Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-06-04
9stes aud Skttfhfs.
no. ii wBLaAn-sqUlRE-
CONTINUED from yesterday
CHAPTER III.


/ CONTINUED from yesterday
/ CHAPTER III.
felt that this was getting beyond .
;oke. II was all very well to fnghten me.
lint when nv ghostly enemy took to
knocking me down like a ninepin. was
NOT going to keep it to myself any longer
7 had no intention of surrendering. for the
blood of the Maseys was up, and the fact
that each of nv ancestors since the house
was built. had sooner or later evacuated
the premises made me all the more deter
mined not to be driven away without max
inc some further resistance. So unbos-
omed to nv sister Ellen the whole OF my
experience in the matter She was de-
c,dedly skeptical about the ghost, II
ghost it could be called, and suggested
that 7 was not we'll. vowed that | was
as we'll as any man with great hole IN
the back of his head could be, and she
consented to the arrangement that pro-
posed-that she should sit up for night
or two in the drawing room, While was
in my study, with the door open between
ms. and that if any remarkable incident oc.
Cured should call her in. In order not
To be wholly without male assistance in
case should be attacked, invited col
lepe friend of mine named Prescott, a
strong, sensible and energetic young
doctor who lived near US, to keep my
sister company in the drawing room. He,
when he heard my story. was as befitted
scientific Young professional man, exceed
ingly facetious at my expense, but he
willingly consented to share our watch
Il -, tha hoy1co That QVQninO
sat up as usual in my study, while Pres.
colt and Ellen beguiled the hours in the
drawing room with light literature until
half past two, when, nothing having oc-
Cured, we settled to go to bed and separ-
ated: Prescott divided between high spir-
its at the temporary triumph of incrednli
ty and tinge of disappointment at the
non-occurrence of anything in the shape
of row, and Ellen rather indignant with
me for having kept her up so long to no
purpose. After the stormy experience of
the two proceeding nights thoroughly
enjoyed ar unbroken sleep.
prevailed upon my sister and my
friend to give the ghost one more chance,
and the next evening saw US again COM
fortably established in the two rooms, sep
arated only by the curtain which hung
over the door of communication.
1t may have been IL O'Clock when l
heard board creak just behind nv chair.
Uttering shout, sDrang up and dashed
at the spot from which the noise had come.
came into heavy contact with what felt
like gigantic human figure. Prescott and
Ellen hurried into the room and behind
me wildly graphing, apparently with
nothing at all. ''By Jover' said Prescott,
''he has got them - ''Them," l believe
meant some kind of Authorizations upon
which Prescott protested to be an author
ity, but | was struggling furiously with
my unseen antagonist, and bad no breath
for explanations.
''Seize him seize him ~ cried.
At that moment my prey burst from
ME, hurting me with prodigious violence
across the room.
Prescott rushed forward, and as he did
so was trpped up by what he afterward
described as heavy Kick from an unseen
foot, and sent sprawling on the floor. For
tunately was PROSTATE at the other end
of the room, and could not be suspected
of having had a hand. or foot. in this
outrage.
AS we struggled to our feet, while Ellen
started wildly about. we all heard two or
three hurried steps as of man running,
there was a tremendous crash. and all
was still. But the curtains had swung
violently back into the window, and the
window itself, plate glass, frame, and all,
was burst clean away outward.
Prescott was IS white as sheet, and
the sensible and strong minded Ellen was
actually crying, which impressed me
more than anything else in the scene.
Let us leave this horrible house," she
said; something worse will happen if
we stay"
But was filled with an unreasonable
kind of courage at having, as it seemed,
put out inexplicable visitor to flight and
| was besides conscious of certain de-
gree of pride in the assurance that Pres
colt had been converted, and would hard
ly talk again about my having "got
them
1--WE can't go tonight" said. land as
our gentleman seems to have taken HIM
self off tor the present, we had better
consider what's to be done next. am
sure Prescott wants to stay and investigate
the phenomenon"
We shut the shutters over the wreck of
tHc WluuoW, anu SAT taking over the
event until late at night. BY degrees
contrived to infuse into my companions
some of my courage. and at last, no fur
Their disturbance having taken place, we
all went to bed in pretty good spirits.
| placed loaded double barreled pistol
on the table by my bedside. thinking that
if ghost could be struggled with he
ought to be able to be shot, and Prescott
placed within reach large bowie knife,
which he had brought back from America.
and had long been wishing for an oppor-
tunity to make use of.
When awoke I thought that my last
hour had come, My throat was tightly
grasped by two extremely strong hands.
A crushing weight was on my chest.
tried to shout but could not. was rapid
]y being strangled. And as l Law with
ing, my eyes forced half out of their sock
cts, glared through the light of the night
light at the opposite wall, which looked
precisely as usual, except that, as the
squeezing of my throat grew more and
more intolerable, my view of the room
slowly darkened. But of the horrible and
only too palpable form that was killing
me | could see no trace. In unavailpg
despair cluched at the iron wrists that
held me down. In another moment be-