Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-05-22

his eyes were so Sunken under shaggy
brows that at first sight he seemed to
have none. The room was comfortless IN
the extreme The fire was nearly out,
and an untrilnmed lamp smoked upon
the table by his bed He turned and
stared at US
''Two of you'll" burst out sharp, thin
voice, startling us. "Two! dom t want
two. Ones quite enough. I'm not going
to pay two to do the work for one. +"
'But one Of us has to sit up with you
at night" said in cheerful, soothing
tone.
"What do you want with sleep?" he
growled. "A great, strapping girl like
you ought TO be able to do without it.
Has James come in?'
"Who is Jalnes?"
"James he my coachman, OF course.
Who else did you think lie was? Ring
the bell, can't you? I tell you 1 want
James to come up. He's been collecting
my rents want to see him about
them. !"
cts rather late in the day to be do
ing business said Kathleen.
He turned and stared at her. --
"Who's that?" he asked, pointing at
her with bony finger.
''She is your nurse" said l.
''Send her away, then. Ones quite
enough I'm not going to pay two nurses,
I tell you. engaged you, but never
engaged her Send her away!"
"Just now," I answered, 81 am going
away, and your second nurse will stay
with you. I shall sit up with you to-
night, so I am going to rest now"
Kathleen followed me to the door, look
ing slightly scared
"I wish you joy, DEAR" said l. "We
have delightful case. for our firstr'
When I awoke from my nap, found
Kathleen by the fire in our room and a
nice little meal waiting for me.
"Don't thank Mrs. Jones for that, :"
said she. "or expect to find such things
growing in this house. If you are hun
cry, you must go and forage about in
the larder for something to eat. If you
haven't got the genius which distin-
guishes everything I do, probably you
won't find anything. At all events, par
take freely now, for you have a long
night before you. >"
She was very tired, and I left her to
sleep as best she could in our spider
haunted room.
Twas simply astonished at the change
Kathleen had wrought in the sicHoom.
The only thing which seemed the same
was our patient, and he looked cleaner.
Kathleen afterward told me that she had
never found it so difficult to persuade
any one to let her wash him.
"Has she gomez" asked Josiah.
eyes; she's gone to bed," said L
"Gone to bedl Whose bed? I won't
have her sleeping in one Of my beds"
"Yes, it's all right" l said, "and
now you must let me settle for the
night.
"You aren't going to wash meP' he
cried. "The other one has just done it. J"
'No, no, it's all right. wont wash
you again tonight F"
When he had taken his medicine and
was settled comfortably, sat by the fire
in the darkened room, and strange
thoughts came to me. How was it that
my life had drifted into this? Five years
ago was thoughtless girl, with scarce
ly care beyond dress and pleasure and
friendship. My friends thought it eccen-
tric to "waste" my youth like this.
They were amused, and could not see
through my desire to do something use
full in the world. However it was, here
I found myself, girl who had been
shielded from all the roughness and
trouble of life, in the very presence of
suffering and death, playing an impor
tant part in the tragedy which felt sure
would end soon, for I knew the look of
death SO we'll that sometimes saw it
with scarcely shudder. Our patient
did not seem conscious of his condition.
He lay there in his large and lonely
house without one friend or relative be-
side him. 1t was a sad case for our first.
1t grew moro and more silent An
ash fell out of the CRATE, and it sounded
as if thunderbolt had burst. 1 jumped
in my chair and felt thrill all down
my back. Then began to think of the
lonely situation of the house and the
distance between the two old caretakers
and me if anything should happen. Aft
er awhile the silence teemed with count
less noises. 1 heard long swish,
queer wailing-more like human cry
than the wind-a pitter patter, buzz
ing, faint tapping, sigh And there
was a long creeping thud every now and
then.
I am not superstitious. I firmly be-
ieve that superstition is the result Of
ignorance, and that educated people
ought to despise it. But began to feel
as if perhaps there was more than had
thought in some of those superstitions.
Surely they could not have lived through
centuries if there had been no truth in
them
''Go and fetch me my rent book. "
Inearly screamed. His voice had come
so suddenly upon my thoughts.
"D'ye hear?" cried the thin, high
voice
tried to persuade him to lie down
and go - sleep, but he grew so excited
that to quiet him was obliged to yield.
"Where is it?'' I asked
1t was down stairs in one Of those
horrible deserted rooms
"Wouldn't you rather wait till the
morning?'' ] asked.
"No, fetch it now, now! Besides,
then you can look round and see that
there are no burglars about. They know
I'm ill, and that I've got great sum OF
money here. I'm only waiting till get
better to take it myself to the bank"
His voice grew wilder and wilder. He
urged me OH, and went, for nothing
else could quiet him. took a lighted
candle with me, and as found my way
down the creaking stairs my heart
thumped against my side.
am sure 1 heard low growl at the
foot of the stairs. AS the Pickering light
of my candle moved onward in the dark
ness it seemed to disperse countless shad-
ows that had dim shapes. l thought l
saw the outlines of grinning head.
Mrs. Jones had said some of these rooms
were haunted -supposing this one was
Something scuttled away. set my can
die down, afraid l should drop it, my
hand was trembling so. Something fell
with thud on the table, and that was
too much for me. Snatching I'D nv can