Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-03

flnels 5 mouse, Tor we nau II great many
final preparations to make before we babe
good bye to our old lives and began the
new. When | talked of returning to
Deaths Lodge she shuddered.
Il thank heaven she said, that this Is
the last time you will ever enter the
dreary cemetery at night"
an spite Of all your fears and prophe-
cies, | said, mo evil has befallen me in
the months of my residence here No
wraiths or ghosts have condescended to
visit me, and even the little Hollanders
have given up jackstraws aud mumblety-
peg, and refuse to appear"
"You have never uttered a complaint
against the Lodge, she said, "and ought
to have a little grateful sentiment to-
wards it, since 1t has enabled US to be
married sooner than il would have been
possible, If you had not gone there to
live. But, Herbert, how could any living
creature grow sentimental over a house
that is called Deaths Lodge'f"
made no effort to answer the question.
Ny thoughts were dwelling tenderly
upon the future (our future) that would
open TO US the morrow. | took her in my
arms, and reminded her that it was the
last time l would say good-by to Ethel
Hartley. To morrow she would be Mrs.
Herbert Grant When left her it was
nearly midnight, and the moonlight was
rs brilliant as If November had arrived
instead Of September
/ took a short cut through the cemetery
and my way lay through the part that be-
longed to the Hollanders. 1t occurred to
me that the hour was near when they
were said TO appear. ! smiled at tn
thought, and trudged bravely on through
the rank, overgrown grass that was heavy
with dew. l compared myself to the
plowman in Gray's "Elegy in a Country
Churchyard." "who homeward plods his
weary way" and mentally repeated an
appropriate stanza or two from that re-
markable poem.
Continuing on my way, noticed that |
vas approaching a new-made grave, and
wondered who had been buried there
While | was wondering | witnessed
sight that almost caused my heart to
cease beating / saw a head rise slowly
out of the grave and stop above it. !
stood motionless for moment, while my
eyes were fixed upon this object. could
see that CHASTITY face was turned toward
me. Then | forgot that was not super
stitious. forgot that had ridiculed my
fathers spiritualistic doctrines, my moth
er's disembodied spirit, and my nurses
stories of wraiths. forgot that had
laughed at Ethers fears. | forgot that
had been willing to face any ghost of
my size that could be produced. l forgot
everything but the staring countenance
that arose from that new made grave. ]
mad always been counted a strong man
and courageous, but confess that on this
occasion l was very weak. l did not wait
to interview the apparition. l turned
like a coward, and ran from it with ali
the blind fieetness of fear.
had not run far when was brought
to full and sudden stop. l had run
against tombstone with such violence
that l was thrown backward upon the
ground. l sprang to my feet, al
though l was bruised from my
fall, and looked back to see what
had become Of the apparition. 1t WIS
not in sight. l could see the newly filed
grave distinctly in the moonlight, and it
appeared undisturbed. No dishe we'd head
protruded from it, and no haggard face
contemplated me from its CHASTITY
depths.
For some minutes stood thinking oi
what | had seen, and was undecided
whether to advance or to retrace my steps.
confess that was tempted to leave the
graveyard TO sleep that night at the vii
lage inn. But upon reflection l decided
that this would be a foolish proceeding.
had some effects at the Lodge whicl |
would have to pack and carry with me on
the morrow.
thought Of making a wide detour
around the new grave. but l did not like
TO be driven out of my path by au intan-
gible thing that did not understand l
began to have a suspicion that was the
victim Of practical joke, or Of an optical
delusion. | resolved to continue in my
rormer path, and to force myself 10 pass
very close by the new grSve- / further
resolved that l would never tell Ethel
that her prophecies concerning my super
stition had come true.
fixed my eyes upon the grave, and
went slowly towards it. Even after all
this deliberatiou my heart beat furiously,
and my head swan until could scarcely
control my movements. My nerves were
most painfully alive to my melancholy
surroundings. But went forward until
was within twenty PAGES Of the grave.
Then stopped, for slowly and myster.-
ously rose up that horrible head that had
driven me back before. 1t came, as be-
fore, out of the grave. saw its ashen
countenance, its sunken eyes, its wild,
disheveled hair. and / could not face it.
turned and ran again, over grav es and
stones and hedges, until again | fell. This
time l stumbled over spade that the
sexton had doubtless dropped and for
gotten. When l regained my feet. l
looked back and saw the moonlight, the
rank, wet grass, and the new
grave; but the ghost, or man,
or devil-whichever he might be
was invisible He had doubt
less gone down into his grave again, in
the same silent and weird like manner in
which he had risen from it.
Should turn my back forever on this
uncanny placer Should go to the inn
and send for my goods at Deaths
Lodge" trusting that the sexton's good
wife would pack them' Should leave
everything here, and encourage a fear
that had twice already mastered mel
After time l thought l would go for
ward.
"If do" thought. al may yet find an
explanation of this mystery. II turn
back, / will always believe that / have
seen a ghost"
There was a carriage track through the
cemetery that ran very close to the grave
from which the apparition had appeared,
and / resolved now TO take this In prefer
ence TO walking over the grass, as 1 had
previously done. l had lost confidence in
myself, AMI thought it possible that ]
would run away once more, If the appar-
ition again appeared realized that the
carriage road would afford me less peril
Gus footing. If ran would be in no dan
ger Of striking against gravestones.
l took another precaution against