Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1888-04-20
HORROR.
q True Tale.
CONTINUED rncM LAST wrrxl

y
Aud yet, in the extremity of my
fears, dared not speak; was
strangely cautious TO be silent, even
in moving farther off; Tor had a
wild hope that 1.-THE phantom, the
creature, whichever il was-had
not diScovered my presence in the
room. And then | remembered all
the events of the night-Lady
Speldhursts ill.omcncd vaticina.
tons, her half warning. her singular
look as we parted, my sisters per.
suasion, my terror in the gallery,
the remark that this was the room
nurse Sheuard used to talk Off
Aud then memory, stimulated Nv
fear, recalled the long forgotten past,
the ill.repute of this disused cham.
Der, the sins It had witnessed. the
bleod spilled, the poison administer.
cd 10y unnatural hate within It's walls,
and the tradition which called il
haunted. The green room--I re.
membcrcd now how fcarfuliy the
servants avoided it-how IL WINS
mentioned rarely, and in whispers,
when we were children, and how
we had regarded il as a mysterious
region, unfit for mortal habitation.
Was 1.-THE dark form with the
chain--a creature of this world, or n
spectrci And again-more dreadful
still could IT be that the corpses
of wicked men were fAccd TO rise
and haunt in the body the places
where they had wrought their evil
deeds! And was such us these nv
grlsly neighbour The chain family
ratified, My hair bristled; my eve.
balls seemed starting from their
sockets; the damps OF a great an.
guish were on my brow. My heart
labored as if were crushed beneath
some vast weight. Sometimes il
appeared TO stop its frenzied beat.
ings, sometimes its pulsalions were
fierce and hurried; my breath came
short and with extreme difficulty.
and shiyered as # with cold; vet /
feared TO stir. II moved, it moaned.
It's fctlers clanked dismally, the
couch crcakcd and shook. This
was no phantom, thcn--no air
drawn spectre. But is very soldi.
~, its palpable presence, were a
thousand times more terrible.
felt that was in the very grasp Of
what could not only alright but
harm; Of something wnose contact
sickcncd the soul with deathly fear.
made desperate resolve; gl.ded
from the bed, ! seized a warm
wrapper, threw il around me and
tried 10 gropc, with extended hands.
my way to the door. My heart beat
high at the hope Of escape. But ]
had scarcely taken one step before
the moaning was rcncwed-it
changed into a threatening grOwl
that would have suited wolrs
throat, and hand clutchcd at my
sleeve. ! stood mononlcss. The
muttering growl sank to moan
again, the chain sounded no more. .
but still the hand held its grip on
my garment, and feared 10 move
II knew Of my presence, then. Nv
brain recicd, the blood boiled ia my
ears, and my knees lost all strength.
While my heart painted like that OF
q deer in the VOLTS jaws. ! sank
back, and the benumbing influence
OF excessive terror reduced me TO a
state Of siupor
When my foil consciousness re.
turned ! was sitting on the edge Of
the bed, shivering with cold, and
barefooicd Al was silent, but
felt that my sleeve was still clutched
by my unearthly visitant. The ST.
lence lasted a long time. Then fol.
lowed chuckling laugh that frozc
my very marrow and the gnashinp
Of teeth as in demoniac frenzy; and
then a wailing moan, and this was
succeeded by silence. Hours may
have passed--nay, though the tu-
mutt Of my own heart prevented
my hearing the clock strike. must
have passed-but they seemed ages
70 me. And how were they passed.
iiideous visions passed before the
aching eyes that dared not close.
bat which gazed ever into the dumb
darkness where Ii lay--my dread
companion through the watches Of
the night pictured IL in every
4bhOrrcut form which an excited
fancy could summon up; now as "a
skelc on, with hollow eye-holes and
grinning fcshless Jaws. now as "a
vampire, with livid face and bloatcd
form, and dipping mouth wet with
blood. Would it never be liahti
And yet, when day should dawn. i
should be forced 10 see IL face TO
face. ] bad heard that spectre and
hcnd were compelled 10 fade as
morning frightened, but this Great
ure was too real, too foul thing of
earth, TO vanish az cock crow. Mo-
] should see 1.-THE horror-face TO
face. And then the cold prevailed
and my teeth Chatered, aud shiver.
ings ran through me, aud yet there
was The damp Of agony on my
bursting brow Some instinct made
me snatch at e shawl or cloak that
lay on q chair within reach, and
wrap 1t round me. The moan was
renewed, and The chain Just stirred.
Than sank into apathy. ike an
Indian "a ftt..