Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-09-20

IL waiting! Was there actuaiy Son
- wandering spirit, escaped from
migratory, inhabiting the house ms
toned for many minutes; anu ,hen'
ahnro tbc bowling wind, a sounu re-
INJECTED through the house winch 1
shan never forget. 1t was like the pl.e
orIs expiring cry Of some poor sou
5;roei agony. 1t was no blast OF Will
nor kncll from the bell above, nor sno
hor;nrs and mutterings OF khos's INV
COLLINS. 1t was human. .or
~ blood ran cold; my teeth chaI'er-
al. trembled from head to 1901 a
orosont;ment of an approaching eneouil
fer with a creature or appaihhe "
unnerved me. e,. hours
II was now . o'clock. SIX houis
moro of this horrible suspense
There was a noise OF FOOTSTEPS ~
hog l followed by an outcry, IKE u uos
having at the moon. the VIM AZ III.
t]aryals still dashed against the mousse;
and Mt every gust l thought my emu
Law down and wrapped myself IN
.be blankets, hoping to dispel the sh'-
cring sensation that ran through me-
A prolonged wall and loud ops!
r must make an effort to seafcn the
ha,so ond find from whom these
noises came.
MercifuI powers, I could not '
T was losing the use OF my hmps! 1
fell into a semi-unconscious state. IL
was not sleep, 1t was more like a fear.
fuI nightmare without sleep. All
strength forsook me. l Ieit u,.er,S
powerless paralyZed In every iinp.
The n Of hearing vanished. MY
ewes were closed against my whi' l
could not open them. All that l was
conscious Of vas n sensation or the Ut
most terror. / thought l was dying, or
missing into another state or another
world. Presently I felt something
touching my neck, like cold, icy I'M
gers or cold steel. Then, before my
closed eyes there seemed TO be a glow
ing light. I tried to speak; but my
tongue claye to my mouth. Again
those icy fingers at my neck! My coat
and linen about my neck were being
uufastened. I suddenly emerged fro'a
nv torpid condition saw the candle
falling to the floor and the figure OF q
gaunt, whitening creature leaving the
room. The figure was clothed, as 1t
seemed. In a tattered gray garment,
and over her shoulders long, white
hair streamed. 1t was but a moment
airy glance / had, for the candle was
extinguished as it touched the floor.
/ sprang to my feet The bell again
rams thrice. Then all was silent, save
for the fitful wind. / CROPPED about
for the matches but could not find
them. 1 raised my hand to my neck,
expecting to find trickling blood; but
there were no signs of any wound.
At that moment / heard a low plain
tive voice on the landing-"That wound
that scar, it is there!' 1 felt again at
my neck, but with the same result as
before. l CROPPED about frantically for
the matches, but in vain.
After q few minutes the voice spoke
a second time on the landing or on the
stairs. II muttered two words, re-
peated thrice at intervals:-"The Res
direction! The Resurrection! The Res
urrection!"
The words ros and fell with n
mournful cadanCc, mingled with terror
and helplessness, and gradually died
away as the speaker withdrew to a
distance.
l stepped softly to the landing. 1t
was in pitch darkness. 1 dared not
move either TO the upper or lower
room without a light to guide me.
1 returned to my chamber sat OF the
side of the bed, and listeaed for fur
Their sounds. Surely, l thought, l vas
strong enough to cope with the ap-
paraticr, however murderous it's inten-
tions might be. Why should I succumb
to cowardice?
/ heard the boards creak In the room
above me. then low mutterings, rs If
coming from two or three voices-next,
a steady footstep pacing to and fro.
ceasing for a moment, and renewed On
he stairs. nearer and nearer the foot
steps advanced. Horror! that torpid
sensation was stealthily creeping over
me again. which I felt powerless TO
resist! There was 4 glimmer Of a light
through the half-open door, the foot
steps abruptly stopped, a loud though
tremulous voice pealed and echoed
through the house: Richard, Richard,
Richard Dudley
The voice recalled my ebbing senses.
A thousand thoughts surged my brain
Was / really a nu III being. ur had I
passed into a transition state, border
on the world OF spirits?
Again that voice. Richard, Richard,
Richard Dudley"
started to my feet and made my
way to the landing; and there, at the
foot Of the stairs, stood the woman
clad In gray, a candle held aloft in one
hand and a framed portrait Of a youth
in the other. l gazed in spcechless,
awe-struck amazement, for l beheld
In that ashen wjthered face-my own
mother!
I was. indeed. Richard Dudley, the
elder son Of the squire.
The meeting was. indeed. like a res
direction to both Of us. I prefer to
draw a veil over much that passed be-
tween us from the moment of recogni-
ton to the time m friends returned.
My mother led the way to a small at.
tic chamber, lighted by a window In
the roof. Out Of boxes and other lum-
Der, left behind by the creditors. she
had contrived to form a table and n
rough bedstead. And here. secreted
from the world. she had lived In soil
tude. as ! Afterwards learned, for sew
tn or eight years. 1t was many days