The Irish standard., 1906-06-02

landscape with beautiful mellow
light.
The children slept sountl!y and the
mother kept her vigil until the clock
struck four. The rhanticleerS of the
neighhorhood began their challenges
and YEARLY she fell into an un,l's-
turbed sleep.
Nigh, after night this noise went
on; night after night at exactly half
past eleven the stcalthy force manifest
ed itself and the mothers vigil would
commence again.
One night in March some friends
came in and stuid late chatting over
many things that all were interested in.
They finally said gund-by at little
after II o'clock. midnight. The emil
tlren had fallen asleep on the sofa. nr
on the carpet near the mothers feet.
and considering them. she thought hnw
| impossible II would be to lift the hc.,Ni-
er ones to- their beds s" taking off their
shoes. she brought comforts and tucked
them comfortably in ANA WAS soon in
her own bed near the pinctrrr window.
the clock strike two and remembering
smiled tn think tina, no disturbing
noises had been heard so far and even
tried to think she had been nervous or
"vcr-scnsi,vc on other nights.
Happily thinking thus. she fen asleep
from which she awakened to hear ago
nizrd screams for "Alnmnnt Nothing
| but mortal terror could give that tone
| To- those voices. ANA rushing bli!lly
toward the n,rur she first encountered
| the wounded boy. whose hands were
hot and whose eyes wildly staring.
screaming. VIVA, Was that dreadful
thing" The other children ram to !,rr.
| ami as soon as she could control her
! self. she found that the floor under her
feet was hcavng like :: paper blown in
the wind. the closed shutters were,
shaking as If grasl"d by 81 powerful
hand aud the insd" doors
were alternately struck and
shaken by hands that seemed powerful
enough to tear them from their hinges
rrc.nbIing She rndc;,voisd to snnth.
the children by aSSur:incrS that the
noise was from some nntur:, cause ana
in II few minutes c:illn"d and rraSSurr,l
they were in bed.
The mother then examined tho ind.
ANA outside of the house. 80 wiuh
nothing anywhere visible. ANA COM
plctcly hopeless and worried. 81.
passed Il night of fear. This was tn,
first ANA only time that the InHnifeSta-
lions disturbed the children.
The next night instead OF appearing
at the window the noise. came I" thu
door that separated the dining-r room
and bedroom. An TX being driven
through pine boards. driving and split :
ting as If to make kindIing wood
would make the same noise that nov
came from The door. while {, slight
trcuior was pcrccptblc through lll'
house.
Although she stood at the edge Of thu
door. with a lighted lamp in her hand
no cause for the noise could be discov-
cred. Though almost dcafcning, NJ
visible power could be seen.
Being dcvnut Catholics the f:Lmil.
believed. of course, in the power Of
holy water to dispc many evils. and
when the mother at last rcsnrtcd t.
sprinkling the door with blessed water
the thought to herself that in so do
ing she practically admitted that tho
disturbing element was something not
to be explained and altogether beyond
the control of human agencies
Being of Il proud ana rclicent nature,
she had never mentioned her trouble to
stantIv Increasing worry, for after the
noise left the door it appeared on the
footbOard and headboArd Of the bed
shaking and tearing both without lcav-
ing the slightest scratch, she resolved
to give up the house. The last night
| she spent in it her husband was at
home and the bed was raised off the
floor altogether, although both were
lying in it at the time. While this was
taking place, terrific blows seemed