New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-01-07
THE PHANTOM LIGHT.
An Exceedingly Thrilling bat True Ghos
Story.

$500
Story.
It was about eleven o'clock at night
Nellie and were sitting by the bow
window in our drawing room, which she
had thrown wide open. The day had
been most Oppressively hot, but now a
faint breeze was coming in from the sea,
most refreshingly welcome after the sultry,
3 tihing heat of the day.
1t was quite dark-that soft, velvety
darkness that belongs only to perfectly
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 by a
shadowy row of white posts connected by
ornamental chains. Beyond the en-
bankment lay the wide, desolate waste of
sands, stretching away for miles and miles
ON either hand
The tide was far out, SO far that only
sort of pale-gray CLEAN on the horizon
showed where the sea was lust beginning
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
Lytham Lighthouse kept vigilant watch
and ward over the dangerous Horse Bank,
that treacherous, dangerous shoal on
which many good ship has gone to its
doom of shipwreck and death.
Nellie was leaning out of the window,
her elbow on the sill, her eyes fixed on
the misty, soft darkness outside. It was
as dark inside as out; we had no thought
of lighting the gas that long summer
evening.
"How still it ISL she said dreamily.
''What spell of solemn silence the night
avs on everything
As if to contradict her words, faint
sound like far off voice seemed sudden
ly to rise from the sands below, and swept
by with prolonged, mournful cry.
"What is that" she asked, startled.
''Some one calling down on the sands, :"
said. "The intense stiffness carries the
sound great distance at night"
81 heard such wild legend this morn
ing, she went on presently, CONNECTED
with those great deserts of sand that
stretch over toward Lytham. Old Joe, the
boatman, says they are haunted by a
phantom voice"
GLOW thrillingP' remarked skeptical-
~. "What does it say2"
Don't SCOT, Jean, said Nellie, little
vexedly. "It is most pathetic, dreadful
legend. Years ago, before there was a
town here at all, people used to cross the
sands between here and Lytham on horse
back. One stormy evening traveller had
crossed as usual, and had almost reached
the shore, when suddenly bright light
appeared, lowered for a moment over a
spot yard or two away, and then van
ished. As the same moment piteous,
unearihly cry echoed all around The
horse became wild with terror, and broke
loose, throwing his rider to the ground
When he recovered himself, he found,
lying on the ground, at his feet, the body
of beautiful young girl. She was quite
dead, with a CHASTITY wound in her side,
from which the blood had flowed all over
her white dress.
1.-THE traveller staggered away to the
nearest house, got assistance, and had the
girls body laid in an upper room.
"That night an awful storm arose. A
ship was wrecked on the Horse Bank, and
only one man, the captain, saved. He
was taken to the same house where the
traveller had already found shelter, and,
by some mistake, was put into the room
where the murdered girl was lying. Al
the sight Of her he gave an appalling
shrek. and fell down senseless. When
AC ACNAN1Ag AC Wto H0outADucOy anu COu'
fessed that the beautiful young girl was
his wife, whom In q moment Of rage and
jealousy he had stabbed 20 the heart and
east into the sea. And the sea had given
up her dead, and the waves had cast him
on shore and the murderer and his victim
were face to face. And now they say the
voice of the murdered girl hannts the
place where she was found It seems e
rise from the sands and goes echoing and
wailing along, calling calling, as If in
mortal agony. The old boatman says
people have followed il, believing some
one was ia peril, and have been lured on
and on, till the tide has overtaken them,
and they were drowned"
What horrible tale r said, with a
shudder. Il wish you had not told it tc
me.
"And he says, went on Nellie, unheed.
ing nay remark, chat whoever hears the
voice Is IN risk Of great peril OF danger, o.
some kind Of sorrow or trouble is about
70 happen 70 him"
Nellie's voice had unconsciously taken
q tone Of awe. The still, soInbre dark
ness, the midnisht hours and the weird
melancholy legend had injected as both
with "a nndedned sensation Of oppression
and fear q presentmens Of dread and
evil
We Kept our places BY he window,
locking out into tho deep Velxety dark
ns with the Ear aNay solitary light nom
the lighthouse glaamlng Ike 2 red spark.
sgdde1lg. while We So, the sound Of o
4oios Is again nom the lonely sands,
q nranin pifeons voice wailing and im-
rloIine as t 81 unuiterahie distress Il
ssmed "a nlnl With the boom Of the
ant asa 1tH rising, now falling 3
ssesla4 w thrilling tateagh
VIE zcaI il mortal aelF-