The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-10-15

a coftaga not far from our house. There
is lust a field between us, but to reach
it you have to go along the road ana
then turn down a lane. Just beyond 1t IS
nice little grove of Scotch frs, and l
used to be very fond Of strollng down
there, for trees are always neighborly
kind of things The cottages had been
standing empty this eight months ana
1t was a pity, for it was a pretty two
storied place. with an old-fashioned
porch and honeysuekle about it. ! have
stood many time and thought what
| neat little homestead it would make.
well. last Monday evening was TAX
| ing IA stroll down that way when | met
an empty van coming up the lane, ana
saw a pile of carpets and things lying
about on the grass-plot beside the poreh.
II was clear that the cottage had at last
been let I walked past it and then, stop
ping, as an Idle man might, | ran my
eye over It, and wondered what sort OF
folk they were who had come to live so
near us. And as I looked l suddenly be-
came aware that a face was watching
me out of one of the upper windows,
1T don't know what there was about
that face Mr. Holmes, but IL seemed TO
send chill right down my back. was
some little way Off so that l could not
make out the features but there was
something unnatural and inhuman about
the face. That was the impression that
I had, and | moved quickly forward to
get n nearer view of the person who was
watching me. But as ] did so the face
suddenly disappeared. so suddenly that
, II seemed to have been plucked away into
the darkness of the room. | stood Tor
five minutes thinking the business over
and irving to analyze my impressions.
7 could not tell If the face were that Of
a man or a woman. 1t had been too FAR
from me for that. But its color was
what had impressed me most. III was OF
n livid ehalky white, and with something
set and rigid about 1t which was shock-
ingIy unnatural. So disturbed was that
7 determined to see a little more or the
new inmates of the cottage. APP
preached and knocked at the door, which
was instantly opened by a tall gaunt wo-
man with a harsh forbldding face.
"'What may you be wantin'Y she
asked. In a northern accent.
81 am your neighbor over yonder'
said I. nodding towards my house. i see
| that you have only just moved In so
| thought If | could be Of any help to you
| in any
LAY. we'll Just ask We when we want
We said She and shut the door in my
| face. Annoyed at the churlish rebuff,
turned my back and walked home. All
evening, though | tried to think of other
| things, my mind would still turn to the
| apparition at the window and the rude
ness of the woman. | determined to say
nothing about the former to my wife,
| for she Is a nervous. highly strung wo-
man, and | had no wish that she should
share the unpleasant impression which
| had been produced upon myself. ] re-
| marked to her, however before | fell
| asleep. that the cottage was now oceu-
| pied, to which she returned no reply.
| II am usually an extremely sound
| sleeper. 1t has been a standing jest In
| the family that nothing could wake me
| during the night. And yet somehow on
! that particular night, whether 1t may
have been the slight excitement pro-
duced by my little adventure or not, but
slept much more lightly than usual
| Half in my dreams | was dmly con-
] scious that something was going on In the
| room, and gradually became aware that
nv wife had dressed herself and was
slipping on her mantle and her bonnet
My lips were parted to murmer out some
sleepy words of surprise or remonstrance
at this untlmely preparation, when sud
denly my half-opened eyes fell upon her
| face Illuminated by the candlelight. and
establishment held me dumb She wore
an expression such as / had never seen
| before-such as | should have thought
her incapable of assuming. She was
deadly pale and breathing fast, glancing
| furtiyely towards the bed as she fas-
tened her mantle, to see If she had dis
turbed me. Then. thinking that l was
still asleep, she slipped noselessly from
the room, and an instant later | heard a
sharp creakng which could only come
from the hinges of the front door. I sat
up In bed and raped my knuckles
against the rail to make certain that |
| uac triIlv awake Then | took nv