Nevada County picayune., 1889-12-04

but cat or dog proving about lhr house. smiled. but the smile died away quickly, for plainly as ever heard in broad open day, came the regular pat, pat, of footstcp mp the stairs, accompanied by the rustic of q woman's garments. l sat up in the bed and took from beneath the pill lows pistol l had placed there. Nearer to the landing came the ap- preaching visitant. and imagine the feeling which rushed over me when the form of a woman, robed in white. walked leisurely into the room. With bated breath watched her, a3 if un- conscious of the presence of any but herself, she approached the window as if to look upon the night. Then turned to a dresser near and took some pins from her hair, which fell like mantle about her shoulders. In the bright moonlight, as it was blown to and fro by the breeze from the open window, it looked like a golden sheen. She turned and as gazed at her face sense of horror fell upon me. The features calm and peace ful, as if the passions of earth were forever lulled to rest. The great eyes looked straight forward past me, as if they saw nothing. pinched myself to see if really was awake, or only beheld a vision in my dreams. No, it was no imagination; was as much awake as ever in my life. My tongue clave to the roof of my mouth, the blood seemed to freeze in my veins. Horror of horrows The spectral form advanced towards the bed. In the delrium of my flight l pressed the trigger of the pistol-but it failed to fire The form of the mysterious visitor stood at the bed side and leaned against it. One snowy hand fell upon the coverlet and on taper finger l saw q plaln gold ring. l began to gather my scattered senses. Ghost or goblin l resolved to touch the hand. One might see the ghost of person, but not of a ring. clutched it. The effect was magical. The hand was snatched away, the form moved rap idly towards the door and disap- peared down the stairway.
 looked about me. Surely it was all bat q vivid dream. The soft moonlight streamed in at the win. dow-the room was just as we left it on retiring. Not a sign of the ap- partition remained. Hold, What was that shining on the coycrlet- the ring. l picked itup and pressed it between my fingers, blt it-it was at least real. Slipping it on my little finger l resolved to keet it till morn- iny. when my senses were clear and l coHld wholly uuraveI the mystery. Again wooed ihe drowSy god and this time successfully.
 Next morning was awakened by a hearty call from my uncle:
 "Get up, boy, or you'll miss your breakfast.
 sprang out of bed, and you may he sure my first thought was to look for the ring. Yes, there it was; q plain circlet of gold, innocent look ing, but surely thereby hung tale. said nothing to my uncle of it nor it's owner, but waited for time to ex- plain the mystery.
 Downstairs we met the family. The father looked as cheery as at our first greeting, and the sisters even more charming, slight paleness in the cheeks of the younger, rendering her still more interesting. The com pliments of the morning were passed, and we sat down to breakfast, Af- ter few moments the host addressed me with:
 "How did you rest, Mir. -"
 Before I could reply he confined:
 FThe negroes tell an idle story of the room in which you slept being haunted. Now, will lay wager that you saw nothing of the ghost"
 "Oh, yes did," I replied. Ev- erybody looked at me in amazement, II not only saw it." continued, but touched it, and here is a ring l took from it's finger"
 At this point l held up the ring. Zulime looked with started gaze, first at it, then down at her own finger where an impress showed the ring had been worn--then tainted.
 The mystery was solved-the story at an end, She was, unknown to herself or the family, a somnambulst, and in her sleep visited the apart ment she frequented in waking hours. and no doubt wandered about the ground, mayhap to the old mill and l shuddered as l thought of the crumbling bridge, and imagined her standing. at the dead of night, on that treacherous foothold, with the wind blowing her long hair about her shoulders, in her hand candle,