Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-04-12
A HAND IN THE DARK.

lips as l threw myself into the lux
urious easy chair drawn up temptingly
before the open CRATE They applied
equally to Tom and myself. Tom
was lucky fellow, certainly-the
master of the Grange and the husband
of charming woman-and | counted
myself almost equally fortunate IN my
freedom from business cares for three
whole weeks, and the prospect of un-
limited fishing and driving.
Cousin Tom had recently inherited
fortune; I was still plodding alone
in London: but for three weeks Of
liberty l determined to enjoy all the
blessings the gods had vouchsafed
me, and to imagine myself, for the
nonce, as rich and happy as Tom him
self.
Although it was early fall the nights
were a little keen, and Constance
Toms wife-had ordered fire in my
room, the cheerful blaze giving to the
richly furnished apartment delight
full touch Of warmth and cozlness.
With such fire and such a chair,
and with my favorite evening paper
in my pocket, retiring was not to be
thought of; SO drawing to my chair a
table on which stood a shaded lamp
l gave myself up to the perusal of my
journal.
Over the long parliament report |
must have gone to sleep, and when l
awoke the lamp had burned itself out,
and but few sparks remained OF the
CHEEKY fire. The room was not in
total darkness, for there was moon,
hidden by clouds, to be sure, but still
throwing enough light at the wide
windows to make things dimly visible.
On the instant awakening | felt
that some one was near me, and, with
that startled feeling one has on awak-
ening suddenly from sound sleep, |
cried out
who's there p
No answer came, and the only
sounds were the tapping of tree
branch against my window and the
ticking of the clock over the fireplace,
Still | was conscious that somebody
-something-was near me, and |
held my breath, straining my ears to
catch some sound that should reveal
the intruder, but only the tap Of the
tree branch and the tick of the clock
broke the silence.
I remembered that there were
matches on the table, and turned my
chair to search for them. An excla'
nation of astonishment rose to my
lips as | did so, for on the surface O.
the table was strange luminou'
spot-neither lamplight, freight MOI
moonlight.
Up to this time my feelings hac
been one of annoyance rather thar
fear, but there was something so In
describable, so supernatural, abou
this light that sudden terror seize(
me, and 1 gazed as one fascinated
unable to move.
A card and pencil l had takel
from my pocket lay on the table, an(
over this the light grew brighter, ant
in the midst hand appeared-a wo
mans hand, delicate and beautiful
but of deathly whiteness, and on tn
third finger cleaned ruby, the ston'
held between two golden serpents
heads.
The 6noers closed over the pencil
and after making several irregula
marks upon the card, letters began t
be formed, and as | leaned forwar'
with breathless interest, | saw tn
pallid hand write with perfect distinct
ness
SEARCH for the box in the old well.
Then the strange light grew dim
the hand gradually faded away, an
the moon, emerging from the clouds
threw shaft of light into the room.
The spell that had bound me wa
broken, and IN a moment nad louh'
match and taper, and, light In hand
was bending over the table.
The card was blank-not a wor'
upon it-and l asked myself if ha
been dreaming; but hard as l the
to convince myself that such was tn
case I could not; it had all been to
real.
A strange experience it was surel!
but after pondering over it awhile l de
cided to dismiss it from my mind an
to retire.
In the morning the affair SCENE
more inexplicable than ever, and
found myself constantly thinking
H. y