River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-12-09
4 CHURCH MOUSE.

night as this Be quiet, you brute
Do YOU mean to repay my confidence
by breaking my neck%
! The animal had SHE'D so violently
as nearly to throw his rider, and stood
trembling in every muscle. His mas
ter peered through the darkness in the
endeayor to make out the cause of his
terrier. He could perceive before him
the dim outline Of dismantled church
with its brood Of gravestones clustered
about it. Besides the road, so close
/ that he could have touched it with his
whip, he discovered an indistinct white
object crouching upon one of the
! graves.
Resolved upon knowing what it was,
he dismounted and approached it. As
he did so, it arose and fled rapidly
away. With his curiosity now fully
aroused he followed it. As it neared
! the church it turned suddenly and con-
| front"d him. At this moment broad
| glare of lightning flashed athwart the
sky and he saw before him a young
girl dressed in a'thin, water-soaked gar
ment. her hair falling in drenched coils
upon her shoulders. For an instant
/ her white, scared face was turned to-
ward him and her large, sOrrOwful eyes
met lis with an appealing look, then
/ she seemed to melt into the solid body
! Of the church.
A. well rs the darkness permitted
! he examined the spot where she had
disappeared, but could find no opening
| through which she could have escaped
lie called aloud that he was n friend,
81. ,I,. l. Il T., -. hn
only answer was the weird wall of the
tempest through the broken arches.
With a feeling akin to superstitious ter
ror, he hastily remOunted his horse,
ana did not draw rein until he reached
az village inn.
"Who occupies the old church
yond,r?' he inquired of the land
lord.
"AI, YOU have seen it," exclaimed
the landlord, mysteriously.
1T" echoed the traveller Il saw
what | take to be poor demepted girl. !"
"YoH saw the spirit of one" ans
wered the host, solemnly. Every one
here Enows the story. When she was
alive her name was Ada Morton. Her
father died year back, leaving her
heiress to his property. As She was
yet a minor, he appointed his friend
| stephen Eastburn her guardian, who,
| III case of her death unmarried, was to
| inherit the property. 1t is said that he
beat, starved, and cruelty ill-treated
her One night-just such night as
this-~he disappeared. Her hat and
cloak were found on the river bank
| next morning. 1t was plain that the
poor creature had sought deliverance
from her prosecutor by suicide. That
was three months ago Her body was
never found, but her spirit has been
often seen in the churchyard, where
her father lies Meanwhile, the man
| who dove her to her death lives at
| his ease in her fathers house on the
hill"
The traveller was evidently deeply
interested in the story, but he made no
| comment upon it. Merely informing
the landlord that he should remain for
Il week or two, he retired to his room.
Like many another young men of
fortune. Charles Barclay was afflicted
with too much leisure. His sole object
in this part of the country was merely
a IangI;d search after amusement. The
landlady's story had strongly aroused
his curiosity. Moreover, the young
girls sad face and bcsecching glance in
the churchyard had made strange
impression upon him. Something in
her improbable history had led him to
form Il vague suspicion of IA truth near
| IL as Improbable Eagerly accepting
the possible chance of an exciting ex-
pcricnco, he determined to sift the mat
ter to the bottom.
Without dropping a hint as to his
| intentions, he left the inn on the next
night shortly after eleven o'clock and
proceeded to the old church. The place
| was silent and deserted; not even a stray
| dog was to be seen wandering about the
churchvard. An inefiably dreary air
hung about the place, depressing his
| spirits, and almost resolving him to
abandon his object. But Il sentiment
of PRIDE urged him on, and he eau
| tiously made his way into the church
and sat down in one of the pews.
For more than an hour nothing oc-
| Cured t. attract his attention. He be-
came drowsy and was ON the point of
| falling asleep where he sat, when a
low, weird peal from the old organ
moaned through the church. He sat
erect and listened with suspended
breath The sound rose higher and
clearer. and presently the sweet but
mournful tones OF womans voice
joined IT, He could make out the
words of II prayer for the wretched.
| After moment the music ceased,
and he could hear the singer sobbing in
I a l.,,,r Gnart -Ir, l-.t, Y4-o,- that brnI1oht
! tears to mis- eyes. He strained his eyes
through the darkness, but could make
out nothing. Arising, he called out:
| Whoever you are, you are IN sorrow
| and attlietion. | cannot see you. l
! will not pursue YOU. All l desire is to
be your friend Will you answer me?'
There was no reply, and the weeping
| suddenly ceased. After a moment of
hesitation he made his way to the or
gan loft and struck match. No one
was visible, nor was there the smallest
trace of the recent presence of any
human being. Considerably startled,
ne left the church, determined to re-
| peat his experience on the following
night
Providing himself with dark Ian
terra. he went 20 the church on the next
night. and secreted himself near the
organ As before, it was nearly mid
night before he became conscious OF
the presence of another person in the
building. On this occasion the organ
was not played, but there was a slight
rustic rs Of woman's dress, and pres
entity he heard the same low bitter
weeping.
Quickls arising, he shot the rays OF
the lantern in the direction whence the
sounds proceeded. Not more than
three yards from him, in the broad
glare of the light, he beheld the girl he
had met in the churchyard. She was
looking 1T him with an expression OF
intense terror in her white face and
tear-wet eyes. As she stood covering
bef re him she reminded him of some
| innocent anireal crouching at the hunt.
er's feet. With an accent of deep pity
he addressed her
II saw you in the ehurchyard night
before last; spoke To you last night. |
am not afs enemy, nor an idle curiosity
seeker, / earnestly want to aid you.
Will YOU not trust mes
Keeping her eyes fixed upon him
/ with the same distrustful look, she an
| swesed III a faint, far-otf voice:
aYear friendship or your enmlty can
he rethins to me. The world you i've
70 = ~ u. II.