Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-04-07

only by sight, he answered. IHe
has chambers on the same floor, and
we pass on the landing. We never
speak
I STAYED longer than l meant to, and
it was striking ten as we came out Oh
the landing. The outer door OF Mr.
Emerton's chamber was ajar. AS we
passed, the inner door opened, and
man rushed out with a scared white
face. 1t was Blissett Emerton!
'Help!' he cried, tearing at his collar
as though it choked him. Help! help!
Then there was a strange gurgllng noise
in his throat, and he fell forward in a
fit. 1 dragged him into his chambers
which were in total darkness, and laid
him on the floor. bidding my friend run
for a doctor at once. The man babbled
in his frenzy. The face,' he cried,
the FACET was her face-there in the
court below Look between the trees j
1 looked out into the court.
The moon was up, and among the
trees near the fountain l could see the
figure of o woman, She was in deep
black, and as presently she stood where
the trunk of the tree threw her white
face into refief, L could see that she
was looking towards the window
Probably she mistook my figure plotted
against the window for that OF Emer-
TOMS. for as l looked she raised her
arms with strange menacing gesture
and pointed at me. Then she slided
in among the trees and was lost 10
sight. The doctor came, examined
Emerton. and prescribed for him.
He's had violent fright he said,
but he'll be all right by and by. It's
more hystcrical than anything else
Where are his friends:'
III wanted to learn something OF the
mans strange story, what could L wish
for better than a 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, l went into the front room,
piled up the fire, put on the kettle, found
some whisky, lit my pipe, and prepared
for the night. l had just turned the
BURNER down when l became aware OF
a sof! grating SQUAD at the outer door,
Some one was softly opening the outer
door with a key. The gas was low
down. Hurriedly picked up my over
coat 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 hanging valance
which reached to the ground. l then
crept underneath, and waited for the
curtain to raise on the drama. l had
hardly got into safe position when the
outer door yielded, and l he ard step
in the passage that intervened, Then
the outer door was gently closed. L
now expect to see the inner door open
in its turn and some one enter. The
minutes went by, aud no one Came
Whoever it might be was in the pas
sage; I could hear slight movement
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 noticed that
the inuer 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 -d0wned gas.
shall never forget the terrible sight
that met my eyes. 1 would have
screamed, but my tongue remained glued
to my mouth. 1 was looking at 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 figure was draped
in long white shroud, and l fancied
that the room was heavy with the awful
odor of an open grave. Slowly the
phantom moved towards the next room,
and glided in. For a moment all was
still. Then came a faint cry. The
man was awake, and alone with the ap-
partition. Drusilla !" he shrieked.-
Mercy! Mercy Have mercy!
heard a hollow voice answer him
Rise and follow me-"
What would you have with me p
Confess
What shall 1 confess?' answered
the wretched man, his voice trembling
IN an agony Of fear.
Confess the foul wrong you did me.
Confess where my poor body lies, that
it may be buried in holy ground
Again the mans trembling voice
walled out, L will confess all.
Follow me.v
The apparition glided from the inner
room and the man followed her.
Write y
The dead woman pointed to the
table where pen and ink were, and the
man obeyed her gesture mechanically.
Write all =
could see from rent in the valance
the whole scene The man. white with
terror, the beads Of cold perspiration
on his brow, sat and wrote.
The apparltion glided behind him,
and looked over his shoulder.
Once he paused in his task.
Write ALL said the white figure.
And again the man wrote.
The figure then grasped the paper