St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-24
NOT A GHOST.

Iul)iG-GlOMl DOlldN Slttttbil tii-llt
was very late, the weather wet and windy;
the streets. long series OF little puddles.
Pickering under the gas. IIunying along.
| crossed street corners diagOnally, kicking
up about the curb-stones heavy masses of
new-fallen leaves.
At the street door / stood for few mo-
ments. funbling with my latch-lley. Were
| impressionable might have thought, 50
strangely did the wind act that unSeen
fingers clutched ny garments, and that
forms scarcely palpable intelposed between
me and the dark hail within.
With some aid from match | felt my
way up two pairs Of stairs and stood within
my room. Lighting the gas looked around.
Though nothing was unfamiliar or changed
a singular air of deSertion pervaded the
place. | Shiyered slightly. being strangely
chilled. and for moment thought of aban-
dOning the intention to take bath before
bed. But to turn in with that grmy feel
ing which comes from long railway jour
ney was ont of the question. Nor was l
sleepy. On the contrary, my senses seemed
pretenaturally accute and my head delight
fully clear and capable. Go to bed? No.
There was some intricate calculations of
strains required next day, and to which /
uClClHll W ttNBlt sui dllCl DdlllHlS.
1t was not that l did not wish to 90 to bed,
but that knew could not sleep, and that
l dreaded the horrors of insomnia, from
which I had once suffered
Down to the bathroom went, and, turn
ing on the water. regained my room. Ger
tainly there was not the least unusual
sound either in descending or ascending the
stairs. Is it possible to believe that my
nervous condition can have changed greatly,
changed without cause, during the short
time after going back to my room, while l
was undressing?
AS all in the house had long been in bed
there was no danger of meeting any one on
the stairs in my Semi-nude condition. so |
threw off my coat, waistcoat and white
shirt, put off my boots and thrust my feet
into slippers. Then l wound my watch.
laid it under my pillow, brushed my teeth,
and read a page or two of Lord Raleigh's
address before the British association.
These particulars are mentioned that all
may understand how perfectly l remember
every occurrence of night on which was
entirely calm and obServant
With towels, matches, flesh-bruSh and
sponge on arm or in hand | attempted TO
open my door. For a moment it refused to
open, being held in some unexpected fash
ion; then it came to my hand with rush
The gaS-light violently bent and swayed
with quick draft of air to and through the
open windows. Yet some force acting in
contrary direction sharply closed the door
behind me.
Cropping to the head of the stairway.
paused in the absolute darkness. From the
water falling in the bathroom there was
faint, monOtOnOuS roar. Suddenly child's
, voice broke on the gloom in wild, but not
ID 4s,r,. ,..f.,- ~
Or 90 away, mother?"
The voice | knew well; it was that of my
landlady'S second daughter a little girl of
or Z, who slept on my flat. So clear a
treble, breaking so suddenly with an eXcla-
nation so quaint on the deep stiffness of
the night, was weird and startling What
had disturbed the child'S sleep? What had
mysterioUsly touched her?
AS yet no defnable thing seeming to in
dlc&te supernatural presence had occurred.
But now. having taken three steps down.
ward. | stopped--my blood running heavily
and cold. tremor and thrill of skin over
my whole body. What seemed a footstep
had fallen behind me. close behind mel An
unusual football! Not the least shutting
sound, not a creak Of leather, not an impact
as thing having weight, no suggestion of
human sound 1t dropped lightly and
StbplON' W llil liltGlStlN StIullltu nearing !
listened for some further indication of move
ment. Nothing! Save for the pour and
gurgle and roll Of water into the bath the
stiffness was intensel
i reasoned that the sound had been q de-
fusion. The stair-stretches 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 railing in extreme ter
ror, shaking and trembling with the increas-
ING mystery. Distinctly had the thing fallen
lightly behind me again-so close! 1t was
as though some very light person. some al
most imponderable body had jumped after
me with one foot a little in advance of the
other. In this presumed action there was
suggestion Of thickness such as often goes
with malignity.
Now again began the conflict of reason
against the horror that beset me-to ac-
count for the sound was impossible except
on the assumption of a spiritual presence;
to persuade myself that the sound was no
sound but mere imagining bred of dark
ness L could not. Tum back? For what?
1t would be no less with mel And should
yield to thought l might be unable to
avoid the fear
Again l went ne-two-three-
four-it had followed. Stepping gently in
time with me, stopping as l stopped. rest
ing always on the step had left! Mortal
nerves were not made to endure a thing so
strange. Was that breath on my cheek?
with the tension my power of sight
seemed to increase and pierce the darkness.
Family outlined We're the doors of the fat
approached. The dim light through the
curtained light Of the front door let me see
down the well-hole the forms of furniture
in the hall. Everything was real, familiar.
commonplace. All gave me assurance of
reality i'll my experience; that the sound
behind me was real sound. and, by infer
ence, that an invisible, impalpable and SEN
tient existence was haunting my foot
steps.
But was it impalpable? 1 could at least
ascertain that. NervouSly. shrinkinglv.
fearing know not what strange contact
I thrust my hand into the dark behind.
Nothing there but the void air. In desper-
alton l turned to face the thing. TO look
nothing there but the blackneSS of darkness.
With Outstretched arms | felt space from
balusters to wall. Nothingi | nerved
myself to take a step forward. Still moth
ing! The mysterious feet did not retreat
before me.
Once more I turned down stairs. Again.
Keeping exact time, pausing as l paused.
it followed till, overcome with terror. |
leaned quailing against the wall, standing
on the lowest step but one.
Lighting match, / looked fearfuIly
around. There were the walls. familiar
with pattern had seen thousand times
before, but never till then in detail. In
that brief freight were visible the KEYS of
the doors. the panels, the bruSh-streaks of
their paint. spider-web in the ceiling cor
ner, minutest parts Of old-fashioned cor