The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-03-28
asiif to collect her thoughts,

ain o,.s ~ - 4 LAY be-sablarst 10 ex-s
flain VII e pefpI ex6S me, and that VIII be
q great reiief.
She paused, asif to collect her thoughts,
sRud inen said:
81 Il was nearly asleep when noticed
sound coming from the window. 1t was
ns il some one were rapping upon tn,
glas ,-not loudly or quickly, but softly,
as though with the tip Of the finger, and
at intervals. might have counted twenty
or thirty between one tap aud the next.
took little notice of it at first, thinking
that as had left the window partly open
it might te the wind moving the
Venetian blind; but after while the per-
sistent tap-tap-tap irritated me. rose
md lit candle, then went to the win
dow. The lattice was just as had left
it. The blind hung perfectly motionless.
drew it up and looked ont. There was a
gray mist everywhere. Not breath Of
air stirred; the flame of the candle>burned
as steadily as though the window had
been closed. let down the blind and
listened; there was not the slightest
sound.
A moth on the ceiling" said Sir Ed
mund; they have worried mo in the same
Hold on; We ain't heerd the last on Il.
Kin see, said the Judge, looking at Miss
Lascelies intently, his shaggy brows bent
over his quick eyes.
Il explained It as you do, papa. I put
out the light and tried to sleep. I heard
no sound for quite ten minutes, think,
and then again TINT soft, slow tap--tap-
tap came from the window-the same
sound, with the Same long interval be-
tween them. 1t was not like the beat of a
moths wing. 1t was like nothing but the
touch OF human finger. But tried to
think it was an insect In the wall-the in
sect that is called the death watch. And
did my best to take no notice of it, but :
could not help hearing it, and after time
! grew frightened, and the sound grew
able; could not lie there listening ] pas.
slyely. got mp again and struck q match.
The wick of the candle was slow to liQht.
and during these moments noticed that
inc sound had ceased. As say. I was
inghtened--yely frightened. And the un-
broken silence seemed more terrible than
the sound. There was something ghostly
and supernatural about it that brought
back the old terror 1 used to feel AZ o
cniid IN passing the room that is said to
be haunted OF night. And ;nst ther the
clock In the belfry struck. dared not
60 TO the window. My hand trembled 60
that could not take up the candle, but I
looked toward the window. The first thing
TINT struck me was that the laths of the
blind. instead of lying fat, as they gem
orally do when down. and as I had left
them, were opened and turned edgeway. Do
You know how mean?"
She held her hand, that trembled with
the recollection of her terror, one above
the other horizontally.
But the next thing" she continued.
and then stopped, with little shuddcr,
while we who listened held our breath
the next thing ] saw was two great black
eyes that caught the light from my candle
In between the lower laths OF the blind
She paused, and then continued, with
moro frmness:
Il think ] tainted; must have done
80, Tor l was conscious of nothing after
that, until found myself upon the floor.
The light was still burning upoa the
tabie. As recollection returned 10 me.
looked toward the window The laths
weie no longer open, bat turned fat.
linen 1T occurred to me that all had seen
was merely imaginative; that il was mere
~ realistic dream; that 1 had gone
through these experiences in nv sjeep.
NY great terror was gone. i went witbc,it
Tear TO the window to ascertain if tbe
night was as had seen IL. There was
the gray mist; the flame Of the candle aid
not Kicker Nevertheless, when looked
down and saw how impossible Il vas
FOR any one to have stood outaida tha svIr
dow. felt convinced that at Least Inc
vision of the two eyes was i,naoi,,arv az,
outcome OF the fear / felt when ioox "a
toward the window. / lay down scss,
and. though could not sieep fov sc,cs
time, hesrd no further sound whstrver
save the Ginning Of the clock. /" =