The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1905-06-15


with a little. nervous laugh. ITS only
the wind or mouse stirring there"
Hattie glanced apprehensively over
her shoulder i'm the direction indicated.
quite white and startled.
How foolish it was Of us to think of
staying two whole nights in this great
old house alone, wish Cousin Jack
were here. for if ghost were really to
make its appearance what should we
ever doy'
Il am not so much afraid of ghosts
troubling us as | am of robbers. Thank
heaven. an the doors are locked. and no
one can get in without our hearing
them" said /.
During the absence Of our parents.
who had gone to 5ist a sick relative
living in neiEhborng town. ms sister
Hattie and had volunteered to stay at
home and take charge of affairs until
| their return. The only person besides
ourselves in the hOuSe-a great. ramb-
ing old structure. with many chimneys
and gables and weather-stained porchcs
was female domestic. who slcpt in
remote chamber on the first floor. We
went up to our room early i'm the even
ing. for we felt little timid i'm spite of
the often expressed assertion that We
were not 4 bit afraid.
The silver was kept in small safe
IN my mothers apartments. which com
municated with ours and could not be
reached otherwise without going
through long hall. the door of which
was both locked aud bolted on the in
side. The noise that had so startled us
was unlike anything | had ever before
heard-a kind of stealthy. uncertain
rustling, as if made unntentionallv
and entirely against the will of what
! ever or whoever it was that occa stoned
it,
Naturally courageous. and accus-
toned to acting as well as thinking for
myself, l arose locked the door.
dropped the shade and took a look
around the room. No iign of either
ghost or robber was TO he seen.
"A brave pair we are, | must say"
said !, taking volume of SCOTS
poems from the table and beginning to
Rad aloud from the Lay of the Last
Minstrel" but I had scarcely read
three lines before the same low.
strange rustlins sound WAS heard
| again.
Hattie quickly turned and looked in
quiringly at the big closet in the cor
ner, the door of which stood partly
open. A large. old fashioned oak chest
was in one corner, and above it hung
| dresses, skirts, wraps and ladies' ap-
parels Of all kinds.
1T must surely be Il mouse. Grace.
for there can't be anything else in the
| closet" said Hattie. in a frightened
whisper.
got up and flung the closet door
| wide open and save the skirts vigor-
Gus shake. 1 even mounted the old
chest and took Il prolonged survey of
the upper shelves. moving bonnet
boxes and shawls and everything
within my reach. but mouse there was
none. nor any indication that one had
ever been there.
1T is very odd" observed Hattie i'm
n low tone. noting anXiOusly the result
of my search. II wonder is there truly
are any such things as spirits?"
'Of course not. We ara only Il little
nervous. for there is really nothing
here" and | gave the skirts another
shake by way of adding point to my
words.
Hattie said no more and | resumed
my seat, firmly determined not to again
allow my fears to get the better of my
reason.
Hattie, after while. said she would
so to bed, and | might have Scott and
the ghost all to myself But it was
rather lonely sitting up all alone, so |
thought the wisest thing | could do
was to follow her example-but not
until l had again made sure that the
door was locked and had placed a
shaded lamp on the stand at the head
of the bed
1t must have been near eleven O'Clock
when was awakened, not by a sound,
for ] did not hear any, but by some.
thing that seemed like shadow pass
ing between me and the light.
sprang up without disturbing Hat
tie. and looked everywhere about the
room for some sign Of the mysterious
presence, or whatever it was that had
so unpleasantly awakened me; but /
saw nothing.
drew up the shade and looked out
on the lawn. Absolute silence reigned
everywhere. With sigh of relief /
drew down the shade again and re-
turned to beds but ! could not sleep,
and lay for more than hour gazing alb.
sently at the faint ray of light that
shimmered across the carpet and
drifted, wan and shadowlike. op the
wall.
Presently saw the lid of the cid
oak chest slowly rise, and two fierce
HACK eyes. framed in 2 matted mass
o. Iona jet-bIask hair, Apeered eau
ksly nth. Ny heart s8cd still; the