The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-07-13
!: A ManiaC's Freak
The Terrible Experience That Blanched
WJmans Hair


self anyone so affected, | am disposed
TO be incredulous on the subject.
The above remark was made to DIR.
MAYNARD, as we sat on the piazza OF
his pretty villa, discussing the differ
emf effects of terror on dissimilar tenn
peraments. Without replying to me,
the doctor turned to his wife, and
sid:
Helen, will you please relate to my
old friend the incident within your
own experience? 1t is the post con-
vincing argument can advance
looked at Mrs. Maynard in sur
prise. | had observed that her hair,
which was luxuriant. and dressed very
becomingly, was purely colorless; but,
as she was n young woman, and also
a very pretty one. I surmised that it
was powdered to heighten the bril-
liaacy of her fine dark eyes.
The doctor and had been fellow
students. but, after leaving college,
we had drifteu apart; l to commence
practice in an eastern c:|y, he to pur-
sue his profession in a growing town
in Che west. l was now on visit to
him for the first time since his mar
riage.
Mrs. Maynard, no doubt reading my
supposition by my look of incredulity,
smiled as she shook her snowy tresses
over her shoulders, and, seating her.
self by her husbands side, related the
following interesting episode:
it was nearly two years ago since
my husband was called on one evening
to visit patient several miles away
Our domestcs had all gone to a wake
in the vicinity, the dead man being
a relative of one of our serving wom-
en-. Thus | was left alone. But | felt
no fear, for we never had heard OF
burglars or any sort of desperadoes
in our quiet village, then consisting of
few scattered houses. The windows
leading out on the piazza were open
rs now, but l secured the blinds be-
fore my husbands departure, and
locked the inside doors, all except the
front one, which I left for the doc
tor to lock after going out, so that.
turn. he would enter without arousing
me. ! heard the doctors rapid foot
steps on the gravel, quickened by the
urgent tones of a mess enger who
awaited him; and, afte- the sharp
rattle of the carriage wheels had be-
come but an echo, l seated myself
by the parlor astral, and very soon
L
been reading before being disturbed
by the summons.
But after a time my interest sue
cumbed to drowsiness. and I thought
of retiring. Then the clock in the
doctors study struck -, so l deter
mined to wait a few moments more,
feeling that he would be hcme very
soon. | closed my book, donned a
robe de chambre. let down my hair,
and then returned to my seat to pa
tiently wait and listen. not the faint
est sound disturbed the stiffness of
the night. Not a breath of air stirred
the leaves. The silence was so pro-
found that it became oppressive.
longed for the sharp click of the gate
latch and the well-knovn step on the
gravel walk did rot dare to break
the hush myself by moving or singing.
was so oppressed with the deep still
ness he human mind is strange
torturer of itself. began to coniure
up vivid fancies about ghostly visit
ants. in the midst of which occurred
to me the stories l had heard from
superstitious people about the troubled
spirits Of those who had died sudden
ly. like the man whom my servants
had gone to wake" who had been
killed by an accident at the sawmill.
In the midst of these terrifying re-
Elections, | was startled by q stealthy
football on the piazza. I listened be-
tween fear and hope. 1t might be
the doctor. But no, he would not
tread like that; the step was too soft
and cautious for anything less willy
than cat. AS / listened again, nv
eyes fixed on the window blind, saw
the stats move slowly and cautious
ly. and then the rays of the moon dis
closed a thin. cadaverous face, and
bright. glittering eyes, peering at me.
Horror! Who was it? or what was
it? | felt the cold perspiration start
at every pore. I seemed to be frozen
in my chair. could not move; I
could not cry out; my tongue seemed
glued to the roof of my mouth. while
the deathly white face pressed closer,
and the great sunken eyes wandered
in their gaze about the room. In a
few moments the blind closed as
noiselessly as it had been opened, and
the cautious footsteps came toward
the door, Merciful heavens!" I cried
in horror-stricken whisper, as I
heard the key turn in the. lock, "the
doctor, in his haste, must, have for
gotten to withdraw the KEY"
| heard the front door open. the
step in the hall, and. helpless as a
statue, | sat riveted to my chair. The
parior door was open, and in it stood
tall, thin man, whom meyer before
Deheld. He was dressed in a long.
loose robe, a sort of gaberdine, and
black velvet skull-cap partially con-
ceaied a broad forehead, under which
cleaned black eyes, bright as living
Goals and placed so near together
that their gaze was preternatural in
their distinctness; heavy, grizzled
eyebrows hung over them like the
tangled name of a lion: the nose was
sharp and prominent; the chin was
overgrown with white hair, which
hung down in locks as weird as the
Ancient Mariners. He politely dotted
his cap. bowed. replaced it, and then
said, in slightly foreign accent:
Madam. it is not necessary for me
TO stand on any further ceremony. as