Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-11-03

L showed some surprise, 1 do not
doubt: and. perhaps. some fear as
well; but l only said How do you
know him, Margaret"
Il can hardly tell You" sne replied:
but do know him l think he hates
me- Often. of wild night, when
there is moonlight enough by fits.
see him tearing around this little val
ley, just on the top edge-all around;
the ladys hair and the horses name
and the tail driving far behind. and
mingling, vaporous. with ,Ie stormy
clouds. About he goes, in wild career
ing gallop. now lost as the moon goes
in. then visible far round when she
looks out again-an airy, pale gray
specter. which few eyes but mine
could see; for. as I am aware, no one
OF the family but myself has ever pos
sessed the double gift of seeing and
hearing both. In this case ] hear no
sound, except now and then n chnk
from the broken shoe. But l did not
mean to tell you that / had ever seen
him. / am not n bit afraid of him.
He cannot do more than ne may. His
power is limited; else Id enough would
he work, the miscreantr'
But" said /, what has all this,
terrible as IL is. to do win the fright
you took at my telling you that l had
heard the sound of the broAen shoe?
Surely you are not afraid of only
Storm"
NO, my boy; | fear no storm. But
the fact i, that the sound is seldom
heard, and never, as far as | KNOW. by
any of the blood of that wicked man,
without betokening some i'll to one of
the family, and most probably TO the
one who hears it-but | am not quito
sure about that. Only some evil 1t
does portend, although long time
may eiapse before 1t shows itself; and
l have n hope 1t may mean some one
else than you
do not wish that" l replied. Il
know no one better able to bear it
than / am; and | hope, whatever it
may be. that | only shall have to meet
it. 1t must surely be something seri-
Gus to be so foretold: it can hardly he
connected with my disappointment in
being compelled to be n pedagogue in
stead of n soldier
do not trouble yourself about that.
Duncan" replied she. "a soldier you
must be. The same day you told me
of the clank of the broken horseshoe,
| saw you return wounded from bat
tie, and fall faintlng from your horse
In fH. sst- Of a Nlxs
fainting, thank God, But / have par
tlcular reasons for being uneasy at
your hearing that boding sound. Can
you tell me the day and hour of your
birth?"
NO" l replied. 1T seems very odd
when think Of h, but really do not
know even the day"
'Nor any one else; which Is stranger
STILL" she answered.
How does that happen, nurseY'
I'VE were In terrible anxiety about
your mother Mt the time. So III was
she, after you were Just born, In n
strange, upaccountable way, that you
lay almost neglected for more than an
hour. In the very act of giving birth
to you, she seemed to the rest around
her to be out of her mind, SO wildly
did she talk; but ! knew better.
knew that sho was fighting some evil
power; and what power 1t was,
knew fun well; for twice, during her
pains, | heard the click OF the horse
shoe. hut no one could help her
After her delivery. she lay as If in a
trance, neither dead. nor Mt rest, but
us II frozen to Ice, and conscious OF Il
all the while. Once more heard the
terrible sound OF iron; anu, at the
moment, your mother started from her
trance, screaming, My child, my
chIldr We suddenly became aware
that no one had attended to the child.
and rushed 10 the place where he lay
wrapped In II blanket. Uncovering
him. we found him black in the face.
and spotted with dark spots upon the
throat. / thought he was dead: but.
with great and almost hopeless pains,
we succeeded In making him breathe.
and he gradually recovered. But his
mother continued dreadfully exhaust
ed. 1t seemed as II she had spent her
life for her cIJld's defense ana birth.
That was you, Duncan, my dear.
IL was In constant attendance upon
her. About week after your birth.
as near as | ear guess, just In tile
cleaning, heard yet again the aw-
full clank--only once. Nothing fol
lowed till ABOUT midnight. Your
mother slept ana you lay asleep be
side her. l sat by the bedside. A
horror fell upon me suddenly, though
| neither saw nor heard anything.
Your mother started from her sleep
with cry. which sounded rs If II
came from far away, out OF n dream,
and did not belong to this world. My
blood curdlcd with fear She sat up
In bed. with wide, staring eyes, and
half-opcn, rigid lips, and, feeble as
she was. thrust her arms straight out
before her with great force, her hands
open and lifted up, with the palms
outward. The whole action was OF
one violently repclllng another. She
began to Talk wildly ns she had done
before you were born. but, though |
seemed to hear and Understand II all
nt the time, | could not recall word
Of Il aftcrward. IL was ms IL had
listened TO Il when half asleep. ! Mt.
tempted TO soothc her. putting my
arms around her, but she seemed quito
unconscious OF my presence. and my
arms seemed powcrless upon the fixed
muscles of hers. Not that | tried 10
constraln her. for | knew that bat.
tie was going on OF some kind or 9th
cr. anu my interference might do aw-
full mischief ! only tried 10 comfort
and encourage her. All the time,
was In state OF indescrlbable cold
and suffering. whether more bodily
or mental ! could not tell But at
length heard yet again the clank OF
the shoe. A sudden peace seemed TO
fall upon my mind or was Il warm.
pdorous wind that filled the roomi
Your mother dropped her arms. and
turned fccbly toward her baby. She
saw that he slept blessed sleep.
She smiled like n glorificd spirit. and
fell back exhausted on the pillow. |
went 10 the other side OF the room
10 get cordial When ] returned TO
The bedside. 1 saw ut once that she
was dead. Her face smiled stlll. with
m expression Of the uttermost bliss"
Nurse ceased. trembling as overcome
by the recollection; and ! was too
much moved ana awcd 10 speak. Al
length rosuming the conversation, she
said: you see II ls no wonder Dun
can. my dear, If, after all this,
should md when ] wanted TO fix the