Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-04
tust .rit. direction. . 70 vh.t b 70 b. doas

tuyt writs directions q to what b to b doas
with my clothes and letters, DOW while can
sat down at Q small table At the oth(
side OF the cabin kindled the little bras
swing lamp, and began to write. l bad
hardly begun when Jacob knocked at ths
door, and when | called advanced into the
room pipe in hand Asking him to sit down,
| told him would finish writing soon He
went over. and. sitting at the open window,
began 10 smoke. The night was 50 utterly
still that the scratching Of my pen seemed
loud and aggressive. Suddenly Was startled
by Jacobs pipe going crash on the door OF
the cabin, and looking at bin saw that bis
black face bad become light gray color and
that his eyes were starting out OF bis bead
Before | could move or speak | heard the
squeak of a door handle softly turned
crossed beside the negro, and gazed at the
door OF the house which contained the dead
carpenter As looked my heart ceased to
beat, and uy hair stood up. The door slowly
opened, and out into the bright moonlight
cane the tall figure Of the dead Uian, Il
seemed To PAUSE and hesitate for a momeut,
and then advanced with rlufiied tread straight
to the saloon entrance and my cabin I he
moon shone full on the CHASTITY face, bound
about with an old red handkerchief, from
which the Enclosed dead eyes shoue d. from
under cowl On 1t came, nearer and nearer
while remained frozen with horror We
beard the soft footstep approach the passage
door. and then q heavy fall, and all was still
At that moment jacob gave a fearful
shrek and tainted This brought NE TO my
senses, and stepping over the PROSTATE black,
l seized the lamp and hurried out There lay
the CHASTITY figure across the doorway. had
not been dreaming then, and it was no fancy.
almost dropped the lamp in my renewed
terror But braced myself together and,
STOPPING over the body. turned it on its back
As did so, faint sigh came from the white
lips was a man again, and reared; ia
cob, you idiot, come here. the carpenter y
not dead at all
Well, my story is out We carried him
back TO bed and nursed him tenderly aud In
the morning the doctor came, but We said
nothing to him about the performance Of tbs
night before The fact was, Jacob had mis-
taken the deadly trance Of the yellow fever
for actual death, and l. being so broken down
with watching, had never questioned his
statement.
Poor Chips had revived little, and in the
strength of delirium had wandered on deck;
and so it all came about as | have told you
Would you believe It'll That carpenter after
day. The captain, too, got better. Neither
Jacob nor caught the fever, and not many
weeks later we left that accursed place and
were bowling along for dear old England A
soft still night at sea like this always makes
me think Of that adventure, and l do not
relish it even yet
One-two, three-four, fve-six, seven
rang out from the poop The watch suddenly
drops his musings and answers on tho deep
toned forecastle bell | hop of the coil Of
rope, and remark
Il say, Stevenson, your wretched story
has given me cold shivers all down my back,
and shall have the nightmare every night
for the next month Let Us go to the Ladies'
on the quarter deck and try to forget it"
He laughingly asents, and we throw
down our cigars into the sea and Join tbs
merry crowd -Chambers' Journal.