The Portland daily press., 1895-04-18


sensation that ran through me.
A prolonged wall and loud sobs.
I must make an effort to search the
house and find from whom these noises
came.
Mercifu1 powers! could not move I
was losing the use of my limbs. I fell into
semiunconscious state. 1t was not sleep.
1t was more like fearful nightmare with
out sleep. All strength forsook me. I felt
utterly powerless paralyzed in every limb.
The sense of hearing vanished. My eyes
were closed against my will. I could no.
open them. All that I was conscious OF
was sensation of the utmost terror
thought I was dying or passing into an
other state or another world. Presently
felt something touching my neck like cold,
icy fingers or cold steel. Then before my
closed eyes there seemed to be a glowing
light tried to speak, but my tongue
clave to my mouth. Again those icy fin
gers at my neck.
My coat and linen about my neck were
being unfastened. I suddenly emerged
from my torpid condition, saw the candle
falling to the floor and the figure of
gaunt withered creature leaving the room.
The figure was clothed, as it seemed, in
a tattered gray garment, and over her
shoulders long white hair streamed. 1t
was but q momentary glance I had, for the
candle was extinguished as it touched the
floor. i
1 sprang to my feet. The bell rang
thrice again. Then all was silent, save for
the fitful wind. I groped about for the
my hand to my neck, expecting to find
trickling blood, but there were no signs OF
any wound. AT that moment heard a
low, plaintive voice on the landing, "That
wound, that scar, it is there!'' felt again
at my neck, but with the same result as
before. groped about frantically for the
matches, but in vain.
After few minutes the voice spoke
second time on the landing or on the
stairs. 1t muttered two words, repeated
thrice at intervals: "The resurrection The
resurrection! The resurrectionp
The words rose and fell with a mournful
cadence mingled with terror and helpless
ness and gradually died away as the speak
er withdrew to distance.
I stepped softly to the landing. 1t was
in pitch darkness dared not move either
to the upper or lower rooms without
light to guide me.
l returned to my chamber, sat on the
side of the bed, and listened for further
sounds. Surely, thought, was strong
enough to cope with the apparition, how
ever murderous it's intentions might be.
Why should I succumb to cowardice?
I heard the boards creak in the room
above me, then low mutterings, as if com
ing from two or three voices-next, a
steady footstep pacing to and fro, ceasine
for a moment, and renewed on the stairs.
Nearer and nearer the footsteps advanced.
Horror! That torpid sensation was stealth
lily creeping over me again, which felt pow
erless to resist There was glimmcr OF
light through the half open door and the
footsteps 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 in my brain.
Was 1 really a human being, or had ]
passed into transition state bordering
on the world Of spirits?
Again the 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,
candle held aloft in one hand and a framed
portrait of youth in the other. I gazed
in speechless, awestruck amazement for ]
beheld in that ashen, withered face-my
own mother!
was indeed Richard Dudley, the eldel
son of the squire.
The meeting was indeed like resurrec-
ton to both of us. I prefer to draw veil
over much that passed between us from
the moment of recognition to the time my
friends returned. My mother led the way
to small attic chamber lighted by win
dow in the roof Out of boxes and other
lumber left behind by the creditors she
had contrived to form table and a rough
bedstead. And here, secreted from all the
world, she had lived in solitude, as after.
ward learned, for seven or eight years.
1t was many days before could obtain
a coherent outline of her sad history. She
had gone to the south with my father,
both of them broken down in health and
fortune. When every avenue for finding
means Of livelihood seemed shut out, my
father destroyed himself
Then my mother, friendless, distracted
with grief and her meieal faculties under
mined, conceived a longing to return te
the old house and die there. At length,
unknown to any one, she managed to find
her way down to tH&E Grange and settled
down in that attic chamber
About once a month ON Saturday
night my mother was in the habit of go,
ing, thickly veiled, to Hollerton to procure
provisions. Her mode of egress was down
narrow staircase outside the attic leading
to the stable yard and which must have
been constructed after my departure from
home. Avoiding the main road and never
entering into conversation with any one,
she contrived to preserve her place Of re
treat profound secret. To evade observa
tion she had always prepared her food dur
ing the night, sleeping in the daytime, Sc
that the smoking chimney might not be.
tray her presence The fuel she used was
woodwork broken away from the house
itself.
My mother suffered from alterations
and delusions, and after nightfall she
usually gave vent to her inconsolable grief
at the loss of her husband, children and
worldly goods in piteous cries and lamen-