St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-01

antimacassar. Toward the top it was
pushed up in wrinkles. As looked il oc-
Cured to me that it was impossible for il to
hang In such manner by itself. 1t looked
for all the world as if ain invisible but sub
Stantlal human frame was then actually sit
ting in the chair. When this notion oc-
Cured to me l sat dazed with an indescrib-
able horror, staring stupidity at the chair.
which did not move. In a-moment of
trenzied terror L hurled the book
l was reading at the chair.
Did it strike the seat. or did it glance away
a few inches from the edge and fall on the
hearth rug? The next instant the seat of
the chair rose up audibly 10 its normal
level, and the antimacaSsar fell out into
its usual folds, still preserving, however,
the traces of its previous wrinkles. L
started up, and, rushing TO the chair,
began to prod il. L could discover
nothing unusual in its condition. As
was doing so felt a hand. beyond
all doubt, laid steadily on my shoulder l
faced round and saw nothing. ''Who are
you?" l shouted. What do you want?"
But no answer came. 1 was alone.
sat c0gitating till l o'clock and then
went TO bed. Just as L was getting into
bed it occurred to me that perhaps
L might be annoyed in the dark,
and, though L had not yet
seen anything, the prospect seemed rather
awful, and with a slightly trembling hand
l lighted night light. When l had done
so, and got into bed. / was rather dis
posed TO be ashamed of myself, and thought
would put it out, but, partly no doubt
from Discrimination to get out of bed, L
determined that in any case it would do no
harm, and that L would leave it as it
was. 1t occurred to me what an odd thing
it Is that one feels safer in bed than any
where else, whereas in fact one is never in
a more defenSelesS situation. Then l went
to sleep.
l do not know what time l woke, il
seemed to me that the air was blowing
in upon my chest where the bed
clothes should have covered me
up. And-yeS, certainly there was
an odd depression in my pillow, close in
front of my face, as if some heavy weight
were pressing it down. put up my hand
TO investigate. l touched something on the
pillow. / caught hold of ii, and turned
cold with terror. For L held tightly in my
warm, but large and solid. My light was
still burning, and there was no
one to be seen. The hand was suddenly
jerked away from me. L sprang out of
bed and rushed TO the fireplace with de-
spairing feeling that some one followed
close behind me. L seized the poker,
turned round and struck wildly at the air.
Whether / hit anything or not l
do not know. L remember only that
as L was recovering myself from a
frantic lunge at nothing 1 received sharp
and stunning blow on the back of my head.
When l came TO myself it was i'm the morn
ing, and was lying on the floor where l
had fallen. The night-liglt was out, and
the morning sunlight was streaming in atmy
window. There was a very large and pain
full bruise where L had been struck.
CHAPTER III.
l felt that this was getting beyond joke.
1t was all very well to brighten me, but
when my ghoStly enemy took TO knocking
me down like ninepin l was not going to
keep it to myself amy longer. L had no in
tention of Surrendering, for the blood of the
AlaSeyS was up and the fact that each of my
since the house was built had
sooner or later evacuated the premises
made me all the more determined not to be
driven away without making some further
resistance. So l unbosOmed To my sister.
Ellen, the whole of my experience in the
matter. She was decidedly skeptical about
the ghost if ghost it could be called. and
suggested that l was not well. | vowed
that l was as well as any man with
a great hole in the back of his head could
be, and she consented to the arrange
ment that proposed that she should sit up
for night or two in the drawing-room.
while l was in my study, with the door
open between Us, and if any remarkable
incident occurred | should call her in. In
order not to be wholly without male assist
ance in case l should be attacked. | invited
a college friend of mine named Prescott, a
strong, sensible and energetic young doctor
who lived near us. to keep my sister COM
pany in the drawing-rOom. He, when he
heard my story, was, as beiitted a scientific
young professional man. exceedingly face
tious at my expense, but he willingly con-
scented 10 share our watch. and to sleep in
the house. That evening sat up as usual
in my study, while Prescott and Ellen be-
guiled the hours in the drawing-roOm with
light literature until 2:30, when, nothing
having occurred, we settled to go TO bed,
and separated: Prescott divided between
high spirits at the temporary triumph of
and a tinge of disap-
pointment at the non-OccuTence of any
thing In the shape of a row, and Ellen
rather indignant with me for having kept
her up SO long to no purpose. After the
stormy experiences of the two preceding
nights thoroughly enjoyed an unbroken
sleep.
l prevailed upon my sister and my friend
to give the ghost one more chance. and the
next evening saw us again comfortably
established in the two rooms, separated
only by the curtain which hung over the
door of communication.
1t may have been IL o'clock when heard
a board creak just behind my chair. Utter
Ing shout, l Sprang up and dashed at the
spot from which the noise had come.
came into heavy contact with what felt like
a gigantic human figure. Prescott and
Ellen hurried into the room and beheld me
wildly graphing, apparently with nothing
at all. by Jove!" said Prescott, she has
got them" Them" l believe meant some
kind of Authorizations upon which Prescott
professed to be an authority, but l was
furiously with my unseen antag-
OniSt. and had 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 tripped up by what he afterward
described as heavy kick from an unseen
foot and sent sprawling upon the floor.
Fortunately L was PROSTATE at the other
end of the room. and could not be suspected
Of having had hand or a foot in this out
rage.
As we struggled to our feet, while Ellen
stared wildly about, we all heard two or
three hurried steps, as of man running;
there was tremendous crash and all was
still. But the curtains had swung violently
back into the window. and the window il
self, plate glass, frame and all, was burst
clean away outward.
Prescott was as white as sheet and the
sensible and strong minded Ellen was actu-