The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-04-22

III al Tie years may nave yoe peAoi0
me, l never have seen, l trust l never
may see, such an expression on any hui
man beings face again! For it was a
young face, that of girl. almost child,
and would have been pretty. but for the
awful, corpse like pallor which overshad-
owed the brow and cheeks, and the hope.
less, unutterable depth of misery and
fear, the utter despair and CHASTITY,
speeehless, livid horror, all blended into
one single effort, an intensity of listening,
which seemed to absorb every nerve and
power; listening to something outside the
door, something which seemed from her
starting eyeballs and the hopeless culver
of the lower jaw to be drawing nearer
and nearer; for her slender, feeble body
seemed to shrek with each breath, and
draw itself farther and farther back, as
though from some loathsome, terrible
animal which she could see in act to
spring, or as though 1t was all visible
in the sudden leaping of that fame. The
next moment it died down again, and l
turned round sharply!
The woman was gone!
How felt l can not tell you. 1t has
taken many words to write all this, but
it did not require the space of one minute
to see it. 1t must have taken you many
seconds to read, but it did not take a
doze1f heart-beats to feel it in all its
CHASTITY, inexplicable mystery. was
still breathless with the surprise of see
ing her there, there in my room, which
only moment before had been empty
save of myself; and she was gone-disap-
pearedl The door had not opened. There
was no sound, no cry, not even the light
est football. The house seemed wrapped
in the most impenetrable silence. Even
the noises in the street were hushed; and
/ was there alone in the freight with
the unlit spill in my hand. l suppose
rang the bell violently; for / remember
listening to the sound Of its jingling far
away in the basement regions, and then
ringing again and again, and waiting,
with my heart heating like an alarm
clock, and my hands quite cold and
damp, for Mrs Gathers to answer it.
She made her appearance ut last. 1t
may not have been as long as it seemed.
One does not tell time accurately at such
moments; but it was long enough to give
me time to recover myself little, and to
feel annoyed with the woman for the
marked sullenness and unwillingness in
her whole manner as she entered with
the conventional query, "Did you ring,
ma amp She was carving a large kerO-
sene lamp, and the sudden glare Of light,
as we'll as the sound of her voice, surly
as it was, restored me further.
~ should think you heard me ring
several times" I answered. "Did you
meet any one on the stairs just now? /
have been asleep longer than intended,
and did not hear the door open; but
''Yes, na'am, you ave been asleep"
Mrs. Gathers interrupted me, in tone
of greater injury than before. "And if
l didn't answer of your bell the minnit
it ringed, it was in cause of my bein'
that tired of waitin' up I'd dropt into a
doze myself a-sittin' in my cheer.
P'r'aps, ma'am, you don't know as its
twelve o'clock?''
Twelve o'clockp' repeated. Had
slept so long9 "Why did you not wake
me when you brought up the tea?"
added, looking at the woman in surprise
"Why, m'm," she said, peevishly, "a
would have done so, in course, if vol
'adn't said at dinner as you were tired
and when come up you were sleepin
so sound l didn't like. Dreamin' shoulc
think you was, too, by your air." The
woman put in, with a sudden, furtiye
glance at me. ....-.. -...
/ had not been able to catch her eyes
once before. She kept them rigidly fxed
on the lamp she carried, never even look
ing about her; and, indeed, there was
something now 50 unpleasant in hel
glance that I felt almost unwilling to &c
on speaking to her. Still. if any one
had got into the house without my
knowledge--any one of feeble mind OF
in great terror! Writing this as though
l were in the witness box, can solemn.
ly aver that 50 free was my mind from
any morbid or romantic fancies, tha,
even then / could not think of my
visitor as having any supernatural ele
ment
Have you let any one into the house
without my knowledgew 1 asked, rather
sharply; ''or is the hall door open. Il
you have been asleep yourself you might
not hear any ons come in at it; but
believe some one did just nova wo
man. She was in this room few min,
utes ago." .-..u.
Mrs. Gathers looked at me again, thil
time with barely veiled contempt.
"You ave been dreamin', ma am," sht
said coolly. "The all door! Why, it ave
been shut an locked ever since dusk, an
as to me lettin' any one in, I'd not thinl
of such thing. There amt no one il
this 'ouse but you and me, nor there
hasn't been, man or woman either. Lor
to think what queer dreams some folk,
ave! But ! thought as you were give
that way when I'eard you mumbling tx
yourself in your sleep"
Ibid not believe her, for knew tina
| had not been dreaming; and there wa