The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-17
A DISTILLERY GHOST
Tam tramp. I had been walking sincs

sunrise.
Toward afternoon as marched logged
" on became aware of a sudden cool lap
ping of shadow over my shoulder, and
glancing about I saw that storm was
beating up behind me.
The clouds were gorged and purple with
destruction, and the lightning whipped
out its hvid lash above the horizon, while
the thunder chartered sullenly.
By some malevolent inspiration I re-
membered having heard that on this very
road stood a disused distillery, a favorite
roosting place for travellers of my descrip-
ton.
Not far ahead was clump of pine trees,
and behind them rose the outlines of an
old chimney. 1 hurried toward the place,
plunging through tangle of dusty weeds,
and, sure enough, there stood the building
of which was in search. its sagging roof
and bursting walls green with age.
There were two holes ripped in the roof,
staring deep and empty as the eyes of a
skull. l crawled under the door just in
time, for the next moment the rain came
roaring down straight as melted lead. 1t
must have been a dismal place at best, but
now, under the thick sky and drumming
raindrops, it was particularly dispiriting.
= There were two rooms on the lower floor
with no visible means of communication
OQU ii WIG N4u0OW SSb III l1l5 wall Liz
glass panes were unbroken, and the room
behind was perfectly dark. Connecting
these rooms with the attic was a rickety
staircase The earthen floor was covered
with dark mesh OF pine needles and pale
grass blades. l covered against the wall
while the storm doomed and cracked over
my head, closing my eyes from time to
time against the shock of white fire that
darted through the chinks and under the
door.
Presently, as I sat with my hot lids
drawn down, [ felt a startling sense of
some one looking at me. 1 turned quickly
toward the window of which [ have sp0-
ken, and there, pressed against the dark
glass, was a face, peering at me steadily.
Oh, the horror of that facet For as 1
looked the outlines began to change and
grow, like some great colorless jelly-a
SOFT human jelly oozing and spreading
across the Panes. l shut my eyes, and my
heart battered my ribs. Again 1 looked;
still the face was there, only this time the
slack mouth drew back in a sickening
smile, and il ran out its blue tongue, lick
ing its loose lips quietly. L started to my
feet with a cry, and as I did so the win
dow began to slide up.
I dropped to the floor weak with fear,
and the sash fell into place again. Then
l realized Chat [ must lie there absolutely
SL11l, 4CE IL IOS6 ltlG M1AOOW IOSG OOO-
lie there and look, while that face leered
at me from behind the glass. By and by
it began TO move with faccid, gelatinous
swaying. I saw it bend over and raise
something from the floor, something that
had been a man, but now hung quite limp
ly in its mouth. 1t pressed the body
against the window, laughing silently,
ard 1 saw-myselfi God help mel For the
first time in this world 1 looked into my
i 7
mol Some bloated ANIMAL purple, PIN
pied, with eyeballs so bloodshot that they
seemed to be staring through a web of red
lace.
How long I lay there cannot tell. At
last moved and my hand touched some
thing cold. It was my bottle, the COM
panion of my wanderings. 1 held it up
and saw that there was still drop or two
in it. 1 drained it to the dregs, and the
glad fire warmed me and made me strong.
Al that moment the thing began to
raise its pallid, horrible feelers, twisting
them about the body it held, swapping the
limbs off and dropping them into its
mouth, where the blue tongue caressed
them hungrily.
1t had finished it's meal but it still kept
its vague eyes on me, and then L realized
that l was moving, slipping quietly to,
ward it! / clutched at the rotting steps,
my hands. 1 ground my fingers into the
earth until there was a trail of bloody mud
after me. Then l made one superhEman
effort, dashed up the sWaying staircase
and broke into the attic.
slammed the door and threw myself
against it, for I had seen that accursed
window dart up with crash as 1 leaped
and knew that the thing would follow
me, and tear me to pieces, and plunge me
s,,4-
between its toothless gums!
The room where 1 found myself was
dim and wet. Between the cracks in the
wall flaming strip Of sunset gloWed like
a forge il the twilight.
Every breath Of nature was hushed now
the rain came only in loosely blown gusts
and the thunder had shUddered away into
silence but my hair rose and my flesh
grew rough and icy, for on the stairway
was soft, creaking sound, then a steady
pushing against the door.
howled aloud in my anguish, and the
sound of my voice set the place believing
with echoes. My arms were torn and the
bones nearly swapping from the pressure,
and still 1 felt the door opening. opening
There was a cruDch-one rusty hinge
dropped gathering to the floor, another,
and for moment the door tottered and
fell forward, nearly crushing me; but, no,
I was too quick; L was mad with fear. One
instant only we stood looking at each 9TH
er, the thing framed in the empty door
space and Ia wild beast crazed with the
fiercest race instinct. Then I plunged for
ward and out through n rent in the torn
clapboarding. I felt the wood snap and
give and the awful swoop of my fall. and
knew that the thing had hurled itself after
me. I scrambled to my feet and went
rushing, flying down the empty road.
The wet bushes slapped my face and
elung clanmy as dead hands that would
have stopped my fight, and all the time I
heard the thing behind me-heard the
plash of the puddles as it trailed through
them and the beat of its formless steps.
The moon was rising across the road, a
great swollen disk, sanguine and threaten
ing. 1 remember every scere-the jerky
fitting of q bat, the dark spray of some
hanging vine and the DOundinp of nv