The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-04-02

SsSAkAO IN W1tA4 akeos w ~ - 0AsssS ~ O4A
tleman who has just gone outr' I said.
seen him here often"
| remembered that at this club every
member had to sign his namein q daily
book kept in the hall for that purpose.
i ran down stairs, and looked at the
open leaf to see If that would affozd me
any clue. The first name that caught
my eye was that of Blissett Emert0n.
No wonder the figure had seen
in the darkness had been SO anxious to
find that paper. / saw at once 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. I had
not noticed him in the gloom. and he
was quite unaware of ny presence.
One thing more did before left.
1 turned over the members address
book, and looked under the Els. There
1 found the name of "Blissett Emer-
tOn," and against it "NO. Blank
Court, Temple"
Soon afterwards found time to dine
at the club, and there I met an old
friend of mine, a barrister. whom / had
not seen for a year, who after dinner
invited me to come to his chambers for
an hour.
"Still in your old diggings then" I
said.
"Oh no." he answered. GIVE
moved since saw you last into anoth-
er set. I've got capital chambers at
No. z Blank Court I asked him at
once if he knew Mr.. Emerton.
"Only by sight," he answered. "He
has chambers on the same floor, and we
pass on the landing. We never speak"
stayed longer than 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 Biissett Emerton!
"Helpr' he cried, tearing at his col
lar as though it choked him. Help!
helpr' Then there was a strange gurg-
ling noise in his throat, and he fell for
ward in a fit. dragged him into his
chambers. which were in total darkness,
and laid him ON the floor, bidding my
friend run for doctor at once. The
man babbled in his frenzy: "The
face" he cried, s'the FACET was her
face-there in the court below! Look
between the treesr' Hooked out into
the cout.
The moon was up, and among the
trees near the fountain could see the
figure of woman. She was in deep
black, and as presently she stood where
the trunk of the tree threw her white
face into relief, l 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 q
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 wanted to learn something OF this
mans strange story, what could wish
for better than night alone with him.
The doctor gave me certain directions
and left.
We had carried Emerton to his bed
room and put him on the bed. Seeing
he was still, 1 went into the front room;
piled up the fire, put on the kettle,
found some whisky. lit my pipe, and
prepared for the night. I had just
turned the burner down when 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 picked up
my overcoat and other traces of my
presence and flung them under the
large couch at the end of the room. 1t
was an old-fashioned sofa with hang
ing valance which reached to the
ground. I then crept underneath and
waited for the curtain to rise on the
drama. 1 had hardly got into safe po-
sition when the outer door yielded, and
Iheard a step in the passage that inter-
vened. Then the outer door was gently
closed. l expected to see the inner
door open in its turn and some one en-
ter. The minutes went by, and no one
came. Whoever it might be was in the
passage. could hear slight move
ment every now and then, and the rustic
of a woman's dress. 1t must have been
quite ten minutes since l heard the |
outer door opened when I noticed that
the inner one was swinging noiselessly
back on its hinges, and something was
gliding into the room. Slowly it moved
across the floor till it stood right in the
dim light of the turned-down gas.
I shall never forget the terrible sight |
that met my eyes. I 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