Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-03-21

when noise in the chimney. ike 49, o;.'e,
and struggling, struck a sudden na,,ea
into the sexton. He took to bis h. alio'
with the lantern; the doctor follo,,,-s
hard after him; the stairs groaned 49,
creaked as they hurried down. incraas;.'
their agitation and speed by its noisass
The front door slammed after them. 80
Dolph heard them scrabbIing do,ru
the avenue, till the sound of their ~.
was lost in the distance That he did ~.
Join in this precipitate retreat. mich,
have been owing to his possessing a liffls
eaore courage than his Companions ~
perhaps that he had caught glimnse ~
the cause of their dismay, in 4 nest i
chimney swallows, that came tumhlin.
down into the fire place.
Being now left TO himself. he socu,aa
the front door by a strong bolt and bar.
and having seen that the other entrance
were fastened, he returned to his desolste
chamber Having made his snpper from
the basket which the good old cook bad
provided, he locked the chamber door
and retired to rest on mattress in ana
corner. The night was cain and stjl.
and nothing broke upon the profound
quiet but the lonely chipping of a erictet
from the chimney OF distant chamber
The rushlight, which stood in the center
Of the deal table, shed a feeble yellow
ray, dilnly illumining the chamber and
making uncouth shapes and shadows on
the walls, from the clothes which Dolnb
had thrown over q chair.
With all his boldness Of heart. thara
was something subduing I'm this desols;a
scene; and he felt his spirits fiag within
him as he lay on his hard bed and ga2ed
about the room. He was turning over
in his mind his idle habits, his doubtful
prospects, and now and then heavinr
heavy sigh, a be thought ON his poorold
mother; for there is nothing like the
silence and loneliness Of night to bring
dark shadows over the brightest mind
BY and by. he thought he heard a sound
as If some one was walking below stairs
He listened. and distinctly heard a
step on the great stair case. II an
preached solcmnlY and slowly. tramp
tramp-tramp! 1t was evidently the tread
of some heavy parsonage; and vet how
could he have got into the house without
making noiseg He had examined All
the fastenings, and was certain that
every entrance was secure Still the
steps advanced. tramp-Iamp-tra
Ii was evident that the person approach
ing could not be u robber-the step was
too loud md deliberate: robber would
either be stealthy or precipitate. And
now the footsteps had ascended the stair
case: they were slowly advancing along
the passage. resembling through the
silent and empty apartments. The very
cricket had ceased its melancholy note.
and nothing interrupted their awful dis
tinctness. The door, which had been
locked on the inside, slowly swung open,
as if self moved. The footsteps entered
the room; but no one was to be seen.
They passed slowly and audibly across it,
tramp-tramp-tramp but whatever
made the sound was invisible. Dolph
rubbed his ewes and stared about him:
he could see 10 every part OF the dimly
lighted chamber; all was vacant; vet still
he heard those mysterious footsteps,
walking about The chamber.
They ceased, and all was dead silence
There was something more appalling in
this invisible visitation than there would
have been in anything that addressed il
self 90 the cyesight. Il WAS awfuly
vague and indefinite lie felt his heart
heat og.irst his RIBS cold sweat broke
cat upUa his forehead: he lav for ONE
time ii j state Of violent agitation 10th
ing, however. occurred 10 iuCreas, his
alarm His light gradually burnt down
into tie socket, and he fell asleep. hen
lie awake it was broad daylight: the sun
was pearing through the cracks Of the
window shutters. and the birds were
merriy singing about the house. The
bright CHEEKY day soon put g flight all
The tcrrors of the preceding night D0ph
laughed, or rather tried q laugh. u all
hat had passed, and endcasorad 90 per
suade himself that it was a mere freakof
he imagination, cOnjured up BY the
stories he had heard; but he was little
puzzled TO lind the door uf his room
ocked on the inside, notwithstanding
.hat he had positively seen it swing open
rs the footsteps had entered. He re-
turned 10 town in state of considerable
but he determined to say
nothing on the subject, until his doubts
were either confirmed or removed by
mother nights watching. His silence
was a grievous disappointment to the
yossips who had gathered at the doctors
They had prepared their minds
o hear direful tales: and they were a.
most in a rage at being assured thst he
lad nothing 10 relate.
The next night, then. Dolph repeated
MS vigil lie now entered the house
With some trepidation. He was parnc
liar in examining the fastenings OF gu
he doors. and securing them well ne
ocked the door of his chamber, ana
placed chair against il; then. having
dispatched his supper. he threw hlnseh
m his mattress and endeavored 10 sieeP
( was all in yain-a thousand crowdihg
ancies kept him waking. The time
lowly dragged on. as if minutes were
pinning out themselves INTO hours.
is the night advanced he grew nors
nd more nervous: and he almost starleu
rom his couch when he heard the mys
erious footstep again on the staircas5
Up it came, as before, solemnly any
lowly, tramp-tramp-tramp! ~
roached along the passage; the az.
gain swung open, as If there had oesn
either lock nor impeachment, ana
TRANCE looking figure stalked INTO .Ds
DOM. 1t was an elderly man, ETge any
obust. clothed in the old Flemish
ashton. He had on a kind OF shols
loak. with garment under IT. oeIles
ound the waist: trunk hose, with gres'