The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-02


knew not how long he had been asleep.
Somebody aroused him by slapping
him in his face with the greatest
strength. He was soon satisfied that
the blow came from himself in an at
tempt to crush a mosquito that had
settled upon the point of his nose. The
blow was so violent as to set his
nose bleeding prcfssely, which ac-
counted for the bloodshed. He was
endeayoring to address himself to sleep
again after stanching the blood, when,
in listening to the footsteps overhead,
they seemed louder than he had ever
before heard them; and he had reason
to believe that some one was being
forced along much against his will, un-
til they reached the head of the garret
stairs, when the resisting person was
pitched down the narrow stairway
with such a rafting of chains and
cursing and swearing as never has been
heard this side Of the bottomless pit.
The poor man, whoever he might be,
hit head foremost against the door and
bursted it open,-rolling over and over
near to the foot Of the bed on which he,
Carolus, was sleeping,-the chains all
the l.me clanking, and clanking.
Through all this he made his escape in
the way known to them all.
Upon examination, they found no.
thing at all wrong; and the belief was
forced upon the people that what had
happened was only another prank OF
that modern Puck, the Poltergeist.
Before dismissing the mysterious
garrct, I shall make known a slight
corroboration, drawn from my own ex-
perience, of the facts just communi-
Gated. Five or six years ago, I met my
friend into whose possession my boy
hoods home had passed, and said to
him that would go with him to sleep
one more night in the dear old house
of my birth. He told me, with hearty
grasp of the hand, that nothing would
please him better. We arrived at the
old place ABOUT sunset. At the supper
table, while regaling myself with the
crisp waffles my friends wife is always
so successful in making, we talked
about the days which, only in the
minds of the young, never come back;
for we were already past the age when
cur recent days begin to fly away
swifter than weaver's shuttle, and are
spent without hope, while the far-back
times, as though in rapid return, shine
in continuously increasing brightness
persuading US to repent and become
as little children. It was not long
after supper when I was lighted up
stairs to bed. AS I looked up aG the
low ceiling, and around at the dusky
walls, began to fearlest had brought
myself into a trying situation. l
quickly threw off my clothes, and tortu-
nately for me my mind was at once oc-
cupied by the lulling roar of Cohees,
and by the grating noise of the katy
dds among the limbs Of the ancestral
oaks-sounds that had often quieted
me to sleep in my grandmother's lap,
downstairs in the retired back-piazza.
! could not sleep, however; for before
extinguished my candle detected a
Slight opening and reshutting Of the
tiny door that closed the narrow, steep
stairway leading up into the garret.
The light was, of course quickly eXtin-
guished to avoid beholding the chalky
face which I dreaded to see peep forth.
The night was hot, and I had divested
myself of my raiment down to the ut
most dishd6ille. This fact enabled me
to divert myself, a little while, in i'm
aginiug, if my escape from the house
became necessary like Carolus Kahl,
kopf, how ridiculous would appear
running up the big-road towards
Granny Summers, in such paucity Of
apparel as I was then clad withal. AT
length I fell into fitful nap out Of
which I started for no known cause,
Before was wearied into another doze
my trepidation was increased by hear
ing creaking noise in the seat of a
plit-bottomed chair that stood at the
foot of the bed-a creaking noise like
when some one has suddenly risen
from such chair to standing posture.
After several other attempts to get into
sound sleep without success, [ re-
solved to count a thousand in an audi
bic voice,-having heard that one
would never reach the pronunciation OF
number two hundred. I began, and
soon discovered ;that I was counting
footsteps above me, and I ceased; count
ing for the steps became very loud and
dragging. Then commenced the impre-
cations described by Caroius, and the
rafting of chains as also the falling OF
a human body down the narrow stair
way, and the bursting open of the little
door. I could not stand more. So !
leaped out Of bed to make my escape,
in bare fig-leaves, up the road, when
upon opening my eyes I saw that it
was broad day and the sun shining in
the windows. My friend was standing
in the door with pitcher Of water in
his hand and a towel over his arm.
His opening the door, no doubt, caused
me to hear in my dream the bursting
open of the garret door, and the clank-
ing of chains was very probably sug-
gested by the rattling of the plates
down stairs where they were setting
the table for breakfast. The expect: =
ton Of crisp waffles and the aroma OF
coffee, with a certainty of fried chicken