Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-10-14

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his occupancy. In one corner stood his
blackthorn cane. In smother an an
tique sword. On the wall, near the bed,
hung a picture or ms dead vile. BIS
large, old-fashioned armchair was
drawn up alongside marble-top CEN
ter table, on which cow vested the lamp
which had just lighted. The very at
mosphere seemed pervaded with his
presence.
L fell TO specializing on the awful deed
and to wondering what were his sensa-
tons when he tied the fatal rope about
his neck and dropped to death. j took
late paper from my pocket and settled
myself to read. but the image of the dis
toFted features OF the suici1e repeated
" came between my eyes and the print
ed page.
81 am nervous" Imuttered. as flung
the paper aside, then partially undress-
ing i threw myself on the bed, first taxi
ing the precaution to place my revolver
close at hand.
The windows continued to rattle onnf-
Hously, the doors to slam, and at fire. |
quent intervals the wind came beating |
the tops Of the trees vigorously against
the roof, moaning disnally as it died
away IN the distance.
1 tried in vain to sleep. counted up
to so, and then on 10 100 Iconjured up
images Of sheep jumping over fences; 1
had recourse to different expedients of
the walkeful in their efforts to WOO
slumber, but without success.
Sometimes my nerves would be set
vibrating by the loud, shril whistle of
a passing locomotive, as it whirled
through the town, and then again the
wind would resume its furious TRADE
with the gables of the house.
"'Tis strange" / said to myself. al
have slept soundly at hotels in the midst
of the most populous districts of crowd
l ed cities, with the din of the street
traffic in my ears, and yet here, in this
lonely old house, with no sound to dis
turb me, save that made by the blowing
of an ordinary prairie wind, 1 find sleep
utterly impossible"
was tempted TO get up and return
to the hotel, but 1 was restrained by the
thought that such an act would be a
weak acknowledgment on my part of
the truth of the stories in circulation
; about the house, and which had so
ridiculed.
4
on the branches of the tree near my win
dow, and their occasional futtering
was welcome, as it seemed companion
;. able.
At last, thoroughly exhausted from
tossing about, / began to doze little;
but suddenly I awoke with a start. ]
: opened my eyes and looked directly in
. front of me. 1 kept my eyes securely
fastened on an object standing at the
foot of the bed. The form was that Of
a man with CHASTITY. pallid face, and
long, white beard. About him was
|, thrown what seemed to me a shroud
4 such as that in which Hamlet's departed
sire was won't to parade when making
g night hideous; but the other was white
3 like his beard. tried TO speak, Il
c move; both were impossible. I seemed
- to feel all my senses slowly ebbing ava.
~ as 1 gazed. Ny faculties became NUM-
c and frozen; was trembling with fea
u in every member. had my hand clos
a to my revolver, but / was Powerless t
: move it.
IA now became seized with horribl
IN superstitious dread. My heart cease
III 10 beat, my blood CONCEALED in m
veins; was almost as one in death.
at Ny eyes never ceased for one instan
IT. to keep fastened on the apparitio
which, immovable for so long time, q
IN length began TO move slowly towar
DC the door, through which 1t finally di
OF appeared.
10 know not how long lay there, in
an state of semiunconsciousness, when
~ loud, piercing noise broke the spell an
set my nerves quivering. 1t was on
10 the growing of the rooster GA the tire
on close to the open window, but it file
m the room with familiar, earthly sour
OF that reused one to life and action
rn- jumped quickly out of bed, in a so
'ed of excitement born of wild terror.
'ut was controlled by one of those wild il
'en pulses of fright which causes an amin
zen to rush back into the flames from while
his keeper has rescued him. grasp
ave my revolver and ran out of the do
!, a through which / had seen the appa
the ton glide, then down the stairs, thr
ON steps at a time, and pulled open the do
hat at the foot of the landing.
As opened it my attention was
10 stantiy arrested by the sight of an c
ne. ject crawling low through the he'd
'r's fence. Mechanically took aim a
ole fired. There was a convulsive shaki
of the branches and bushes, report
ed, grean, and then-silence.
I dropped my smoking revolver q
"a sped across the prairie to the hot
ere aroused the sleeping landlord and Gle
ost and told nay adventure Great excl
in ment followed. The whole town seem
to learn the news simultaneously.
re a mediate investigation resulted in fiji
'ou, ing John Brownson, lying wounded a
sed unconscious, in the garden of the tt
be- Tor farm. Medical skill was summon
nan and it developed that painful, but I
ure necessarily fatal, bullet wound in
hat leg would compel his confinement in