Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-03-28
delphi HEYLIGER.
By WASHINGTON IRVING.

but he had been brought up in an inn
plicit belief in ghosts and COLLINS. A
! thousand stories came swarming to his
mind, that he had heard about this
building; and, as he looked at this
/ strange parsonage, with his uncouth
garb, his pale visage, his grizzly beard,
and his fixed, staring, fish like eye, his
teeth began to chatter, his hair to rise on
his head and cold sweat to break out
all over his body. How long he re-
manned in this situation he could not
tell, for he was like one fascinated. He
could not take his gaze OFF from the spec
ter; but lay staring at him with his
whole intellect absorbed in the contem-
plation. The old man remained seated
behind the table without stirring or
turning an eye, always keeping dead,
steady glare upon Dolph. At length the
household cock from a neighboring
farm clapped his wings, and gave loud
cheerful crow that rung over the fields
At the sound the old man slowly rose
and took down his hat from the peg: the
door opened and closed after him; he
was heard to go slowly down the stair
case = tramp = tramp - tramp! = and
when he had got to the bottom, all was
again silent. Dolph lay and listened
earnestly; counted every football; lis
tened and listened if the steps should re-
turn-until, exhausted by watching and
agitation, he fell into a troubled sleep.
Daylight again brought fresh courage
and assurance. lie would iain have
considered all that had passed as a mere
dream; yet there stood the chair in
which the unknown had seated himself:
there was the table on which he had
leaned; there was the peg on which he
had hung his hat, and there was the
door, locked precisely as he himself had
locked it. with the chair placed against
il. He hastencd down Gtair8 and exam
med the doors and windows; al were ex-
cctly in the same state in which he had
left them, and there was no apparent
way by which any being could have en-
tered and left the house without leaving
some trace behind. "Pooh!" said Dolph
to himself, lit was all drcam.'- it
would not do; the more he endeavored
10 shake the scene oil from his mind. the
more it haunted him.
Though lie persisted in a strict silence
as 10 all that he had seen or heard, yet
his looks betrayed the uncomfortable
night he had passed. II was evident
that there was something wonderful hid
den under this mysterious reserve. The
doctor took him into his study, locked
the door and sought TO have fun and
confidential communication; but he
could get nothing out of him Frau
llsy took him aside into the pantry, but
to as little purpose, and Peter de Groodt
held him by the button for fun hour in
the churchyard, the very place TO get at
the bottom OF ghost story, but came eff
not whit wiser than the rest. Ii is al /
ways the case, however, that one truth
makes a dozen current lies.
II is like guinea locked up in a bank, |
that has dozen paper representatives. I
Before the day was over, the ncighbor- /
hood was fun of reports. Some said /
that Dolph Heyliger watched in the /
haunted house with pistols loaded with |
silver bullets; others that he had long 4
talk with the specter without q head. /
others, that Dr. knipperhausen and the /
sexton had been hunted down the Bow 4
cry lane and quite into town By a legion 4
d ghosts of their customers. Some
shook their heads. and thought il a /
shame that the doctor should put Dolph /
10 pass the night alone in that dismal /
house, where he might be spirited 1
away, no one knew whittier: while
others observed, with a shrug. that If the
levi did carry off the youngster, il
would be but taking his own.
These rumors at length reached the
AIRS Of the good Dame Heyliger. and. as
nay be supposed, threw her into a terri
DE alarm. For her son TO have opposed
himself TO danger from living foes would
ave been nothing SO dreadful in her
yes as 10 dare alone the terriers Of the
haunted house. She FASTENED Go the doe
ors, and passed a great part of the day
a attempting TO dissuade Dolph from rc-
eating his vigil; she told him a score of
ales, which her gossiping friends had
ust related TO her, of persons who had
ecn carried off when watching alone in
id ruinous houses. 1t was all to no
fleet. Dolph's pride, as well as curiosity,
vas piqned. He endeavored TO calm the
Of his mother. and TO as
ure her that there was no truth In all
he rumors she had heard; she looked at
i'm obviously and shook her head. but
hiding his determination was not TO be
haken. she brought him q little thick
)utch Bible, with brass clasps, to take
With him. as n sword wherewitb TO fight
he powers Of darkness: and, lest that
1ight not be sufficient, the housekeeper
ave him the Heidelberg catechism by
fay Of dagger
The next night, therefore, Dolph took
p his quarters for the third time in the
Id mansion Whether dream or not the
anne thing was repeated. Towards mid
light, when everything was still, the
anne sound echoed through the empty
alls-t -tramp-trampl The stairs
we're again assembled; the door again
wung open; the old man entered, walked
ound the room, hung up his hat and
Gated himself by the table The same
ear and trembling came over poor
)olph, though not in so violent a degree.
lie lay in the same way, motionless and
staring at the figure. which
egarded him as before, with q dead,
xed, chilling gaze In this way they
for a long time, till, by de
rees, Dolph's courage began gradually
, revive. Whether alive or dead this
eng had certainly some object in his
and he recollected to have
card it said. that spirits have no power
} speak until they are spoken to- Sum-
loning up resolution, therefore, and
laking two or three attempts before he