The Opelousas courier., 1903-01-17
from the window. in the direction Of
| tho drnccinn fahlo n1oamnd n Iinht

the dressing table, cleaned a light.
A glowing speck of light, which II
the utter darkness seemed of dazzline
room like a blazing angry eye. Il
was about the size of an ordinary
candle flame, but ten times as intense
in brightness. Strange to say ii
spread little or no reflected or diffused
light about the room, but cleaned
dazzlingly with its diabolical stare.
Shaking with unknown terror | sat
up again in bed, clutching convulsiVely
at the bedclothes, hearing my heart
%throbbing like an engine, and the cold
on me.
For one-two-three seconds glared
this binding point of light, then-sud-
denly-it was gone, without a flicker
OF sign of fading, without a sound.
Gone instantly as if it had never been,
and left the inky gravelike darkness
of before.
Crouching in the darkness, listening
to the throbbing of my heart, as | be-
fore said, my whole ervou system
seemed to have been broken down and
unstruna. There, with bristling hair
and staring eyes, I lay amid the utter
darkness. | remembered every utter
ance, every syllable, every information
of my hostess words.
"Said to appear carrying a lamp,
with a little glowing flame; she gives
three warnings before-hush! Don't
tell him girls, for worlds!"
Then the clock took it up. Don't
tell him, don't tell him, don't tell him,
girls, for worlds" 1t echoed away in
its high metallic rhythm.
Would that | had never overheard
the story, or that l had heard more
The suspense, the uncertainty, was
awful.
She. gives three warnings before
before what? Oh, heavens! three warn
ings before what? The trees outside
rustled mournfully once more.
Would that heaven might grant me
courage to get out of bed and grope
my way to the matches on the dress
ing-table. But I was afraid! afraid!
Suddenly out Of the darkness in the
same direction glared again the daz-
cling point of light, glared unf1inching-
ly, u%nflickering, into my dilated, star
ing eyes.
| started up in bed again and tried
to brace myself to an extreme effort.
[ turned aside the clothes and pre-
pared to leap straight for the gleam-
ing eyes. Hardly had my first foot
touched the floor when the light was
gone, mysteriously, suddenly, as be-
lore it came. 1 sank back into the
warm shelter of the bed.
"Gives three warnings-gives three
warnings" extensively beat the clock
n the words of the hostess.
Was this the second or third warn
ng? Did the first awake me? l ask
ID myself, crouching in a paroxysm
If terror which increased every Sec
md in the deathlike darkness and
stiffness around.
If the third, what was l waiting for
low?-for what? She gives three warn
ngs before-before-oh, heavens!
hat awful unknown! recalled clear
an inquest I had attended of a man
dead from fear in a haunted
Louse in a fashionable part of London.
What was l waiting for?
I listened once more to the wind
ustling outside, and then 1 leaped.
throwing back the clothes, l leaped
ut into the darkness and stumbled
cross the dark room toward the
ressing table and the matches.
Though at the dressing table itself
nd the matchbox almost in my hand,
uddenly the wall in front became al
lost imperceptibly Illuminated with a
ull misty light, and I saw very family
ne outlines of my own shadow.
1t came from behind in the direction
the window; as I turned I saw for
second the glazing spot of light.
Then it was gone.
1t vas the third warning.
The door was closed. I opened it
nd fed out into the passage down the
airs to where / knew Bob slept.
Into his room | burst and shook him /,
Y the shoulder.
'The lights-the ghostly lights in =,
y room was all l could utter. Bob
'oked up sleepily, almost without
his eyes. Z
"Lights?" he said. "Chalk Cliff {
misunderstanding light-through ,
ees-go back-bed!" :
And I went, uncertain whether re- :
eyed or annoyed at the explanation :
a lighthouse and a looking glass. 7
Bob apparently kept my adventure :
himself, that is, except-well, the 9
ext morning Isabel with a roguish !;
tile smile on her dimpled cheeks, .
iked me If I would walk over with .
II to see the Chalk Cliff Lighthouse. r
| went, and made the best of the '
'portunity. :
/ now bless that lighthouse.-New T
1rk News. :;