The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1898-06-24

ing my white drapery with light. There
were no Aounds of human life; the
world seemed left wholly to the crick-
cts and katydids. With a sigh from
the depths of my lonely heart I re-
placed the note in it's receptacle and
arose.
Turning from the window, I saw
right opposite me, on the other side
Of the room, tall white figure. What
was it? There it stood, while gazed
spellbound, motionless, mysterious. In
a lightning fash of thought Sarah's
forebodings came to me.
Then I grasped my pistol. which was
lying on the table beside me.
"Now, then, if this is practical joke,
intended simply to brighten me, let
it STOP" said. 1t was with some diff
ficulty, I confess, that my voice was
kept steady.
whoever you are, speak and ex-
plain, or I'll see if you have substance
enough to stop bullet"
paused for reply, but none came.
Speak out, say, or, as sure as there
is God in Heaven, I'll fire!" called
again, and again received no reply.
The white thing remained there, in
spite of my threats. After another
pause, during which the cold chills
chased up and down my spine. raised
my arm, took deliberate aim and fired.
A rattle of breaking glass followed
the report of the pistol, and dark
spot appeared in the center of the
white figure. The flash of the pistol
had been reflected back, and in an in
slant realized the truth.
With a scornful laugh and con-
demnatory exclamation at my foolish
ness, I placed the pistol on the table
and got into bed.
Then slight scuffling noise, seem
ing to come from beneath, reached my
ear, and I said, aloud, and with a laugh:
1--we stirred up the rats, at any rate.
Hello, what's that % I exclaimed, as a
deep, muffled sound, accompanied by a
slight jar, Immediately followed. 1t
was as though heavy door in some
distant part of the house had slammed.
For quite a time sat up in bed and
listened, but no more unusual sounds
followed.
Mrs. Snyder's words concerning mys-
terious happenings in my house and
Sarah's unreasonable fears for my safe
ty, followed by the two events just men
toned, did have an effect upon me, al
though the first event was due wholly
to an ordinary cause, and the second,
the apparent sound of a slamming door,
might be, and probably was, just what
it seemed. A gentle night breeze had
arisen, and some of the windows in the
upper part of the house might have
been left open, thereby producing
a draught and causing an intervening
door to swing shut. True, the sound
seemed to come from beneath me. But
then that was probably Imagination
In the silence of night sudden noise
is rather difficult to locate. How often
the most common events, under I'M
familiar circumstances, become mex
plicable mysteries!
am not of a superstitious makeup,
and therefore Sarah's vague fears did
not produce in me feeling of fright;
but there was watchfulness about nv
senses as though there were funny
things" to use Sarah's term, about the
house, which would become apparent
in due time.
Nesting my head down on the pill
low. redolent with the grateful health
giving aroma of spruce, I closed my
eyes.
Sleep did not come as quickly as had
boosted to my old nurse it would, and
it was some time before my conscious
ness began to wander into the domain
of vague fancies and indistinct ideas
which characterize the period. between
waking and sleeping.
Then, almost before my eyes could
open, I suddenly sat up in bed and
listened with hearing sharpened by the
sense of expectancy which had come
over me.
Out through the silence of my room
there came stealing the sound of a voice
but such voice! Not possessed by
any human being, surely! Pitched on
a high, quavering tone, and yet so soft |
and small; so faint, as though borne |
from a great distance; so plain, as
though right at my bedside; bearing no |
semblance to human tones, but never
theless undoubtedly a voice: for after |
a time I could distinguish word now |
and then.
If there were in the world weird, mis- |
shapen little folks like fairies and |
gnomes, and we could hear their con-
versation, imagine their voices would |
sound like this one to which now was
There uas M wander NfrS SNYDER