Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-01-31

tinou w por1ooe A'oh~'N'k 800
Lowell
A deep hollow sound booming sullenly
on my ears startled me-onel twol threel
counted the strokes up to twelve. IL
was some church bell tolling the hour.
NV pleasing fancies dlspersed-I again
faced the drear reality OF my position.
Twelve o'clock! Midday or midnight?
/ could not tell. / began To calculate.
It was early morning when ! had been
taken ill-not much past eight when /
had met the monk and sought his assist
ance for the poor little fruit seller who
had after all persisted alone In his suffer-
ings. Now supposing my Illness had
lasted some hours, might have fallen
into o trance,-died,-- those around
me had thought, somewhere about noon.
In that case they would certainly have
buried me with as little delay as possible
before sunset at all events Thinking
these points over one by one, i came to
the conclusion that the bell had just
heard must have struck midnight-the
midnight of the very day OF my burial.
/ shivered-a kind OF nervous dread
stole over me. have always been ply
sically courageous, but ut the same time,
in spite OF my education, l am somewhat
uperstitious-what Neapolltan Is notP II
runs In the Southern blood. And there
was something unutterably fearful In
the sound OF that midnight bell clang-
ing harshly on the ears OF man peni
up alive in funeral va,iit with the de-
caying bodies OF his ancestors close
within reach OF his hand! / tried to
conquer my feellngs-to summon up my
fortitude. / endeavored to reason out
the best method of escape. ! resolved to
feel my way, II possible, to the steps OF
the vault, and with this idea In my mind
put out my hands and began to move
along slowly and with the utmost care.
What was that? 1 stopped; / listened;
the blood curdled in my veins! A shrill
cry, piercing, prolonged, and melan-
choly, echoed through the hollow arches
OF my tomb. A cold perspiration broke
out all over my body-my heart beat so
loudly that could hear 1t humping
against my ribs. Again-again--that
weird shrek, followed by whirr and
flap Of wings. / breathed again.
-'Tt is an OWL" l said to myself,
ashamed Of my fears; "a poor innocent
bird-a companion and watcher OF the
dead, and therefore its voice is full OF
sorrowful amentation,-but 1t Is harm
less" and crept on with increased eau
tion. Suddenly out Of the dense darkness
there stared two large yellow eyes, gilt
tering with fiendish hunger and cruelty.
For o moment was startled, and stepped
back; the creature few at me with the
ferocity OF q tiger-cat! fought with the
horrible thing In all directions; 1t
wheeled round my head, 1t bounced to-
wards my face, 1t beat me with its large
wings. wings that could feel but not
see; the yellow eyes alone shone In the
thick gloom like the eyes OF some vindi-
cative demon! / struck at 1t right and
left-the revolving combat lasted some
moments-I grew sick and dizzy, yet l
battled on recklessly. At last, thank
Heaven! the huge owl was vanquished;
It fiuttered backwards and d0wnwards,
apparently exhausted, giving one wild
screech of baffled fury, as its lamp-like
eyes disappeared in the darkness
Breathless, but not subdued,-every
nerve In my body quivering with excite
ment,-I pursued my way, as / thought,
towards the stone staircase. feeling thu
OR with my outstretched hands as
CROPPED along. In little while / me
with an obstruction-It was hard ant
coda stone wall. surely! l felt 1t up
and down and found o hollow in !t,-wa!
this the first step Of the stair? ! won
dered; it seemed very high, / touched II
cautiously-suddenly came In contac
with something soft and clamm!
to the touch like moss or we
velvet lingering this with
kind Of repulsion, soon traced ou
the oblong shape Of q coffin. Curiously
enough, was not affected much by thi
discovery. I found myself monotonousl.
counting the bits Of raised metal whicl
served, as judged, for its ornamental
ton. Light bits lengthwise-and tn
soft, wet stuff between-four bits across
then q pang shot through me, and
drew my hand away quickly, as con
sidered-whose coffin was this? NJ,
fathers? Or was l thus plucking, lik
o man In delirium, at the fragments o
velvet on that cumbrous oaken caske
wherein lay the ashes Of my mother
persisted beauty? l reused myself fror