West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-07-02

Ihe undertaken seemed terribly affect
ed even now by his recollections of that
night IL was impossible TO resist the
injection and my own flesh was creebl
ing In very uncomfortable wav. He
made a strong effort 20 recover himself
and TO steady his voice, but in spite of
all 1t trembled with an ever-deepening
terror as he went ON, curdling my very
blood in sympathy.
IL had turned out the gas when
sat down in my chair TO sleep. 80 that
the only light in the room came from
the dying fire. | became aware Of that
presence the very instant | awokc.
Mind, SIR this is not dream. was
as fully awake aS | am at this nom cnt.
The thing was there, IL was at the
back OF me. IL was between me and
the door | had got to turn my head
TO see II But / kHcU IL waS there
VINO 1t was, or what il was. I didn /
know, but | wa, sure that some living
thing was standing behind me motion
less IN the dim, ghostly light. and was
looking at me. My dear sir il was awful
To sit still and feel this thing. and try
to make up my mind TO turn my head
towards II! am pretty well accustom-
cd to corpSes, but can tell YOU that
did not feel just then that the corpse
out in the other room was any com
pany for me. Wen, there / sat--feel-
ing that horrible gaze fixed upon me i'm
the utter silence, and the death-like
cold creeping through my veins
striving, struggling 10 nerve myself to
look around and face the thing, what
ever il was
Were you ever locked up in a tomb
at nightP' the undertaken suddenly
asked me. could only shake my
head i'm response; | could not speak.
II have BEEN he said: 'but il
was nothing nothing To those few
minutes while sat palsied with
terror with that thing behind me!
At last in n kind of nerv-
GUS spasm | sprang TO my feet and
turned towards the door! The sight
froze mel There is no other word for
II. | was rigid. / could no more stir
than | could arrest tue motion Of this
train now and instantly. My very
heart stopped its beating. / wonder
didn { drop dead myself, for there
not six feet from me-with the livid
pallor OF death on its face and it's CLASSY
eycSglued TO mine, stood the corpse!
Then 1t began 10 approach me. 1t did
not seem to walk 1t glided, and not
till 1t reached me did il make "A single
apparent movement. Thcn-iust stand
up, will youP | can illustrate better
what occurred" ] did so, and he
arose at the same time and we stood
facing each other in the compartment.
was dimlY conscious at the momeut
that we were crossing Battersea bridge.
The undertaken, as he went on, repeated
upon me the actions he described.
''Theu this dead thing" he said to
me, SLOWLY lifted It's arms and laid its
icy fingers on my cheeks and moved
them gently downwards TO my shoul-
ders pressing hard against me all the
time on either side, as / do now on
you, and wherever the hands Law they
seemed to draw the very life out of the
flesh beneath them. Slowly oh, how
slowly! they glided on downward
from my shoulders to my breast. be-
meath my coat, like this. Try TO con-
ceive it-try, if you can Wherever
they touched they drew something
away from me-some virtue seemed to
go ont of me. And then the frightful
thought came TO me that 1 was dying
by piecemeal!-that / was parting
with something dear TO me rs life-biI
by bit j could feel il ebbing, ebbing-
and at last the horror grew to "A con
viction. The ghoul was drawing my
life's blood into its own veinsi was
sucking my substanccl What / lost he
gained! He enriched himself by max
ing me poor and it would end"
''NictoriaW shouted a guard, Open
ing the carriage door
'Bless my soul!' exclaimed the un-
dertaker, "are we IMP must hurry TO
catch my train out. He seized his
satchel and was on the step before I
could get my breath 90 say: "But the
story! ] want to hear the end of il"
He was on the platform now. "Ohi
there isn't much more he called
back. ''The ghoul succeeded-that
all! and he was gone before I could
say another word.
As followed a porter to a cab, and
all the way home, tried TO conceive
what the undertaken could mean. How
could the dead man have succeeded
Here the undertaken was, alive and
well, and telling me the story. II was
very annoying and disappointing 10 be
80 baked, after being so wrought upon.
The undertaken had left me no address.
so that ] was, apparently. doomed new
pr 20 know the solution Only "appar-
entity" however. Who got ont Of
The cab at my own doOf ould find no
loose change to pay the driver; yet
had some when / took the train st
Dover. My woll-furnished pocket
book though that, too, had at Dover
was gone as well. and my watch and
chain had followed suit II is painful
10 lose confidence in human nature in
his way Fhtiddelphta Times.