The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-07-02

was there window she could have cot
out of. was fairly puzzled, for you
know I don't believe in ghosts. Invent
down to my room, but could not settle
to work. went up again and again;
but could discover nothing, nor could
detect sound. 1t was broad day when
I saw her; and now l. found it was get
ting too dark for me to do any more of
my painting, SO I gathered all together.
and put them in one corner, ready for
tomorrow morning, and sat down to
wait for you. As it was now getting
dark, and I had been expecting you
since three o'clock, l thought you must
have forgotten me, so went down to
see if I could find any means Of egress.
As could not, I returned to nv room,
where could watch for your coming;
for it was not so dark but I could see
any object crossing the court. Whilst
was thinking whether should tell YOU
about the old woman tonight or wait
until tomorrow, the wind rose moan
ing amongst the trees, which made it
very dreary; but soon I heard sounds
above the soughing of the winds,
strange heavy thuds below me; and the
legends you told me as we walked
through some of the rooms in the morn
ing rushed to my mind; but soon bau-
ished such nonsense, knowing it must
be produced by living beings.''
"What did he tell you?" asked my
wife. aA =
"Why. he told me about a very
wicked Duke who for some baleful
reason whipped his unfortunate wife
every night through the house, her
lamentations being heard by any one
who had the temerity to be near the
house after dark. Well, all was quiet
again for little while, when I heard
voices, and the sound of something
being shuffied and dragged up the stairs
toward the room I was in. / crept be-
hind the door, and holding my breath,
peeped through the crevice. To my
horror I saw two ruffians dragging up
something wrapped in sheet; they
dragged it to the room I had examined
by daylight. The door opened, emit
ting a lurid glare. They entered, but
did not stay long, for they soon came
out and tramped downstairs again.
leaving the. door partly open. I heard
the sound of their footsteps die away in
the lower basement, and all being
quiet. I stole quietly up the stairs and
peeped into the room. There, before a
fire of red embers, stood the old hag 1
saw in the afternoon. She was stirring
something in. a caldron on the fire,
gibbering and muttering like the
witches in Macbeth. She turned round,
and I thought her gaze fell on me. i
felt myself sliding down, and remem-i
bered no more until L was again aroused
by the same two demons coming up:
with another bundle. What could /
do? They would soon be up. Iknew
now that the old witch had not seen
me, for 1 was left unmolested. I saw
might gain my room before they could
possibly reach it, and they would not
hear me above their own din. I did SO,
and knew no more until you reused
me-" ~, ~. Il - A., -
When she had ended, I said: :. Mary,
dear, do you not think you must have
off to sleep whilst waiting for
me, and your gloomy Surroundings
caused that very ugly dream? You
know it has been proved that one min
ute's doze sufices the soul for vagaries
which, in our waking hours, would take
weeks to perform. ~ @5t"s5%A4 49,
"No," she replied; 81 did not sleep
one moment. Besides, should 1 sleep,
do you think. in broad day, especially
after saw the old woman vanish out of
my sight?''
"Then you do believe in ghostsr' I
laughed out.
':fndeed, I do not; but it is all so puz-
ding" , ,
'sAnd you are certain she did not
come out againT' .9rt.h..
"Quite- positive; for did not take
my eyes off the door until was in the
room, and walked into the large fire.
place, and looked to see if she had hid
herself there. But it was all clear up
10 the sky
Well, would believe in it's being
rather than in its being ii den
If wholesale murderers. Were our
own a seaport or near the sea, should
,hink it was a haunt for smugglers, who
had had a scufle with the cOastguard,
md had brought home their dead to
rive them burial. Then thought of
he resurrectionists or body-snatchers;
out there was no medical school in the
,eighborhood, or I would have put it
Town at once to one of those worthless.
VI 81