Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-09-17

+, Convinced that nothing huma
8 cOuld, Ike me by surprise, and ute
~ discrediting the supernatural,
undressed, lighted the night lam
and went TO bed.
) 4 fancy 4 see it all,n / though
4fL He immagined he would frighte
B me into displaying the white featl
er. Not If I know it when Maud
the prize to be won.
Thinking of Maud fell asleep.
do not know how long i slept, bu
suddenly / awakened with the sens
2 1Of d fearful oppression on my brain
{ the air felt heavy about me, anG
q lthoug h.anxious to move to breal
the spell, / seemed to lack al
Strength to do SO. l.s 80 .ss5gs
F. aWhat can it be? Am / ill?'
reflected; then abruptly recognizin,
!, the room, / remembered why / wa
i there. sis it the ghost?v I.murmur
ed, trying to smile as j turned to
/. wards the lamp. Wasit the iaul
8 ofnly eyes, or did it burn blue anC
dim? I was watching in surprisl
when, giving a flicker, it went out
4 leaving me j q darkness. Scarcely
had it done SO than violent tremb
ling seized me, accompanied by in
q creased difficulty of respiration
Was the room haunted? Was / bts
ing tricked? No; / was assured not
the latter, for no human power
could make me feel as did; while
during the lamps burning | had
seen the room Just as had first be-
y held it. I would have given worlds
3 toAnove,i yet could not. My facul-
ties appeared gone. ] felt like one
slowly dying from congestion OF the
brain, produced from sutfocation.
1t was just the sensation Uncle Bob
had described all felt who tried to
| sleep in that room. Iss9I m .ai
The pain in my head and chest
grew at lastlso intense that enter
tanned serious thoughts OF retiring
to the other room, until l recollected
| Maud. Dgn 9iis 9glt afi
Resolutely shutting my eyes, /
had recourse to the many modes to
court sleep, and for space became
With a violent throe os the body, /
/ again opened my eyes-oh, heavens
to what horrorl The darkness
around me was no longer void; it
was peopled by myriads of forms,
some luminous, others awful, hide
l.ous. Wherever turned they con-
fronted me, gibbering, wiggling,
dashing themselves into my face. /
Writhed and groaned as | stove to
force them back. ea
"rhereare ghosts - cried, sand
this rOomsis the abode of the ours
ed!''
AT the sound of my voice all van
ished, all was darkness Then, far
off. appeared spot of light. AS it
approached it increased in magni-
tude until it grew into face. But
merciful heaven! what face! It's
color was of one risen from the
grave-of one who had long been
dead, The hue was blue, stony, liv-
id; lips, hair. eyes were all of the
same awful tint. But the most ter
rible yet was the fearful luminosity
it possessed, which radiating from
it, sent peculiar lights around.
Slowly, slowly it advances, my eye
balls dilating as it did SO, though /
lay poWerleSs with horror. 1t reach |
ed my bedside, paused and raised
two long bony hands. With a bound |
it was upon me, its fingers clutch |
ing my throat, its face pressed close
upon mine. 1t was 100 awful to |
bear. Making a violent effort, I |
leaped up, pulled open the door and
darted into the other room, where / |
fell on the bed, painting and almost
insensible.
With daylight the visions af the
night lost power, and felt some
what ashamed of my retreat and
experienced much nervousness in
facing my uncle, though own to a
defeat determined l would not.
When / ventured into the breakfast
room Uncle Bob hailed my pale face
with burst of merriment.
''By George, he has seen the ghost
he cried!''
The girls, especially Maud, were
full of compassion and questions.
SIT is nOthing," / said, "except
I slept ill, having had nightmare;
butn-and looked at my uncle-"I
shall sleep there again tonight"
"You will?'' he added seriously
''You'd better not, Ned"
with your permission, Will"
| would not admit having seen
nor listen to the girls en-
treaties, and that night was once
more shut and bolted in the haunt
ed room
L had, however, no intention to
sleep. Lighting my lamp sat
lown and opened the book had
to procure from the draw
ng-room. / had taken the first at !
land, and it proved not very anus
ng. ,
One, two o'clock struck, when,
inding the light bad, looked up; !!
he lamp had begun to burn as it /.
lad the previous night, The invol-
lntary start gave also told me that :
he oppressive feeling had possess !
on of me. o heaven! was that aW-
ul spectre again to appear, those
,ony hands to be again about my =
hrOat? !
Ny brain increased in.dizziness. / l
ould hardly breathe. Ina few sec :
'nds knew I should be in darkness. ,
foing to the window / drew back /
he heavy curtains. The moon =
hone brightly. ALI without was !.
right, cool and fresh. All if l I
ould breathe it for a spaeel Why .
lot open the window? Mounting y
hair, for the catch was high up, !
ried, but the fastening, from rust or \
ther cause, would not move. My y
rain swan as got down, and, reel :;
ng, l fell, coming in such violent !
ontact with the glass that my !.
lbow smashed not only an inner = =
ut an outer pane, too. My first 2
ceiling was regret at the accident, !
ny next rapture; for, kneeling, l :, y
iterally drank the pure, cool air y
hat rushed in. 2
at is like wine," cried. "Now l 3 q
an meet the ghost!'' Il
/ rose up. Why what was the y
leaning Of this? The lamp was 7
urning as brightly as ever. The : !
ppression had gone from my chest. y y
stood bewiIdered until my eyes = =
esting upon the discourse on II II
lines" an idea flashed across my a a
lind / pondered, until, with a ?. ,
ry of rapture, / exclaimed: X
'sBy JOve, I have i'll it's a trick, !.
fter ala clever one, and does = !
redit to the knowledge of the per- = =
etrator. But Maud-Maud is g g
line!'' DH =
Having made one or two altera- q
ons in the apartment, went 10 y
L Il 4 L. / =