Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-01-09
Mt. Mavericks teeth chartered; but

Nr. Mavericks teeth chartered; but
be Commanded himself by strong eff
fort. IF you hear nothing, Maria" he
said, ''it is the best evidence that this
intruder is no flesh and blood, but a
spt ctre. But, whatever he is, l will
hunt him down if it takes all night"
slow can you hunt down a spectre I?
Don't be absurd, John, dear. You will
only catch your death a-cold, trotting
round these chilly entries and places"
Don't attempt to restrain me, Maria"
replied her husband, with nervous
shudder. "If l don't search out this
mystery it may be the death Of mew
They went out i'm the hall. The candle
threw a CLEAN along it, but its extremi-
ties were swathed in deep shadows. Mr..
Maverick peered searcbinglv into this
obscurity, and then, stealthily raising
his finger, he pointed toward the thick
est gloom.
"There it is |" he mnrmured, in a
scarcely audible voice. al saw 1t move
See-in long gray dressinc-gown-sce
=. Ha it's gomez
But surely, John, my eyes arc az good
as your, and rather better. If there
were ANYTHING, why wouldn'tit be visible
to me as well as to vou?"
Heaven knows, Maria but il is only
some organ izstions that are susceptible
to apparitions [ saw the figure move,
and the CLEAN of its white FACE. Bnt
where can it have disappeared? Hark p
long. heavy Sigh, as of breathing
heavily oppressed, was distinctly audi
be in the intense stiffness. 1t seemed
to come from close at hand. and yet it
was impossible to fix the direction.
immediately following it, there was a
cracking sound from the staircase behind
II did hear a noise tlien,' she whis.
pesed.
"He must have pass ed close by us and
gone down." returned the husband. 81
had cold feeling, moment ago, as
from a draught Of icy air. Come-let us
follow it up"
They descended a ain 10 the lower
story but tvp,vtLIng there sppea,ed
exactly as when they had left it. The
wind had now legan to arise, and,
sweeping across the naked, white fields.
whispered aud muttcred about the old
house, as If it had some sad secret to
communicate. The two hunters in this
chastity chase were now In tie dininC-
room, a sombre apartment. with por-
trait over the mantlepiece of an elderly
man in gray suitout. The frame of this
portrait was fastened into the wall. and
had occupied its present position since
an unknown date. The original of the
portrait was also unknown, but il was
supposed the suicide of the legend. Mr..
Maverick stood gazing up at il, as if ex-
occting some sirn OF lie in those darf,
troubled feitme~.
"TEe story u.s." he said, io the tremu-
lous ur de rtoIe which had come to be his
manner of speech during the last half
hour, that. on the evening of his desth,
he went out to the barn 10 chop wood.
Whiie there, a messenger came to him
from the village with the terrible news
which"
He stopped. and his wife and be stood
staring into each others eyes. From the
direction of the barn came a Gull, muf-
fed sound, repeated regularly at short
intervals.
"There he is now exclaimed MAYER
ick, speaking with difficulty. "Ie's at
work again, just as be was fifty years ago.
What fearful thing this is! Where is
the lan.eIn?"
"Don't 90 out, JoFnl Oh, don't % en-
treated his wife. "In your excited con-
dition, and in this freezing air, il will
kill you-T know it willw
81 must GO, Maria" he replied, with a
aort 81 4 or. - e.:n
that YOU are haunted would be wore
thar death. So long as am On its tracks
can bear it. You stay here; call me if
you see or hear anything"
The lantern was procurea, and Maver-
ick set forth. He reached the barn.
ploughing his way through the crisp
snow, and found the door partly open.
He threw it back and looked in. A pile
of uncut logs lay at one side; the saw
horse, with the saw leaning against it.
stood near. The axe was nowhere to be
seer, nor were there anv trace of its
having been recently used. After listen
ing and looking for few moments, he
closed the door and fastened it, and turn-
ed again toward the house.
From where he now stood the windows
of the dining room were visible, lighted
up by the candle which he had left thC,e.
AT one of the windows, outlined against
the light behind, he saw the figure of his
wife apparently looking out for him.
But Immediately afterward he saw, or
thought he saw, the shape of a man NOV
ING to and fro ia the room behind her.
The shape approached her, and Maverick
with thrill of horror, recognized the
same apparltiop whose vague contours
he had beheld in the obscurity Of the
entry. Mrs. Maverick stirred uuessily,
but did not look round, though the mys-
terious shape seemed TO be close at her
shoulder. With cry of warning to her.
Maverick leapt forward and ran toward
the house. Instantly the figure shrapk
backward, and fitting across the room.
vanished apparently in the direction of
the fireplace. 1t was as if the portrait
had come down from the frame during
his absence, and hal opain retired to it.
lie burst into the house and staggered
into the dining room. His wife, turning
from the window, met him with a ques-
tioning look, and with only so much
discomposure as might naturally be
excited by his own panic stricken aspect.
"Did you find anything, dear?" she
asked.
"Giood God, woman !" he gasped out,
"do you mean TO say you saw nothing
felt nothinc?"
What should l feel, John?" she de-
ynop1aI IN a Troubled fona