New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-03

ihuoi as To-; a. Stood mon the plain mantelshrf on
which were such tnnes rs pots OF gluS a'n paS,v
glasses which suggested the Ilii,et hook and an
nuhlc bouse spirit case oncn nOte-po"E ~" ~ ,
umbrella. The fireplace itself was Deaul i,l
men OF costly brassWork and t tiles; lh r. cl,;nn
carved cabinets very PTS ,orn thn great china re-
wal was horn and there were pictures WORTH GU
ing over so delightful were tney' no "n"i -,
that side of the room was c9NeIr tT ~ tbc wall
The ceilinp of The room was OF polished CaS u'i
and deen relieved with lutte gold. Inc onect o,
fhe pae wntry hight falling upon lh1ir sp,en" t%
IN ,,rv stran9e Laura caught her lover ny INC
a w%9 and gaspci Then she looked round ana
shTieked. ..l .itIin +bc
room Sin, had seen the door closing Slowly, ana ~
ifs o,rn accord before her. Now as she turned she
saw that the same thing was happening again ouC
that it was too late; Tor MIN ne n,, crord
tine door shut closely, while. also oil IT'S own acco w.
there slowly fell behind it heavy wooden hIr. As
the bar fell there was SOUND AZ Ol "a Il ep ,,eI
Then all was silent. The Pait tuus st,an5oi ~
made prisoners looked at each other WIN P1'c
faces Even the man. as brave fellow as NAV DPi
saw with terror which fr"za ms DiY"I tnl' grch.
bar lifted without visible hands, ana ialllhB Slow
os # guided into its place. He rushed 10 tho door
and tired to hit 1t. Its free end was ~ hS IN y
strong clamp closed by some spring lie couid no.
lift it out, nor could he by any rengtn ie a !,
away and open The door. Aho'loI ehiloA i'
Laura called HIM to her side. I'll,
Fingers she cried, fingers at my throat! jack
save lie, save me! n, Lr
az
Nothing ne SAID, can hurt rs. VIVA ever IL lS'
nothing SHAH hurt YOU till II hrstT'h' L3rd. nc
stopped because a breath OF Ice-cold ar pew Nlo-
leuty into his face, and again the solemn sign was
heard Laura sank upon the floor, IN terror
the like OF which she had never imagined OF
suspected. Jack lifted her gently ana iald neT upon
the chair beside the fireplace. w nat next Laura
held Jack by the hand, implOrlng hun not 70 IeaVc
ner-not to ,eave her alone. lie STOOD beside her,
his heart beating, his brain aire with wonder and
fhird time In y heard the sigh rs of one in deep
trouble and prhaps anger; again SOIL fingers
toncned LaIra's throat, and again cold airs vcXed
their checks Meantime II was growing darker
tLe sun was quite gone down. he short winter
twilight wa, deepening into gloom, anI tho snow
fields through the windows stretched whlte ana
cold Tncu there began a ringing OF Dells anu a
hearing of drums. Jack held Laura more lghlly
AID whispered her 10 be OF good cheer no hlhg,
he declared with positiyenes1 .Whlcn DC HlI ho'
fe, should or could hurt her while he was there.
he bells seemed all round them, as II
they were being rune i'll their ears (; they were
soft and melodiOus bells. not harsh ana strldGnt
and the drums like the bells, were sott their rolling
was as that of muiiled ketle-drums, and when they
4 oppcd for "A moment the heavy sigh was heard, as
If amcnting she necessity Tor making All tls noise;
The he Is rang and the drums beat Tor an hour and
a half As II seemed to the terror stricken couple,
pris ners III the room, who were IAN 10 listeh In
irnth they rang and beat for about five minutes.
and then they 81 Opped suddenly, and that dreadful
unseen per, on began 20 SIGH again, heavily. Also
Laura snuekcd, because the fingers began 10 play
az in at her throat r
fingers at the throat has always seemed TO me the
least desirable. The appartIon OF Sheetcd ghost
VITA or without chat the squeezing OF hands lcIt
inadVer emily outside the snecls, III" cola breathing
upnn tne sleeping brow, the gro ming behind VAIN
scot walls, tie dragging of chains, the signing or
soubiug by the bedslde, the hnylng ABOUT OF
crockcry the shnekiJg IN the gardcp, the upheaval
OF heavy furniture. the cre4kIhg on the stalis INC
lurking in unsupported places, tie IN ca,onabie
cl IN to property III place al!cr YOU nave become
a guOs al these things are ell ,ctlNe though per-
Ia oh
vented il the popular Imagination Is TO b hrcd, ana
take il that the miserable falling OH III gho'tS
during the Last fifty years must b attn ut "a manly
to tho wearIhess OF tne imagination whch refuses
any longer TO be stirred by Od-ldShlOhed modes OF
splrt ia, Manifestations. Even rapplDg has lad us
day. and no hope Tor guests III the luJure,
unless they are prepared to brI4g Trustworthy IN
formal. on as to the rnlcs aud regulations dOutie-
Iner. linen. indeed, there would he so great "a run
upon ghosts that the good Old lines would come
BACK again, aud many musty family gn0St, long
since laughed AT, scOTncd ana forgotten, would re-
turn, to bloom and bio som AGAIN among curious
and CreduIOus pOsterlty.
Bur 10 have ones throat felt, touched and
fingered by Gnosty fingers That is, II You please.
a thing which III 10 way attracts the curiosity OF
the imagination. Quite the contrary
IT SIMPLY terrides Laura snreAed and won d have
tainted had she Thought l! would DC OF the least
use. But she was too much terrified Tor flaming.
In real moments OF Crisis III SdPfeme nomen 5. as
the prIgs say, one is 100 much IN earnest to faint
one may FAINT comfortably when tooth Is pulled
on. ana feel all the better for IT altcrward, but
W q
thinks ABOUT fainting, ANA takes CHI 'rolorm IN
stead
'N-n-otung' said Jack, with less heart in his
tone than lie could nave wished, can hurt you
while | am here
Yet there were fingers at her throat and just then
Laura would have sacrificed ali the hodor and glory
o. the family ghost could she have found herself
safe islde that dreadful door with tue bar ct
down 10 keep them III. Or, suppose her ancestor
had appeared. hungrring, ravcnI.g for lie. be-
lIeve sine would nave gwen up nr lover IN the am"
spirit o. duly as prompted AsamemnOn T. sdcrIhCe
IDhigcua, as IL &c out OF the mess with much
paSc ana safely rs pOsSlu.c. But al that they had
heard and seen were mere tribes Oagdtelles, skIt-
ties. apple tart. compared % what they were about
To see. suddenly the bells whicL haI been ringing
a nciOdOus peal, ana The ketuc-drums winch mad
been heating mui1ed harmony, ciashcd ana
changed M hOrrIhc GlscOrd, at the hearing of win
Laura mOancd and grOanen, while Jack, clutching
her hand As II for his own safety, murmIred me-
cnanICally A-nOthiugC-C-c-au il--h-h-
huIl ana here his Jaws stuc, and he SAID no more.
For At the cIng and clash OF tho bells the cII ain
fell before the WINDOWS and they were IN darkncs5
.bsOutr. IT seemed next as If the end Of the room
to their eyes. There was nothing at ali
in tuls room. but 1t was lighted by
"A large window at the end ard long narrow win
dow at the side. Inc gnnIner from the snow with
out gave sufficient light Tor the intrudmg pair 10
see The things which presented themselves.
The bells stopped. tue drums stopped. Ihen there
began wallIng plantive music, tune never
ne ri cartn, winch seemed nKe the bciis anu the
drums, to ne played around them, above them, be-
low tncIn. Ana Wnllc thl5 weird ana gnOpt lily tune
was slowly Played there appeared sud icnIy, not,
sdi4 Laura aftcrWard, as IL they Sprang from the
ground dropped tOnl the skies, buO suddenly, as
II they from nowhere. three skeletons. In he
dim light one could discern their shaIOwy forn,,
the lean fingers with which they pointed, the long
bOny legs with which they danccd-lhey actually
danced the hollow, creless sockets and grlnning
TEEN of the skulls. AS Ihey came, they dlsap-
pearcd, as suducnly, as silently.
But the music, the supernatural, weird and
ghostly music, went on, and tncn-ah! theu-the
lina manifestation appeared. For, as if he had
stepped from the wal, Laura saw her great grand
fdthei-tho Actual Fanny Ghos Isclt-walk
slowly and "a If with difficulty, across the room,
and as he ncarod tho opposite wal, he turned,
faced ms great grandfather and with his white
locks and white beard family VISIBLE be seemed to
hold up warning iOrctngcraud disappeared. Then
tue ceased the room OF the ghosts and slclo-