The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-01-16
TIE LOST FOOTSTEPS OF WOE.

ored October day in the current year
that the story wnich am about to tell
commenced for me. Ex ernal lnf1u-
ences were all in favor OF my taking q
happy, practical and lively view of
things. nad just taken up my abode
as a lodger for three montns i'll a COM
| lortably FURNISHED, well-0rdered house
in the most beautiful part OF the mid
land country. My two children were
~ h. me, and late telegram from my
husband assuring me that he was well
ana happy n the discharge Of his tenn
porary duties as special correspondent
AZ the seat Of war Ior one OF our pgpu-
lal dalies, convinced us of the well be-
| ing of my nearest and dearest. l felt
my sell to be u moral coward, when, as
The daylight waned, l grew nervous in
| the solitude OF my sitting room, aud be-
gan to listen ior-God knows whatp
My children were in bed and asleep;
happily satisfied myself in that partic-
| ular before tried TO settle down To the
| task OF wriLing, ~hioh 1 had assigned
my sell ter the evening. There they were ,
looking as pure as angels in their
little white cots on either side OF the
| bel was 10 occupy later on. l felt,
when turned from contemplating the III
tu leave the room, as ii was going intG
ouleF darKHess.
The maid l had brought with me was
young, unimaginatiVe, but not stupid
rang her up wneH / cured to my sitting
room and ques toned her. "How many
people are there in the house? Is there
watchdog? Does policeman come
ruund during the nightw Her replies
we're emtnently satisfactory. Mrs.
James, an elderly widow, and her mid
dte-aged daughter, one stalwart serving
| a,l PaH a w ylrG
the sole living occupants OF the pla oe
besides ourselves. The neighborhood
| was so quiet that no policemen were
needed.
| "rhen we shall have quiet tfme," l
said, with sigl OF relief, and Ellen
trleu to echo my pleasure, as she did
my words. awe shall have quiet time,
ma am, and hope it will do us good.'
| IL was u long, low, rambling old house
this in which l mad taken lodgings; II
stood back about twenty yards from the
village street, in wild, unkempt. buI
lluxuriant garden. TO my London-dis
eipined ears the quiet OF the place, after
the shades Of evening fell, was som4-
thing almost holy. And, So, about i
O'Clock having seen the Jameses, theiI
servant and my own maid go up stairs
10 bed, l yeGtured out into the epen-ail
stiffness iu order to enjoy il more tnor
loushly.
fha garden wss Oh slope, and there
were NJ trees in IL, only lew tall snruot
sud some beds of gerautum and mtgno
uegse. Inc moon was c+Oudei over, anC
starlight just enabled IRE TO see wheIC
me lurT ended aud Eh4 d9wer- beds De
gau. l was Psastug On the oorderof Que
4 Of tue later, and uad just stopped t
Salher lew bits OF miguouet,e, wher
Iae sound Of heavy, Tagging footsteps al
my side made me start and stand VI
erect. There was no one near me, NJ
one to be seen, ana l struggled hard to
laugh al the trick my Imagination haC
served me. But, somehow, couldn'
do IL. The SOUND OF those footsteps was
i'll my ears stili, and, with heart tua
was beating rather more quickly than I
was its wontto beat, l hurried in, closet
the window, fastened il with bar an(
boil, and nastened TO my children.
There they were, sleeping peacefully
and soundly in their whue-robed limo
: cency and beauty. l forgot the foot
t steps, or forgot 10 be frightened ut them
as knelt between these little cots.
The house was old, worm eaten ii
portions OF its woodwork, but sound al
to its foundation and walls, and no
given to breaking. L had ample oppor
.
to my entire satisfaction during the frs
few days of nay residence there, tor IN,
children tested every portion of th
house pretty severely with their de
cided, unwearying young feet. Never
theless, sounds assailed my ears nov
and again that were not to be uetine
) any more than they were to be dis
mi ssed from my mimi as freaks OF fancy
The sound Of steps, taken by feet, t,woul,
) fall upon my ears in the early morning
before my children were awake; at III
early dawn, when they were with IN
chasing all phantasmagoria away wit
their atiuence of lue and happiness; i
the dying daylight hour, when l coul
wnen | was alone; when | was sui
rounded by 1riends-at all times an
seasons, in fact, L heard those ''fooi
t steps," which, gradually, came TO con
siuer and call awful"
L turned toward the direction tror
whence they came, pltyln-ly, oftel
times, for there was an appealing hope
, lessness about the tone Of them TIA
, went very straight to my heart. gre
agouiZed at times at meeting with n
recipient Tor she pity that 1 was 8
ready 10 bestow. l grew aghast at ott
ers at finding how real this intangibl
| object OF my Charity uau come TO me. 1
short. grew nervous and out OF sort
altogether, and all because OF tnos
footsteps.
Once or twice L approached the sui
jecL to my maid guaruedly, for l feare
10 alarm her, and, even more, 1 feare
, that she might mention it 10 my cul
dren, and ill their young Spirits wit
vacancy. But elected from her th
: fact that she did very frequently hea
: people moving about the house, whe
. she VAS sitting at work in my bed room
but as she always attributed the sound
to the Jumeses, their servant, or me
c she was in no wise curious about th
ImatteP.
One sunny morning | was sitting writ
ing near the window, and happening {
0 LOOK out into the garden, l saw Mrs
t james, her daughter, and their servan
gathering lruit and vegetables, and
laint, thrill of feeling that was not eS
acliy fear but tnat was akin to i
Z passed through me, as reflected that
, was alone In the mouse. About an hou
before mad sent my little grls out int
the woods with Clara, my maid, and th
t collie OF the shouse. 1 heard tUots ep
lnow! turned with snudder' and
! checked cry, Tor there they were, pass
: ing rapidly behind my chair.
A horrible sensation of faintnes