The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-11-15

out upon my forehead.
The mysterious noises seemed to pro-
coed from the picture of Lieutenant
Harry De Wire, which hung quite low
on the wall suspended by long cord.
Rosaleen directed the hanging, rs |
strongly suspected for certain osculatory
performances not unknown to girls in
love. AS | drew near the portrait
hollow voice, with melancholy cadence,
walled out;
"De Wirer'
l sank to the floor in a dead faint, and
when | opened my eyes found myself in
my room upstairs, surrounded by anX-
ious faces. Teddy had summoned
mother and ROsaleen by his cries, and
they bore me swiftly from the haunted
room.
Tell me, dear" gasped Rosaleen,
her face pallid and pinched with fear,
'Did his picture speak to yOu?'
gave an account of my fright, and
Rosaleen told us what she had been
ashamed to confess before, that she
heard the voice when she went to press
goodnight kiss upon the portrait.
1twas certainlya terrible occurrence,
anu liiC law bllatu ~ " 90 hSoOSlhJCb WIN
Lieutenant De Wires picture filled all of
us, and more especially Rosaleen' mind,
with the most dismal forebodings. What
could it mean? Was it indeed an echo
from the spirit land, the warning of
some impending calamity?
To add to our terror, RoSaleen did
not receive the accustomed letter from
her betrothed, due Monday morning;
and when Tuesday night came and still
no news, she felt convinced her lover
had come to his death. fought against
the feeling, and eRdeayored to fortify
my mind by reason and argument. |
had no faith in "signs and tokens" and
abhorred the whole gang of long haired
spiritualists and strOng-minded me-
diums. | despised myself for allowing
even the suggestion of supernatural
cause to enter my mind, but it was use
less. This idea was constantly ringing
in my ears; "You have so bitterly de-
nounced the existence of spirits, and are
now brought face to face with terror
which will satisfy you that it is not all
humbug."
Without saying a word to any one, l
resolved to solve the mystery at all
costs. | slipped down stairs Tuesday
| night few minutes before twelve, and
stationed myself before the picture, de-
tcrmined not to yield to any fears Be
fore going down / drank a glass of
wine and, bracing myself, l awaited
Developments. had not long to wait;
once more felt my nerves drawn to
their highest tension by the sepulchral
groans, followed by the clankiag of tons
| of IRON chains dragged over a hollow
vault. | pressed my lips together and
my nails into the flesh of nay palms; ice
cold chills, followed by the feeling of
red-hot iron, ran up my spine. When
l heard the words, We haze qot a lea
TO begin Ujth,' seeming to come from a
grave thousand feet deep. could
stand tho longer. dragged myself up
stairs, but could sleep no more that
night.
l feared to tell Rosaleen. At noon
the next day the postman brought
letter from Lieutenant De Wire. When
she read out passage saying he had
fallen and severely sprained if not bro
ken his ankle, l suppose my face told
them that this accident was in some
way connected with the ghost, for Rosa
leen began to question me. nor would
she accept any explanation other than
the true one. | knew from her face
that she was satisfied that the accident
would result in amputati0n, if not
death. In fact, | was SO distraught
that | firmly believed that it would end
SO myself.
After dinner Rosaleen went into the
sitting-rOom, took down the picture.
carried it upstairs, and hid it away in
her trunk. That night could not re-
sist the force that impeIled rue once
more to 90 down stairs at midnight |
was by this time so neryeless and ment-
ally unStrung that it seemed there was
not sufficient power in my muscles to
become tense. With one hand against
the wall, heard the usual preliminary
sounds with Il feeling almost of apathy.
| heard, and heard distinctly, the words,
cts taken away" Then, like one
who has received Il message from the
grave, | staggered back to my room.
Its taken away was certainly
reference to the removed picture, as the
sentence 1--WE have got a leg to begin
with had been direct allusion to
Lieutenant De Wires accident. was
certain the name de Wire" had been
uttered and no other, and Rosaleen, the
words Poison them"
We were unable to 90 on with prep
aratons for the wedding; we were at
our wits end to know what to do.
Should we apply to a d. ID. to exercise
the ghostly voice, an NJ. d. to prescribe
or d. P. to philosophize? Teddy sug-
gested an M. p. (member of police),
while poor, dear mother wavered be-
tween the claims of a medium and an
astrologer. Fortunately for us, we heard
no demonstrations through the day nor
in the earlier portion of the evening.
The fact that the manifestations oc-
CURED only at midnight was additional
proof of their spiritual source. There
was no chance for investigation; there
was the plain wall. covered with matter
of-fact wall paper-what was there to
examine or investigate? What could be
done but stare at il and ask ones self.
If it is not voice from the land of
shadows, what is it?"
1t could not 90 on this way much
longer, knew; so | resolved on de-
cided movement, and one contrary TO
all the reticent traditions of the Des-
Dards who bo6 aluot-c a.insigtnJ 90,