The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-09-09

NO wonder the llSuic lltu seen III
the darkness had been SO anxious to
find that paper I at once saw what
had happened. He had been in the
room reading fancying himself alone
He had laid the paper down thought
lessly and dropped off to sleep. had
not noticed him in the gloom, and he
was quite unaware of my presence.
One thing more did before I left.
I turned over the members address
book. and looked under the Els. There
found the name of "Blissett Emer-
ton," and against it mo. Blank
Court, Temple"
Soon afterwards I found time to dine
at the club, and there I met an old
friend of mine, a barrister, whom I had
not seen for Il year, who after dinner
invited me to come to his chambers for
an hour.
"still in your old diggings then,"
said.
"Oh no." he answered. 1--WE moved
since saw you last into another set.
I've got ca pital chambers at No. Z
Blank Court" asked him at once if
he knew Mr. Emerton.
"Only by sight," he answered. "Hc
has chambers ON the same floor, and
We pass on the landing. We never
speak"
l stayed longer than I meant to, and
it was striking ten as we came out on
the landing. The outer door of Mr.
Emerton's chamber was ajar. As we
passed the inner door opened, and a
man rushed out with a scared white
face. 1t was Blissett Emerton.
Help" he cried, tearing at his COL
lar as though it choked him. "Help!
help" Then there was strange gurg-
ling noise in his throat, and he fell for
ward ina fit. dragged him into his
chambers, which were in total darkness:
and laid him on the floor, bidding my
friend run for the doctor at once. The
man babbled in his frenzy: ''The face"
he cried, ''the FACET was her face
there in the court below! Look be-
tween the trees!" Hooked out into the
court.
The moon was up, and among the
trees hear the fountain | could see the
figure of woman. She was in deer
black, and as presently she stood where
the trunk of the tree threw her white
face into relief, could see that she was
looking toward the window. Probably
she mistook my figure blotted against
the window for that Of Emerton's, for
as [ looked she raised her arms with a
strange menacing gesture and pointed
at me. Then she glided in among the
trees and was lost to sight. The doctor
came, examined Emerton, and pre-
scribed for him. "He's had violent
fright" he said, "but he'll be all right
by and by. It's more hysterical than
anything else. Where are his friends?'
If 1 wanted to learn something of
this mans strange story, what could I
wish for better than night alone with
him. The doctor gave me certain di-
rections and left.
We had carried Emerton to his bed
room and put him on the bed. Seeing
he was still, I went into the front room,
piled up the fire, put on the kettle,
found some whisky, lit my pipe, and
prepared for the night. Ihad just turn
ed the burner down when I became
aware of a soft grating sound at the
outer door. Some one was softly OPEN
ing the outer door with key. The
gas was low down. Hurriedly 1 picked
up my overcoat and other traces of
my presence aud flung them under the
large couch at the end of the room. 1t
was an old-fashioned sofa with a hang
ing valance which reached to the
ground. then crept underneath, and
waited for the curtain to rise on the
drama. l had hardly got into a safe
position when the outer door yielded,
and heard a step in the passage that
INTERVIEWED. Then the outer door was
gently closed. expected to see the
inner door open in it's turn and some
one enter The minutes went by and no
one came. Whoever it might be was
in the passage. could hear slight
movement every now and then, and
the rustic of q woman's dress. It must
have been quite ten minutes since l
noticed that the inner one was swinging
noiselessly back on it's hinges, and
something was gliding into the room.
Slowly it moved across the floor till it
stood right in the dim light of the turn
ed-down gas.
l shall never forget the terrible sight
that met my eyes. 1 would have
screamed, but my tongue remained
glued to my mouth. was looking at
a dead woman risen from the grave.
Her face had been beautiful in life;
now it was ashen gray. The eyes
were sunken in their sockets, and her
lips were pale and colorless. The fig
ure was draped in a long white shroud,
and 1 fancied that the room was heavy
with the awful odor of an open grave.
Slowly the phantom moved toward the
next room and glidcd in. For a mo-
ment all was still. Then came Il faint
cry. The man was awake and alone
with the apnaration. ssDrl1sillar' he