The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-02-24

sections where was fond OF going for ths
wild blossoms and ripe fruit. could not
understand the restriction, and said SC
very freely. She tlIen showed me the boots
I had worn.--as she supposed-the day be
| fore in my rambles.
| But did not go out yesterday" I ex.
claimed, no little astonished at the sad
condition of nv rubber walking boots, SC
necessary for the low. moist Louisiana
| lands
They were found at your door this
morning." she told me, where you usual
ly place them to be cleaned"
Ii was odd, to be sure, and for many
weeks remained 20 me an enigma Ny
mother, was sure. believed | was telling
her deliberate falsehood, inasmuch as
the very next morning the boots were
the same condition.
At length my mother removed the boots
to her own closet, and locking the door
put the key in her pocket, saying as she
did SO: 'Now we will see who it is that's
in the habit OF wearing your shoes. No
body knows where the key of the closet
door is hid except yourself, Elsa.
| must explain that by this time, owing
to my vehement denial as to having worn
the boots, suspicion had fallen upon Louise,
my mothers housemaid, a quadroon girl
about my own size and age.
That night my dreams were terrible
the boots played no inconsiderable part in
my nervous and excited fancies. First
imagined that must have them, and in
order to get them it was necessary to ob-
tain the closet key, hidden in the pocket of
my mothers blue chintz gown that always
hung at night upon chair Immediately
behind her bed.
Idreamed that | had seen her forget to
fasten the door leading into her bedroom,
and that arose, and tiptoeing across the
hall went down the stairs, and, sure
enough, found the door unfastened.
went in, and cropping in the darkness found
the blue chintZ, removed the key and with
the utmost ease found-and fitted it in
the closet door. found the boots full as
easily, locked the door, returned the key to
its place and went out as noiselessly as
had entered.
| sat down upon the doorstep in the
moonlight, drew the shoes upon my bare
feet and started out as rapidly as / knew
how toward the graveyard, across the rice
field, through the white looking lagoon
and into the horrid shades of the Dismal
Swamp. All night long in my dreams /
followed the wild birds or fed from the
hiss of the serpents which made their home
in the deadly morass. The plover, startled
from it's nest, brushed by me with q
shrek, and once l fancied a hong serpent
swung from a swamp willow and planted
its fangs in my cheek. But when l put
out my hand to brush it aside l found that
branch of trumpet vine had swept
across my face the rich red blossoms drop
ping the dew from their cups into my lips,
which were parched and dry. | was not
in the least frightened, but plunged on
deeper and deeper into the vast wilderness.
Once heard the bloodhounds baying, and
knew they were on the track of some run
away slave who had fled to the protecting
jungles Of the Dismal Swamp.
At last grew weary and turned home
ward. crossed the lagoon, lying still and
white in the gray dawn, and traversed
again the rice field and the lonely path
across the graveyard; then l sat down
upon the doorstep and removed my long
boots, carrying them up to my door, where
left them for Louise to have cleaned.
Then / crept to bed and remembered moth
ing more until noon, when awoke to find
my mother bending over me with heavy,
troubled eyes as had seen her many
time when some of US were i'll
Iyawned YEARLY.
Mother" said, 81 went through the
Dismal Swamp again in my dreams last
night"
And the Graysville ghost was seen
again last night she replied hesitatingly,
as if afraid to tell me.
"Who saw it this timer" 1 asked.
ST."
"Motherl'
sat up in bed startled and pale with
great fear. | brushed my hand across my
temples to make my thoughts clear.
And as did SO felt long, deep cut
upon my cheek.
"Motherp' | tried to say. "Motherp
And throwing off the bedcoYers l sprang
out upon the floor
My long nightdress was spattered and
draggled with miFe; my knees were torn
and bleeding Cookie burrs and marsh
moses were clipging to my hair, but my
feet were white and clean
Instantly l understood it all, and fell
with shrek into my mothers arms.
was the Graysville ghost, and | was the
somnambulist who had, night after night,
plunged deeper and deeper in the jungles
of the Dismal Swamp.
They followed my tracks as far as they
dared penetrate into that dreary morass.
How did it remains a mystery, but GER
tain it is that, asleep, had wandered alone
through the deadly swamp which even in
the day l shuddered to think of.-Wiliam
Allen Dromgoole in Romance.