The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1885-10-10

The voice l knew we'll; it wa
that of my landlady's SECOND
daughter, little girl Of six o.
seven, who slept on my fiat. 81
clear treble, breaking so suddenly
with an exclamation so quaint OF
the deep stiffness of the night wa.
weired and startling. What hac
disturbed the child's sleep? What
had mysteriously touched her?
AS yet no deiinablc thing seem
ing to indicate supernatural pres
ence had occurred. But now, hav.
ing taken three steps downward,
stopped-my blood runninxheavily
and cold, a tremor and thrill ol
skin over my whole body. What
seemed footstep had fallen behind
me! An unusual football! Not
the least shuflling sound, not a
creak Of leather, not an impact as
a heavy weight, no suggestion of a
human sound! 1t dropped lightly
and l stopped. With intensely
strained hearing / listened for some
further indications of movement.
Nothing! Save the pour and gur-
gle and roll of water into the bath
the stiffness was intense
reasoned that the sound had
been a delusion. The stair-stretch-
ers had given with my weight! But
| dared not turn my head. There
was that sensation Of mortal cold
behind the ears.
Hastily / took two more steps,
and now stood clutching the rail
ing in extreme terror, shaking and
trembling with the intense mystery.
Distinctly had the thing fallen
lightly behind me again-so close
1t was as though some very light
person, some almost imponderable
body, had jumped after me with
one foot a little in advance of the
other. In this presumed action
there was suggestion of trickiness
such as often goes with malignity.
Now again began the conflict of
reason against the horror that beset
me-to account for the reason was
impossible except on the assump-
ton of spiritual presence; to
persuade myself the sound was no
sound but mere imagining bred
from darkness / could not. Then
back? For what? 1t would be no
less with me And should | yield
to thought l might be unable to
avoid the fear.
Again l went down-one-two-i
three-four-it had followed. Step
ping gently in time with me, stop
ping as 1 stopped, resting always
on the step l had left ! Mortal |
nerves were not made to endure a
hing so strange. Was that a breath
)n my check?
With the tension my power of
sight seemed to increase and pierce
he darkness. Family outlined
we're the doors of the fiat l
lpprochcd. The dim light through
he curtained light ofthe front door
ct me see down the well-hole the
orms of furniture commonplace.
MI gave me assurance of reality i'm
NY experience; that the sound
'ehind me was q real sound, and,
" inference, that and invisible,
and sentient existence
1as haunting my footsteps.
But was it impalpable? l could
t least ascertain that. Ncrvously,
hrinkingly, fearing l know not
hat strange contact, / thrust my
and into the dark behind. Moth .
lg there but the void air. In des- /;
Grafton l turned to, face the thing, {
D look-nOthing there but the
lackness of darkness. With out
tretched arms l felt space from
alustcrs to wall. Nothing! l +;
ervcd myself to take a step for '
ard. Still nothing! The mys- |,
erious feet did not retreat before f,
lc. s
Once more l turned down stairs. .
gain keeping exact time, pausing
$ paused, it followed till, over
omc with terror, / leaned quail
lg against the wall, standing on c
le lowest step but one. 1
Lighting a match, l looked fear
lily around. There were the walls. l