The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-11-02

night at a large, old-fashioned inn,
which, in the coaching days. must
have been place of some Importance.
How often one meets with acduaint-
ances In the most unlikely places! I
recognized in the host a man whom I
had known many years before: in
fact when | was a mere boy. He
had been brought up in lawyers
office. In the town where ] was born:
but having no fancy for sedentary
life, by help of small sum of money
left him by relative, he had gone
out to the Cape, where he was report
ed to be doing we'll He was evident
ly much gratified at seeing me, and
told me that Ae had had a great many
experiences. had made money and lost
It, but was now in comfortable cir
cumstances. and living a quiet life,
which suited him best after the rough
ing which he had gone through. He
conducted me into a well-furnished
apartment-a private sitting room
communicating with the bar-where,
all unconscious of what was to fol-
low, | prepared myself for passing an
agreeable evening.
/ don't believe in presentments, for
them. now was the time for very
different sensation from that ex-
perienced. as, after partaking of sub
stantal refreshment in my friends
Sanctum. | accepted the tender of an
excellent cigar, and drew my chair
TO the fire, very much at ease, and
congratuating myself on the good for
tune which had led me to seek the
shelter of so hospitable roof. My
friend apclogized for the absence Of
'the wife," as he called her, but said
that | should make her acquaintance
in few minutes. as she would by
that time have finished some domes-
tic task that she was then engaged in.
l remember l was speculating as to
what kind Of n lady "the wife" would
prove to be, when n side door opened.
and | saw what gave me a thrill of
horror. Wearing the same dress.
loaded with the same iewelry, regard
ing me with the same dark and ter
rible eyes, stood the woman of the
tunnel With appalling distinctness
the whole of that horrible circum-
stance REQUIRED to me-and there she
was.
| cannot tell the expression which
my countenancc Wore. but | know my
friend looked disconnected; he must
have noted the change that came over
me, and wondered what should cause
it. But here | must note another pc
culiarity in this terrible meeting; If l
recognized this woman as identical
with the apparition which | had seen
in the tunnel, she. too. recognized me
as identical with some one or some
thing which she had seen. could
see depicted on her countenance, first
horror, and then fear, and then the
same look of hate that the apparition
had darted on the other figure which
| saw in the tunnel. | don't know
what our greeting was Ike. | gasp
ed out something, as l took her hand,
and she did the same, and then alb
ruptly retired l apolog.zed to my
friend told him / had never seen the
lady before, as indeed / had not, add
ing that / had nervous affection,
which must account for my extraor-
dinary conduct. Still, as may be sup
posed, he seemed far from satisfied;
and for my part, any one may imagine
the state of my feelings. The lady
remained in the bar. and as | glanced
at her furtively, | could see that she
was regarding me with a steady gaze
of intense fear and aversion. How
| wished | had never visited the house
the town. What was to be done?
What would come of it all?
One thing l felt-I could not sit
there longer; could not decently re-
sumo my conversation with the land
lord. | could do one thing-I could go
to bed. | accordingly told my host
that | felt unwell, and would retire
for the night. He said nothing. but
fetched candlestick, and motioned
me to follow him.
The chamber to which the landlord
conducted me did not wear reassur-
Ing aspect, in spite of a bright fire
which was burning in the CRATE. 1t
might have been haunted room; the
antique bed furniture, the huge, lum-
bering chairs, the quaint pattern Of
the paper on the walls-all spoke of
those who had passed away.
My host having bade me good night
| threw myself into chair, and be-
gan to reflect. After all | had seen,
ii was not to be wondered at if l was
in an uneasy state of mind. This wo-
man, for some reason, evidently re-
garded me with fear and hatred, and
was | safe? Could | trust myself TO
slumber? Might she not visit me, and
while slept, repeat the tunnel in
cident? For. as l had not the least
doubt of her identity with the appari-
tion had seen, | had come to believe
that she had really committed mur-
der Could !, wearled as | was, keep
awake? The moon was shining into
the room; l tried to imagine the as
pect of her face by that light and
the idea of meeting her alone was too
much for me. Ii was true | had lock-
my door, but then she might possess
key, or, If not, l doubted if rick
ETY. lock would present an insuperable
obstacle to an enemy Of so determin-
ed a character.
AS things did not look very promis-
ing inside, | pulled up my blind, and
looked out Below me was the inn
yard, down into which the full moon
was shining SO brightly that l could
have counted every paving stone. Two
heavy, numbering gates, Enclosed,