Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-10-27
Observation-Disclosures.
Observation-Disclosures.

9c8< were long and harrow, and
the c0rridrl> dark and grcWsome.
There We're queer stories about the
house, which might OF might not he
explained, according TO the creduIity
of the listeners. 1t had the reputation
of being haunted.
The young woman who told me this
was one OF the bachelor class referred
to. Her room was at the extreme end
of the long corridor which trayerSed
the ffth floor. Passage UP the stairs
and through the corridors in the day
time was uisagrceable: in the night
it was Journey fraught with peculiar
horror, for she was 4 young person of
many fears. She was afraid of acct
dents, of sickness: she was afraid she
would fail in love and afraid she would
not have the chance; afraid of strange
dogs and of the ears, afraid OF the
dark and of the future But all these
paled into insignifiranr" in comparison
with fear of the fifth floor after twi-
light.
One night curiosity and loneliness
led her to accept an invitation to II
party. AS T. O'Clock struck the lamps
in the room were turned on; and Il dish
of burning salt was placed in the
centre of the apartments about its
weird. blue flames ghost stories from
legend or experience were narrated in
SepulChral tones. Cold chiIlS ran down
l,N ,,T 4 I,, e., hN
floor, and as panic succeeded panic the
horror of the dreadful trip up the
four flights of stairs and through the
lonely corridors seemed 30 grip her
heart with icy touch.
She was escorted to her door hy a
rOllirkinG crowd. And then she was
alone iii the dark hall. She felt for
the candle and matches She had left
near the door; some conSciencclcSS
lodgcr had taken the whole box, and
there was nothing 10 do but crouch
in the corner until dawn or begin her
perilous trip. II she crouched some
thing might ger her, and at least if
she could reach her own room there
would he light. for she had wisely
left her light burning.
She Crupt to the stairs and listened
silence profound; then with footsteps
which sounded Werdly in the old place.
she ran lightly up the first flight, not
stopping to breathe until the landing
was reached. when the beating of her
heart forced her TO wait.
she felt it first. then she heard if,
Stoalthy, indescrihablc sound a soft
thud, a pause, and then the thud 4 gain.
1t was unlike any sound she had ever
heard before; it was on the stairs back
OF her, coming toward her.
She sped along the corridor of the
second floor. The quiet was so in
tense that the approach of the I'm
known Awe was magniiied TO her nnr-
vouSncsS into thunder clapS of sound
She looked apprchenSiveIy over her
shoulder: there was nothing to be seen;
only the thud. 'hud of the Something
Up the third fight she ran. her limbs
already giving pr"monitionS of coming
revolt AS her own advance was less
rapid, she was conscious that the Ter
TOr'S grew. Over her shoulder again
her eyes moved: there was II dim light
from somewhere. II window or Il crack
in the wall. and rs tho Thing sped by
ii, she could see that 1t was luminous,
Wnltr, like Il phoSphorosCent ball flying
through space.
iul I1n Ia, ti,or
for the relaxation of dread had taken
possession of her. There was nothing
human in the sound back Of her, and as
the Maker Of it passed again by n
less gloomy corner, its hosphorcsccncc
caught and retained for " second what
along, the fact that lis course was
Zig-ZHg. the only saving grace. Her
feet weighed tons, her throat was dry,
she tried in vain to scream
There was another tliglt ana the last
corridor, al The end of which her door
stood invitingly open. She feared rob
berry less than an unwelcomed return.
She did not look over her shoulder
again, for 1t wac almost upon her.
But rs she clutched the door to close
it behind her her eyes involuntarily
fell on the Pursuer-the CHASTITY lumin.
Gus atrocity leaving in its wake q
stream of white as far as her eye could
follow. She had never thought before
OF the possibility Of n ghost having
blood, but the idea shuddered in hel
mind that il they had veins, in them