St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1900-06-23
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va HAVE heard of persons whose
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to be. incredulous on the subject"
The above remark was made to Dr.. 4
Maynard, as we sat on the piazza ef
his pretty villa, discussing the differ
ent effects of terror on dissimilar tenn
peraments. Without replying to me,
the doctor 'tt1rned to his wife, and
said:-
Helen, will you please relate TO my
old friend the incident within your
own experience? 1t is the most con-
vincing argument can advance"
/ loSked at Mrs. Maynard in sur
prise. j had observed that her hair,
becoTningly, was purely colerless; but,
as she was a young woman, and also
a very pretty one, surnased that it
was powdered to heighten the bril-
liancy of her fine dark eyes.
The doctor and / had been fellow
students, but, after leaving college,
we had drifted apart; I to commerce
practice in an eastern city, he to par-
sue his profession in a growing town
in the west. / wars now on a VISIT to
him for the first time since his aaar-s
riage. ii
Mrs. Maynard, NO Doubt reading my
supposition by my look of incredul1ty,
smiled as she shook her snowy Sresses
over her shoulders, end, seating her
self By her husbands side, related tire
following interesting episodes
It was nearly tive years ago Ssiree
my husband was called On one evening
to visit patient several mises afvay.
Our domestics lad all gone to a wake
in the vicinity, the dead man '5efng
a relative Of one df our serTfng wom-
en-. Thus I was left alone. But L felt
no fear, far we never had heard of
burglars or any sort Of desperadoes
in our quiet village, then consisting of
few scattered houses. Tiueswind lows
leading out on rGhe piazza wereaopen
as NOW, but I 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.
If should fall asleep before his re-
tvrn, he would enter withDutearousing
me. I heard the doctors rapid foot
steps on the gravel, quickened by the
urgent tones of a messenger who
awaited him; and, after THE sharp
rattle OF Che carriage wheels had be-
come hut an echo, I seated myself
by the parior astral, and very soon
became absorbed in the book I had
been reading before being disturbed
by the summons.
Il 4i,Y4a +rT.
curnbed to tGrowsiness and L thought
OF retiring. Then the clock in the
doctors study struck ~, so I deter
mined to wait few moments more,
feeling that he would be home very
soon. closed my book, donned a
robe de ehanibre, let down my hair,
and then returned to my seat to pa
tiertly wafftt and listen. .Not the faint
est sound disturbed the, ,cstillness Of
the night Not breath air stirred
the leaves. The sileueeI eIwas SO pro-
found that 1T became Oppressive.
Ionged for the sharp click Of the gate
latch and the .well-knoNn step on the
gravel walk. / did not dare to break
the nush myself by moving or singing.
Twas so oppressed withFtf1e deep still
ness The human MINI is strange
torturer of itself. I began to conjure
up vivid fa1Ries about ghostly5 visit
ants, in the midst of which occurred
to me the stories I had heard from
superststious people about the troubled
spirits of those who had died sudden
". like the man whom my servants
had gone to wake" VINO had been
killed by an accident at the sawmilL
In the midst Of these terrifying re-
fections, was startled by a stealthy5
football on the piazza. listened be-
tween fear and hope. lit 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, my
eyes fixed on the windowIblfad, saw
the Stats move slowly and cautious
1y 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. seemed to be frozen
in my chair. I could not move; II
could not cry outs 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
few moments the blind closed as
noiselessly as it had been opened. and
the cautious footsteps came toward
the door, 'sMerciful heavens!'' ] cried
in a horror stricken whisper, as
heard the key turn in the lock-, .'tfe
doctor, in his haste, must have for
gotten to withdraw the key. .sss
I heard the front door open. the
step in the hall, and. helpless as q
statue, sat riFetad to say chair. The
parlor door was open, and in it stood
tall. thin man, whom meyer before
beheld He was dressed in a long,
loose robe, a sort of gaberdine, and
black velvet skull-cap partially con-
cealeasa broad forehead, under which
CLEANED black. eyes, bright as living
Goals. and placed so near together
that their gaze was preterna a tural in.
their distinctness;s heayy grizzled
eyebrows hung over them like the
tangled name of lion; the nose was
sharp and prominent; the chin was
overgrown with white hair, which
hungs down in locks as weird as the ]
Ancient Mariners. He politely doffed
his cap, bowed, replaced lit, and then
said. in d slightly foreign accent: