The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-07-08

Was there anything in it then-any truth
in the strange story hehad told?
The silence was intense. could not even
hear a breath from the bed; and / was about
to rise and approach, when that awful horror
seized me, and at the same moment my eye
fell upon the mirror opposite the door, and
saw
Great Heaven, that awful Shape-that
CHASTITY mockery of what had been humanity
was it really messenger from the buried,
quiet dead? 1t stood there in visible dead
clothes; but the awful face was CHASTITY with
corruption, and the sunken eyes cleaned
forth a green, CLASSY glare which seemed
veritable blast from the internal fires below.
To move or utter sound in that hideous
presence was impossible; and, like statue, I
sat and saw that horrid Shape move slowly
toward the bed.
What was the awful scene enacted there I
know not. heard nothing except low, sti-
fled, agonized groan; and saw the shadow
oil that CHASTITY messenger bending over the
bed. Whether it was some dreadful but
wordless sentence its breathless lips conveyed
as it stood there, know not, but, for an in
slant, the shadow of a clawlike hand, from
which the third finger was missing, appeared
extended over the doomed mans head, and
then as the clock struck one clear, silvery
stroke, it fell, and wild shrek rang through
the room-a death shrek.
am not given 10 fainting, but 1 certainly
confess that the next ten minutes of my eX-
istence was a cold blank; and when did
manage to stagger to my feet l gazed around,
valnly endeavoring to understand the chilly
horror which still possessed me.
Thank God the room was rid of that aw-
full presence-I saw that; so, gulping down
some wine, lighted wax taper, and stag
gered toward the bed. All, how prayed
that, after all, might have been dreaming,
and that my own excited imagination had
but conjured up some hideous memory of the
dssecting room.
But one glance was sufficient to answer
that, No! The summons had indeed been
given and answered.
flashed the light over the dead face, swol-
len, convulsed still with the death agony !;
but suddenly shrank back. Even as
gazed, the expression of the face seemed to
change; the blackness faded into deathly
Whlteness; the convulsed features relaxed,
and even as the victim of that dread appari-
ton still lived, a sad, solemn smile stole over
the pale lips.
was intensely Mortified. but still retained
sutflcent self-consciousness to be struck pro-
REASONABLY by such a phenomenon. Surely
there was something more than supernatural
agency in all this!
Again Scrutinized the dead face, and
even the throat and chest; but, with the ex-
ceptlon OF tiny pimple on one temple be-
meath cluster of hair. not mark appeared.
10 look at the corpse one would have be-
lleved ttat this man had indeed died by the
visitation of God, peacefully while sleeping.
How long stood there know not, but
time enough to gather my scattered senses
and to reflect that, all things considered, my
| own position would be very unpleasant il /
was found thus unexpectedly in the room OF
the mysteriously dead man. So, noiselessly
| as could, made my way out of the house.
| No one met me on the private staircase; the
little door opening into the road was easily
unfastened; and thankful indeed was to
feel again the fresh wintry air as I hurried
along that road by the churchyard
There was magnificent funeral soon in
that church; and it was said that the young
WIDOW OF the buried man was inconsolable;
and then rumors got abroad of horrible
apparition which had been seen on the night
| OF his death; and it was whispered the
young widow was terrified, and insisted upon
| leaving her splendid mansion.
was too mystlfied with the whole affair to
risk my reputation by saying what l knew.
and l should have allowed my share in it to
| remain forever buried in oblivion had not
suddenly heard that the widow, Directing to
| many OF the legacies in the last will of her
husband, intended to dispute it on the score
OF insanity; and then gradually arose the
| rumor Of his belief in having received mvs-
| ferrous summons
On this went to the lawyer, and sent a
message to the lady, that, as the last person
who had attended her husband, undertook
to prove his sanity; and besought her to
grant me an interview, in which 1 would re-
late as strange and horrible story as ear had
ever heard.
The same evening received an invitation
to go to the mansion. l was ushered into a
splendid room, and there, standing before
the hre, was the most dazzlingly beautiful
young creature l had ever seen. She was
very small, but exquisitely made; had it not
been for the dignity Of her carriage 1 should
have believed her a mere child. With a
stately bow she advanced, but l did not
speak.
II come on strange and painful Grand"
began, and then started, for happened
to glance full into her eyes, and from them
down to the small white hand grasping the
chair. The wedding-ring was on that hand |!
Il conclude you are the Mr.. Read who re-
quested permission to tell me some absurd
ghost story, and whom my late husband
mentions here" And as she spoke she
stretched out her left hand toward some
thing--but what l knew not, for nv ewes
were fixed on that hand.
Horror! White and delicate it might be,
but it was shaped like claw, and the third
finger was missing!
One sentence was enough after that.
Madam, all [ can tel you is that the
ghost who summoned your husband was
marked by singular deformity. The third
finger OF the left baud was missing" said,
sternly; and the next instant had left that
beautiful, sinful presence.
That will was never disputed. The next
morning, too, received check for a thou
sand pounds; and the next news 1 heard of
the widow was that she herself had seen
that awful apparition, and had left the man.
sion immndiafalv