The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-05

"'"tH. fofhhpA, J sHouBut, III w Jnht y
ringing in my ears. and | raised my hand
htsalthily 20 my head. too terror stricken
almost 70 move. just at that moment u
Wild, unsArthly scream rang out, and seemed
to pierce my very soul. started half to my
fset. my book dropped TO tho floor, my hair
stood on snd, and my heart atoppeI beat
ing. seized the pistol which ! had laid
beside mo on the table. and peered around,
half expecting to see some dreadful appari.
non. There was nothing. Tho moaning
mad ceasod. not = sound wRS audible but
NC signing OF the wind. which seemed
to be diminishing. For 4 few moments /
, rjah . a%n.a,ns ana :l%os' p.aalyz.d
collect myself. II IL nothing but nervous
ness, l assured myself, aud tho excite
mont produced by reading this thrilling
tale. partly shook of the Enmslcss dread
and walked around tho room. looked IN
Ger the bed, felt OF tho door to be sure
window. snd finally settled myself in my
seht again, and resumod my book. man
aged TO got absorbed in the story and noon
Ielt better. but II was mot for long. Pres
emily that i~ndefnable, horrible sense Of
some invisible presence near mo rsasserted
itself. ! read steadily on, determined not
to yield to what ! kept assuring myself
WAS a purely subjective sensation. Directly
i became conscious thnt II was growing
dark in tho room. ] could hardly see the
page before me. l glanced at the lamp. IT
was we'll supplied with oil. and the wick
,eached down to the bottom Of II. turned
II up. II fared up for a moment. and then
gradually Rrew DINNER and DINNER. l
was thoroughly frightened nc \. To be loft
alone in the dark with this uncanny feeling
on me was more thar could sndure. l
began meditatinR escaping from tho house,
calling the dogs. going out to the barn
s sbhonR the cattle; sn'thine rather tha an
nothing; 1 dared not move. scarcely to
turn my eyes. Suddenly / heard foot
steps, well-definsd, heavy steps. in tho gar
ret over my head. There could be no mia.
taking them and tho direction whence tho
sound proceeded. ] sat in abjsct terror.
now in almost total darkness, while the
steps paced back and forth three or fonr
times through the garnet. Then the horrid
moaning sound came again. this time dis
tinctly from the garrett. Then | heard the
steps come down The narrow stairway
and through the hall directly past
the door of the room where ! was.
l shrunk into myself with fear. but the
passed on through the hall; the front door
slammed, as though some one had gone
out; the noise in the garnet still continued.
Again rang out that piercing scream, as
sharp and clear as though uttered in the
room. l started up and glanced in tho
AAACStAOA VI tuo 6ouLlu. hUu tU5Te, JuHk QUIZ
side the window, pressed. az it were. against
the pane. / saw n face which | can never
Danish from my memory. 1t was the face
of an old woman. drawn. wan and
haRRatd. with the hair streaming
wildly about it and blood stains
about shs mouth. It seemed to
it distinctly visible in the darkness. and il
glared into the window at me in a wild
eyed way that froZe my blood. l must
have tainted, for enc nc more Of what
happened. and when ! came to myself it
was broad daylight. and was lying on the
floor with the lamp burning on the table
was securely locked as l had left it. / went
n the garrett, but there was nothing there
except the rubbish that aocumulates in such
places"
The speaker paused. as having come to
the end Of his tale.
did you sleep there the next niRht?'
asked the other.
with me; but we were undisturbed."
"What did your brother in-law say when
you told him of your experienced"
Il have never told him, My sister is a
nervous woman, and I would not
have her think for the world that the house
is not all right. 1t might frighten her to
death. But l can't help thinking that she
has seesn something of the sort there her-
self, for at times she ia %dreadfully unstrung,
once her mind was unbalanced for q
while SO badly that she had to be taken to |
an asylum. They said it was overwork, but
| have my opinion"
bah, John, you are a little nervous
,%ourself. Your experience was all imagi-
Perhaps it was. but l don't think So"
1T certainly was. There nre no such
thinRs as ghosts. We'll. good night, l must
90 to bed. All, by the way, would you mind
with me as far as my door? Ii is
dark in the hall.' NELSON AYRrs.