The Beaufort tribune and Port Royal commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1877-1879, 1877-01-04

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cast into the sea. And the sea had given
up her dead, and the waves had cast him
ON shore, and the murderer and his VIC
tim were face to face And now they say
the voice of the murdered girl haunts the
place where she was found. 1t seems to
rise from the sands and goes echoing and
5 wailing along, calling, calling, as if in
mortal agony. The old boatman says
people have followed it, believing some
one was in peril, and have been lured on
and on, till the tide has overtaken them,
and they were drowned"
, "What horrible tale !" I said, with a
shudder. "I wish you had not told it
to me-"
"And he says" went on Nellie, un-
needing my remark, ''that whoever hears
the voice is in risk of great peril or dam
ger, or some kind of sorrow or trouble is
about to happen to him
sNellie's voice had unconsciously taken
tone of awe. The still, somber dark
mess, the midnight hour, and the weird
I melancholy legend had infected us both
with an underlined sensation of oppression
and fear, a presentiment of dread and
evil
We kept our places by the window,
looking out into the deep velvety dark
ness, with the far-away solitary light
from the lighthouse cleaning like red
spark.
Suddenly, while We sat, the sound of
voice rose up again from the lonely
sands, o meaning, piteous voice wailing
and imploring as if in unutterable dis
tress. 1t seemed to mingle with the
boom of the distant sea, now rising, now
falling, lonely desolate wall, thrilling
through the darkness like soul in NOR
tai agony. 1t was dying away in the
distance, in low, faint sob, when Nellie
suddenly sprung back into the room.
ooh, Jean, look - she cried. "Look,
the phantom light y
leaned out of the window and gazed
out along the promenade. Flashing
through the somber darkness like great
star was brilliant beautiful light 1t
came rapidly toward us from the right,
apparently floating III the air, and illu-
minating the space before it for several
yards. 1t advanced very swiftly, with
steady, forward motion, floating along
about yard from the ground. As it
came nearer We perceived, looming DIM
I ly behind it, a giant shadow, weird ana
grotesque, with outspread wings and
misty, underlined form, while a, sharp
rustling, whirring sound accompanied its
progress.
As the phantom approached the desc
late moaning rose again from the sands
and swept along in low, shuddering cries,
dying away sad and piteous as before.
With the last faint sound, the, light leap
ed up for one second into intense bril-
iancy and disappeared
ooh !" cried Nellie, fearfully "What
is it, Jean ?"
81 don't know" replied, feeling
of unaccountable dread and horror tax
ing hold of me. The very demon of
fear seemed to possess my senses, an icy
grasp of terror laid hold of my heart.
The air outside seemed to have become
suddenly clammy and cold, chilly eerie
wind crept in at the window. The very
darkness seemed filled with shapes,
fhideous and impalpable, at which I
dared not look, lest they should take
form before my eyes.
"There it is again ~ shuddered Mel
lie.
And with unutterable dread we saw
the brilliant star-ike light again floating
toward lis, this time from the right hand.
1t came swiftly, with the impalpable
fantastic shadow in the air above it, and
when exactly opposite, vanished.
We sat paralyzed with terror, not dar-
ing to move, a horrible benumbing ter
ror seizing our hearts.
This phenomenon happened several
times, the light alternately appearing
from the right and left, and always van-
ishing when exactly opposite to us, and
always accompanied by the moaning
voice.
Again the low wailing sounds from the
sands, profoundly melancholy, inexpres-
sibly mournful, like nothing akin to hui
manity. No words were uttered, but the
agony of the tones was like voice from
the grave.
"Jean, Jean, here it is again :" cried
Nellie, covering in my arms.
And once more the brilliant phantom
light appeared. This time it came on
more slowly, glancing to and fro un-
steadily, while the shadowy form behind
seemed more grotesque and misty than
ever
"Oh, Jean, if it is true. Ii it comes
to foretell some loss, some trouble! !"
sobbed Nellie, in tears.
"Hush, hush, dear!" 1 tried to say,
reassuringly. "It cannot be- Sorrow
may come to us if God wills it, but not
through -
"I say, old fellow" shouted a voice