Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-03-11

Then there was a strange gurgling noise
in his throat, and be fell forward in fit.
[ dragged him into his chambers, which
were IN total darkness. and laid him on
the floor, bidding my friend to run for
a doctor at once. The man babbled in
his frenzy. HThe face" he cried, "the
FACET was her face-there in the
court below! Look between the treesr"
l looked out into the court.
The moon was up, and among the
trees near the fountain | could see the
figure of a woman. She was in deep
black, and as presently she stood where
the trunk of a 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
a 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 a 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 l wish
for better than night alone with him.
The doctor gave NE certain directions
and let.
We had carried Emerton to his bed
room and put him to bed. Seeing he
was still, [ went into the front room and
piled up the fire, put on the kettle,
found some whiskey, lit MY pipe and
prepared for the night. | had just
turned the burner down when [ became
aware Of soft grating sound al the
outer door. Some one was softly OPEN
ing the outer door with a key. The gas
was low down. Hurriedly l picked up
my Overcoat and other traces of my
presence and flung them under the large
couch at the end of the room. 1t WAC
an old-fashioned sofa with a hanging
valance which reached TO the ground.
[ then crept underneath, and waited
for the curtain to rise on the drama.
[ had hardly got into safe position
when the outer door yielded, and /
heard step in the passage that inter-
vened. Then the outer door was gent
ly closed, [ expected to see the inner
door open In its turn and some one
enter. The minutes went by, and no
one came. Whoever it might be was
lii the passage. [ could hear a slight
movement every now and then, and
the rustic of 1 woman's dress. 1t must
have been quite ten minutes since |
heard the outer door opened when 1
noticed that the inner one was swing
ing noiselessly back on its hinges, and
SOM etbinq was gliding into the room.
Slowly it moved across the floor till it
stood right in the dim light of the turn
ed-down gas.
| shall never forget the terrible sight
that met my eyes. | 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 We're
sunken in their sockets, and her lips
were pale and colorless. The figure
was draped in long white shroud, and
[ 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 apparition. "Drusila !'
he shrieked. "Mercy! Mercy Have
mercyw
[ heard a hollow voice answer him,
''Rise and follow me-"
what would you have with me ?'
Confess"
"What shall 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 10 holy groundt'
Again the mans trembling voice
walled out, II will confess ALL"
Follow me I"
The apparition glided from the inner
room, and the man followed her.
"Write y
The dead woman pointed to the table
where the pen and ink were, and the
man obeyed her gesture mechanically.
write all p
l could see from a rent in the valance
the whole scene. The man, white with
terror, the beads of cold Precipitation
on his brow, sat and wrote.
The apparition glided behind him
and looked over his shoulder.
Once he paused in his task.
"Write dA," said the white figure.
And again the man wrote.
The figure then grasped the paper
with its waxen fingers. "Go!" it said
pointing to the inner room.
WIFI, his oH-o1 j
face, the man backed slowly for some
PAGES with violent effort and little
scream, he seized the door, swung
it to, and bolted it on the inside.
Then, for the first time the dead wo-
man trembled.
She seemed strangely nervous and
agitated now she clasped the paper
closely, then put it in her bosom, and
glided from the room.
L had got over that sudden terror in
spired by such strange sight, and L
made up my mind that had detected
some terrible imposture. There was a
slight pause in the lobby, and the noise
of a garment being drawn off; then the
outer door opened and the visitant pass
ed out on the staircase.
l followed as quietly as I could. The
staircase was lighted with gas. As I
trod on the second landing the Ghost
heard the noise and looked up. She was
dressed in an ordinary black costume
now, and her face was a natural color.
To my intense surprise she neither
screamed nor attempted to run away.
She stood and beckoned me to her side.
What are you going to dor" she
said.