The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-05-03
such an hour Mechanically strove TO speak
the words / had been told. but my lips re-

Still / stood in that awful black silence.
chilled with fear, until with mighty effort
reached out my arm over the grave and
grasped-a hand.
It was only for an i1istant-not that, for it
was jerked away in a twinkling-but long
enough to feel how warm and velvety it was
and how small. Not that ! fingered there to
reflect upon these novel qualities in the hand
of ghost, and an old witch at that, for you
altogether mistake my bravery in surprising
it; but it was after l had cleared the old wall
alta bound and was out ON the moonlit road,
walking at rattling good pace toward town,
that | recalled it.
From a stat, of intense cold / had changed
to burning heat The touch of those soft
fingers thrilled me through as with
an electric shock, and walked
faster still in my excitement. Gradually
the consciousness forced itself upon
me that held something in my clenched
hands There was first glitter and then a
sparkle, as the moon fell on t. aollow of my
upraised hand, and / saw there glittering
ring set with flashing stones. The icicles
began slipping down my back again, and
hurried on
Some persons may be inclined to derids
my nervousness on this occasion. but assure
such that am not naturally a timid man. !
have medal hanging in my room at home
which asserts that am not a timid man,
and above all, had always been particularly
void OF superstitious fear; but truth compels
me to say that | not only lighted all the
lights on reaching my room at tue little inn
that night, but turned them very high into
the bargain; and that made a systematic
| inspection Of all the closets and removed
from its peg long cloak that was hanging
in very suggestive position on the wall.
This done, sat down-with my back against
the Wall-and examined the ring.
1t was quaint old ring, curiously carved
and massive. The setting was compossl OF
several small colored stones set In circle
about a large diamond My financial circum
stances had rendered it unnece sary for me to
acquaint myself with precious stones and
their values 50 that could only surmi.e that
the ring was somewhat valuable. Consider
ing the excited condition OF my nerves by this
time, it was not strange that I should start
when my eye fell upon the name that was
inscribed in quaint letters inside the ring
| Barbara"
sat and musei upon the whole adventure;
what the crone had told meth. graveyard,
the ring and 0his was returned to me the
oftenesD the thrilling touch Of that soft hand
the darkness.
| Perhaps | should say right here tIat
called myself an old bachelor, and had never
been in love-that is with any mortal did
| not think that was devoid OF sentiment or
| feeling, for l often dreamed of love, and
worshipel beautiful things of my own
! fancy but my life had been thrown among
| boys and men, and woman was far away and
| a mystery. A motherless home, a stern
| father, hard working Students life at col
| lege, stranger struggling for bread and
| reputation in large city-one can perceive
| how it could be that l made few acquaint
ances among women. In reality was only
25 but much experience and busy life had
| made me feel older; SO, l said, l called
myself an old bachelor.
have given this brief histo of myself in
order to prepare the way for mot 'er confes
sion. was failing in love with tn owner Of
| that soft, warm hand. 1t is preposterous,
but it is true. I began to doubt my reason.
In vain / tried to remember that Barbara,
the witch, was an old, ugly woman. The
only picture that could call up was that of
a beautiful young girl Without words fail
me; only she was far from CHASTITY, but was
as warm and substantial and full OF life as
| that hand had seemed to b.
| The fre-irons fell with an unearthly ciatter
| and startled me out Of my dreams. | went
to bed to soothe my nerves with sleep, anl
lay awake most of the night with the lamps
| burning.
Fortune smiled upon me from that night.
| Two years OF busy city life had passed, and
| old Barbara'S talisman was still unreclaimed,
when one day-do You believe in love at first
sighti Well, if the first appearance of Wal
ter Wyman's sister had not conquered me as
she stood under the parlor lamps, revela
ton Of beauty and youth, the touch of her
hand when she welcomed her brothers
| friend would have enslaved me forever.
Never had ouch 50 thrilled me since-since
held the witch's hand in the graveyard
The same peculiar shock passed through me-
and the memory of that spectral night came
over me like flash.
But did not start out to tell love story
Let me briefly say that fell In love, hope
lessly and ridiculously in love, and that
acted just like all lovers have done since III,
world began. 1t doesn't matter much aboI
mans age. At q he will conduct himsel
pretty much as he would have done at II
and SO | wrote verses and sighed, and tor
mented myself with thousand hopes ant
fears and grew hot and cold by turns, ans
wonderfully tim!d, and prided myself upol
concealing it all, when, as a matter of fact
the state OF my feelings was perfectly ap
parent to all my acquaintance.
Matters were in this interesting state, whel
one day an opportunity occurred of which
, availed Fmyself with a degree of skill an
, presence of mind that am proud of to thi
day. It all came about through my askin
, the young lady if she believed in ghosts
~ suppose / should, said she, laughing
considering my experience"
Leave a woman alone to make an evaSiv
answer. OF course, implored an explans
tion and she related to me the followin
story:
"It was about two years ago when part
, Of girls, just home from school, were visitin
friend down in the country. One of th
girls had heard foolish old story about
!, witch's grave, and some nonsense about he
annual appearance, and a talisman, and whe
5 l expressed my incredulity, they braved IN
to put it to the test. What is the matter
> The placei a little town called Aflingtun,
"Foolishly I accepted their challenge an
received a terrible fright | carried out tt
/ instructions and stretched my arm over tt
s grave. 1t was so dark I could see nothin,
7 but some one seized my hand. was SO b
Q numbed with fear that / coul not cry on
4 but could only fly through the lonely grav
: yard to where my trembling companions wei
awaiting me in the field. 1t was foolish al
venture, for fell i'll, and it cost me a vail
able ring, which was left to me by poor Aur
Barbara For her little narnesake,' she sal
when she sent it across the sea to me. Yo
} see, the ring was a little large formy fnge
j and was pulled off by-by-"
r aBy me,n interrupted taking the lost rim
{ From my D0eket.
> It was time for Barbara q forgot to sa
that was her namel, to &c startled now
s hope I may say that came out strong O
9 that occasion. I told my story in very in
S pressive way, fingered over the effect of tt
S witch's hand on my heart, spoke of the goo