, 1877-05-11


threw ont a cozy and grateful warmth.
A slight pull at the Cognac, and wrap
ping the rugs carefully round me, while
woolen cap covered my head, laugh
ed the idea of rheumatics and influenza
and felt as comfortable as need be.
am by no means timid man, al
though l say it myself but, somehow
or other, as time wore on an unaccount
able feeling of uneasiness came over me.
could not help wishing had a cheer
full companion. If 1 whistled or sung
my voice seemed strangely harsh and
unmusical and if took up the enter
tanning book had brought with me. 1
could not fix my attention upon its con-
tents. Once or twice 1 caught myself
looking behind me; what for, I cannot
say; but did so. heard a changing.
rumbling sound dawn stairs. went to
see what caused it. 1t was only shut
ter which had come unfastened. and
swung to and fro in the wind but. as /
again ascended the stairs, strange shad-
ows seemed to lurk in hooks and COR
ners, and 1 felt my flesh creep in the
most mysterious manner.
sat down again; tried to engage nv
WIN OuolucSS lldlU6TS, DQG IL
would not do. There is no denying it;
l felt rather uncomfortable; butch,
dear, no!-by no means nervous. /
smoked another cigar and finished the
Cognac. looked at my watch. 1t was
five minutes to twelve, and Immediate
ly afterward the clock in the adjacent
church-tower tolled the hour. The
melancholy sound seemed to hang about
long time, to swim through the room.
to pervade the whole house, and 1 felt
relieved when the last singing note died
away, floating, as it seemed, up the
chimney.
Now it was time for the ghost, if the
house were really haunted; but saw
nothing, and heard nothing.
must have slept, for started from
my sleep with bound. The door was
wide open, and by my side stood fe-
male figure clothed in white. It seemed
to glare at me with vacant, lustreless
eyes; dishevelled tresses Of jet-black
hair streamed over wan and wasted
face. and its thin, transparent hand
grasped with tight clutch large,
rusty key. For moment was paral-
yzed, and sank back into my chair, with
my eyes fixed upon the form of my
strange and unexpected visitor. The
emaciated features bore strange and
startling resemblance to some one had
seen, but where, could not recall to
mind. Without word or gesture, the
figure slowly glided to the door and
disappeared.
Recovering my nerve, rushed into
the hall, which was partially llumina-
ted by the light of the moon, but my
mysterious visitant had vanished. Re
turning for the lamp had brought with
me, I looked into the various apart
ments, the floors OF which were now
checkered with various colors, for the
moon, being high in the heavens, shone
but they were silent and deserted.
Ny courage WIS rapidly undergoing
the process experienced by that Of
'Bob Acres, when a sudden thought
struck me. Opening one of the win
dows, looked out into the clear, frosty
night. A white figure glided slowly
down the avenue of lindens, and then
stood out in marked relief against the
evergreens which bounded the lawn.
1t turned toward the cottage inhabited
by the old nurse, and then, opening the
garden-gate. disappeared from my gaze.
The mystery was explained, the rid
die solved. Henrietta Selwyn was
somnambulistl
replenished the fire, and, drawing
my easy chair close to it, soon fell into
sound sleep. Twas awakened by loud
knocking at the outer door. It was
morning; the glorious sunlight was
shining through the shutters, and the
church bells were ringing merrily.
Rap-rapl sounded impatiently on the
oaken door; SO, hurrying to open it, I
found the disturbance was caused by
the worthy host of the ''Three Trouts," ,"
who had come, as he stated. to see if all
was right.
"Did you-haYe you seen anything
the ghost, mean 2" inquired the wor-
thy man, evidently surprised to see me
alive and we'll.
"No," I replied; "I should like te, !,
know, my good fellow, who, at the pres
ent period of the nineteenth century,
except stupids like yourself. believes in
them ?" s
"But tn Methodist parson and tn
schoolmaster ?" he persistedy
"The schooImaster and the parson be
botheredP exclaimed, "and all be-
levers in ghost stories into the bargain.
Ghosts indeedl bahl what are they? A
mere chimera. an optical delusion, the
creations of an unhealthy mind, the
Will-o-the-wisps of heated imagina-
ton and a disordered stomach"
"May be" responded Boniface, look
ing rather puzzled, "may be; and now
I thinks on it, tn schoolmaster often
had drop in tn other ee; and as for