on presently, "con-
necLed with those great deserts OF sand
; that stretch over towards Lytham. Old
joe, the boatman, says they are haunted
by a phantom voice. .... - ...
'"How unriningY' remarked sceptic-
ally. "W hat does it sayw
GDon't scotf, Jean," said Nellie little
vexedly. 'It is a most pathetic, dread
full legend. Years ago, before there was
, town here at all, people used to cross
} the sands between here and Lytham on
: horse back. One stormy evening a
traveller had crossed as usual, and had
} almost reached the shore, when sudden.
1 ly bright light appeared, lowered for q
moment over spot a yard or two away
aud then vanished. AT the same mo
ment piteous, unearthly cry echoed al
} around. The horse became wild witt
Q terror, ana broke loose, throwing his
/ md hn rnf
= himself he found, lying on the ground al
g his feet, the body OF a beautiful young
Q girl, She was quite dead, with ghast-
a Tv wound in her side, from whicA the
a blood had flowed all over her whItt
dress.
= "rhe traveller staggered away to the
nearest house, got assistance and ha(
the girps body laid in an upper room.
"That night an awful storm arose.
!. ship was wrecked on the Horse Bank
/ and only one man, the captain, saved
n the traveller had already found shelter
a and, by some mistake, was put into tht
y room where the murdered girl was lying
At the sight of her he gave an appalling
a shrek, and fell down senseiess. Whel
he revived he was questioned, and con
: liessed that The beautiful young girl wa
a his wife, whom Iii a moment Oh rage ant
a jealousy he mad stabbed to the heart ant
W cast into the sea. And the sea hat
20 given up her dead. and the waves ha,
% cast him on shore, and the murderer ant
II his victim were face to face. And nov
o they say The voice Of the murdered cir
II haunts the place where she was found
n 1t seems to rise from the sands and goe
"a echeing and wailing along, calling as
in mortal agony. The old Doatman say
!. peopie nave followed it, believing som
!, one waAin peril, and have been lured OF
Il and on, TILL the tide has oyertaken them
N and they were drowned"
i. "What horrible taleV said, with
n shudder. II Wishyou mad not told ii t
k meD ...
UAnd he says" went on Nellie, un
a; needing nay remark, "that whoever hear
fhe voice is in risk of great peril o
- danger. or some kind Of sorrow o
il trotible is about TO happen TO him."
,a NeIlie's voice had unconsciously takel
tone OF awe. The still, somber dark
m ness, the midnight hour, and the weir
: me- aucholy legend had infected US bot
a with an underlined sensation OF oppres
r. sion anu fear, presenyiment OF dfea
" and evil
d We kept our places by the window
ID Hooking out into the deep ,velyety dark
N Iness. with the faf-away solitary ligh
is From the lighthouse cleaning like re-
p Espaik. '>
Idil a voice rose up again from the lonei
L. sands, a moaning, piteOus voice, wailin
nd and imploIing as ii in unutterable dis
3tress. 1t seemed to mingIe with til
,e iboom of the distant sea, now rising
now falling. u lonely, desolate wal
IL thrilling through the darkness like
~ souI in mortal agony. 1t was dyini
d away in the distance in q low, faint soO
all when Nellie suddenly speang back int
the room.
a go Jean, lookr she cried; "look, th
a. phantom ghtW
leaned QUITO the window and gaZet
Ia out along The promenade. Flashing
RI through the somDre darkness like grea
n star was u bri liant, beautiful light.
re came rapidly towards us from the right
\. apparently tlotting in the air, and Illu
* niinating the space before it ior seyera
le Yards. 1t advanced very swiftly, Win
= steady, forward motion, floating aion
st about a yard from tue ground. Asi
ls.l came nearer we perceived, looming dim
h. iy behind it, u giant shadow, weird an,
lgrotesque, witR eutspread wings an,
-" 'ff t'- >-s<s