Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-03-22

seemed to me at least half minute be-
fore the body to which it belonged was
disclosed to my view. Slowly, then, a
pallid and unearthly looking figure
emerged from the couch and stood
with its stark lineament clearly drawn
against the curtains behind it. 1t APP
peared to be balancing itself for mo-
ment; and then began to move along
from the bed.
There was something horribly UNI
natural in its motions. Its feet came to
the floor with n dull heavy sound, as if
there was no vitality in them. Its
arms hung, apparently paralyzed, by
its side, and the only nerve as rigidly
in the frame, appeared about its brow.
The eyes were dilated and fixed with
tie expression of CHASTITY horror, and
the petriied lips moved not as the
hideous meanings, which came from
the bottom of the chest, escaped them.
1t began to move across the floor in
the direction of my bed-its knees at
every step being drawn up with a sud-
den jerk to the body, and its feet com
ing to the ground as if they were NOV
cd by some mechanical impulse, and
were wholly wanting in the elasticity of
living members.
1t approached my bed, and mingled
horror and curiosity kept me still. 1t
came and stood beside it, and, child
like, l chung to my couch, moving only
to the farther side. Slowly, and with
the same unnatural foot falls, it pursued
me thither, and again / changed my
position. 1t placed itself then at the
foot of my bed, and, moved by its pit
eous groans, tried to look calmly at
it. / endeavored to rally my thoughts
to reason with myself, and even to
speculate upon the nature Of the object
before me. One idea that went through
my brain was too extravagant not to
remember. / thought, among other
things, that the phantom was q corpse,
animated for the moment by some
galvanic process, in order to terrlfy me.
Then as / recollected that there was no
one in the village to carry such a trick
into efIect-supposing even the expert
ment possible rejected the SUPPOSE
ton. How, too, could those awful
means be produced from an inanimate
being' And yet il seemed as if every
thing about it was dead, except the
mere capability Of moving its feet and
uttering those unearthly expressions Of
suffering. The spectre, however, if so
it may be called, gave me but little
opportunity for reflection. It's CHASTITY
limbs were raised anew with the same
automaton movement, and, placing one
of its feet upon the bottom of my bed
while its CLASSY eyes were fixed stead
Easily upon me, it. began slowly stalk
ing toward my pillow.
confess that was now in an agony
of terror
sprang from the couch and fed
from the apartment. The keen-sight-
edness of fear enabled me to discover
an open closet upon the other side Of
the hall. Springing into it, closed
the door quickly after me. 1t had
neither lock nor bolt, but the closet
was so narrow that by placing my feet
against the opposite wall could brace
my back against the door so as to hol'
it against any human assailant who had
only its arms for lever.
The perspiration of mortal fear start
ed upon my forehead as I heard the
supernatural tread Of that strange visi-
tant approaching the spot. 1t seemed
an. age before its measured steps
brought it to the door.
1t struck it; the blow was sullen
and hollow, as if dealt by the hand Of
q corpse. 1t was like the dull sound OF
its own feet upon the floor.
1t struck the door again, and, to my
intense relief, the sound was more
feeble than before. Surely, l thought
the hand of no living man could pro-
duce such sound.
l know not whether il struck again,
for now its thick breathing became SO
loud that even the meanings, became
inaudiblc.
AT last they subsidized entirely, be-
coming at first gradually weaker, and
then audible only in harsh, sudden
sobs, whose duration could not esti.
mate, from their mingling with the
blast which swept the hillsides.
The last sound that / remember of
hearing was the most terrible Of all
the sound which once heard can never
be mistaken for any other-the death
rattle in human throat. 1t came
with horrible distinctness-it seemed
in my very ear. 1t appeared to me
that the accumulated horrors Of the
whole night had been concentrated in
that sound--that audible connection
between life and death.