The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-01-26

eyes deceive me l thought as | looked a
mans face dropped down out of sight. The
curtain moved as if some one had hit it in
ltentionally and set it curveting from side
to side. / did not see how it could be done
with the window shut. While was watch
ing it, and trying to think where the
draft came from, the object that first gave
me the shock came into view, 1t stood
there looking straight into the room; a
manor at least a mans face.
"Heavens and earth What ails the
man ? asked myself
There was in his face such an express
sion of diabolical wickedness as I never
again wished to behold. He made no
movement nor spoke q word to explain
himself But right there under the WIN
dow, in black, shiny broadcloth coat, an
old silk hat that had seen many changes iii
fashion set jaunti1y on one side of bis head,
for all the world like a second edition of
the village schoelmaster; his face wan and
pale, with high cheek-bones, his chin
covered with stubble of short beard But
most startling of all, and what filed me
with horror, was his throat cut from ear to
ear, the blood oozing down drop by drop
over white shirt front! 1t was horrible!
Those dead eyes looking into the room
the man standing there as if he had been a
statue cut in stone.
''There was something so horrible in his
face that for minute or so I stood by the
chair as if struck dumb Where had
seen that shiny black coat and old plug hat !?
Somewhere, it seemed to me- in my own
family. His features too, were not those
of q stranger. Then I named over to my
self several individuals whom 7 thought he
resembled There must be some one-yes
there was one--my wife's brother I had
heard her say that a younger brother had
disappeared under circumstances that led
them to think he had been murdered
| This, then, must be his ghost returned to
see his sister.
4" But pooh" thought I, there are no
such things as ghosts! This must be some
poor traveller who has cut himself by acci-
dent
cat all events, made up my mind to
address him. I took one step forward, and
as I opened my lips to speak, the figure
disappeared. There was no waving of the
curtain now-nothing to show that there
had been a ghostly presence behind it.
Outside the wind made fearful racket
around the corners of the house and among
the bare limbs of the elms. Occasionally
the slam of door reached my ears, telling
how the wind was using it. Presently [
distinguished the tramp, tramp of horses
feet The stable was connected with the
shed, but, strange to tell, the sounds were
approaching the kitchen, seemingly but a
few feet away from the very door. In a
second more I was Mortified to hear a
horses hoofs stamping across the kitchen
floor.
''There is something awful in such
sounds at such an hour; for the first time
1 felt my hair begin to rise from my scalp.
Looking round, I saw the odd figure once
more at the window. The sight of that
ghastly face and those glazed eyes watch
ing me SO intently drove me to decide upon
acting at once.
"'Speak" I cried; are you man OF
ghost p
''There was no response; only a side
1notion-a slight movement of the head,
and the spectre had disappeared again.
No sound of wind this time, but those
hoots meandering here and there were
more dreadful, and 7 concluded it must be
some horse-thief who meant to rob and
murder me at the same time.
Reaching above the fireplace, took
down my double-barrelled shotgun, cooked
both barrels, and deliberately pointed il
toward the window, resolving to fire it al
the first glimpse of his ghostship or, as
more than half spected-horse-thief. All
at once, there came terrific gust that
shook the whole house from foundation tc
chimney. It made the old clock stop fol
the first time in dozen years; roaring
down the fireplace, scattering the ashes
about the room, and half binding me.
Through the cloud of dust l saw the
face again at the window In another
second my eyes were nearly demolished
by the report of my gun. Both barrels
heavily loaded with buckshot had gone righ
through that west window, taking nearly
the whole sash with it, and sending me fla
on my back by the force of the concus
sion.
"'Whats the matter, Tom? What y,
been shooting at, at this time O. night
were the first words I heard, after picking
myself up from the floor
"There in their night clothes stood tn
old folks, and right behind them, in tn
doorway, the two boys-John and Harry
Grandfather held candle in his hand
and looked at me with alarm in his face