Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-09-04

/, earted at first. We talked over variou
boyish escapades, we criticised the char
acters of our friends and relations: VI
got the fdgets; we found We could no
smoke forever without burning GU
mouths Finally, the fumes of whisk,
and the heat of the fire had their inevita
BILE effect and we began to doze.
; do not know how long I had beer
asleep, but I suddenly awoke with
violent start A cold shudder run
through me from head to foot. I had az
indefnable sensation of sometime
strange and terrible. I rose and stretched
myself, and tried to feel at my ease. Blu
I could not. I touched my brother ant
! he awoke
"Hallow he said. whats the mat
ter? Why, I've been asleep! What's
the time?''
1.-TWO O'clock" said I.
"Just the time for ghost" said he
with unseemingly levity." Do you know,
Will, l don't think he'll come here
Ghosts are uncomfortable things anu
don't like good fires. Get too much OF
them where they are, I suppose. Let's
go and look for bim."
"Anything for CHANGE" said 1, al
though he thought of perambulating
that great lonely mansion in the dead Of
night was anything but agreeable. II
am wide-awake."
$50 am l." said he; and taking up
fho 1rocc oorI1ocfsaly h0
the door. I followed him-close. We
pass along the passage, our stealthy foot
falls making faint sound on the uncar-
peted floor. We examined the rooms
on the ground floor. We heard and saw
nothing. We assembled the stairs.
Every individual stair creaked horribly,
but that was all. No ghost.
My brother su 1denly opened the door
OF bedroom on the first floor. Instant
ly a gust of air blew the candle out. And
as we stood there in the icy cold we dis
tinctly heard-a groan. It was no fancy.
1t was long drawn, wailing moan, Of
inexpressible horror and pathos. 1t died
away in despairing cadence. 1t seemed
like the sorrowful lament of q soul in
torment. As we stood there grasping
each Others hands, with our hearts
throbbing in great pulsations, it came
again. Oh, the horror of it ! It seemed
to be in the room and close to us. The
cold was deathly, the silence broken !
only by that weird end awful moan. |
Once more it rose and fell.-and somehow
Dr. other the next moment we found our
selves in the kitchen, with shab ing limbs
and ashen faces, relighting our extin-
5ulshed candle. Then we looked at each |
;.ner.
"That was no fancy, WILL" said my
brother.
"Fancy-no," I replied, my teeth |
in my head. "What are you
going to do?'
For my brother had relit the candle
and YVES moving away.
I'm going to have another look" he
said.
But perhaps" I suggested, 'the-the
ghost extinguishes the light"
"I'H give him another chance" said
ny brother, coolly. "Come along, you
,hattering idiot" Twas too shattered
to resent this unAattering description,
md with quaking heart I followed his
'oolhardy footsteps. This time he opened
he door more cautiously and we entered
With every nerve strung to its utmost
:ension. Holding the candle on high
We looked around. Pure vacuity. The
sound came not again.
"Poor old chap" said my brother.
He can't stand The light. Shall I blow
t out again."
If you do" said I. "But joking
'part, who is going to sleep in this
com? Tn not for one. And this would
be the governors ROOM"
My brother was struck.
"You're right" he said; 1--WE must get
% the bottom of this. Well find it out
somehow. And now I think we may 20
o bed. I'll just look around"
He examined the room carefully, but
here was nothing to be seen, neither
vas there anything to be heard. So we
gave up the thing for that night and
vent to bed. I could not sleep wink.
Ny nerves were completely unstrung.
After night of tossing and fever
woke unrefreshed. and nightly pleased
o find myself in broad daylight.
At moon that day I had to run the
gauntlet of my friends. And, I an.
pound to say, lied like Ananias. As
he day drew on grew more and more
uncomfortable, and I fairly dreaded the
'rdeal Of the ensuing night As before
We diDed in town. It was fine night
md we took walk around the square
'efore turning in. The houses all looked
hee.ful with their bright lights Ours
lone was black and gloomy. We agreed
hat at 2 o'clock precisely we would
gain visit the haunted room. There was
10 danger of our going to sleep that
light. We were painfully wide awake.
III sorts of wild conjectures crossed my
nind as we sat by the kitchen fire wait
ng for the appointed hour. Perhaps
ONE maniac had taken up his abode in
he house and roved about at night ut
ering that awful noise, or perhaps some
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