Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-12-25


II have heard Of persons whose hair
was whitened through excessive fear,
but never saw any one so affected"
30 ! spoke to DR.. Maynard, as we sat
! on the piazza Of his pretty villa, dis
cussing the different effects Of terror
on dissimilar temperaments. Without
replying to me, the doctor turned to bis
wife and said:
"Helen, will you please relate to my
old friend the incident within your
own experlence2 It is the most con-
vincing argument I can advance"
I looked at Mrs. Maynard In sur
prise. / had observed that her hair,
which was very luxuriant, was white,
but 1t only heightened the brilllancy
Of her fine dark eyes.
The doctor and had been fellow
students, but after leaving college, we
had drifted apart. 1 was now on a
visit to him for the first time since his
marriage.
Mrs. Maynard smiled ms she saw my
eyes fixed on her snowy hair over her
shoulders, and, seating herself by her
husbands side. related the following
story:
1t is nearly two years since my hus-
band was called on one evening to
visit patient several miles away. Our
servants had all gone to wake in the
vicinity, the dead man being a relative
Of one of our serving maids. Thus l
was left alone. But I felt no fear, for
we had never heard of burglars or any
sort OF desperadoes In our quiet vii
iage, then consisting Of a few scatter
ed houses. The windows leading out
on the piazza were open as now, but /
secured the blinds before my husbands
departure, and locked the outside doors,
all except the front one; this 1 left for
the doctor to lock after going out, no
that, If should fall asleep before his
return, he could enter without arous-
ing me. heard the doctors rapid
footsteps on the gravel, quickened by
the urgent tones Of messenger who
awaited him: and, after the sharp
rattle Of the carriage wheels had be-
come but an echo, seated myself and
soon became absorbed in the book 1
had been reading before being disturb
ed by the summons.
But after time my interest sue
cumbed to drowsiness, and 1 thought
OF retiring. Then the clock in the doc
tors study struck twelve, 30 I deter
mined to wait few moments more,
feeling that he would be home very
soon. I closed my book, put on dress
Ing gown, let down my hair, and then
returned to my seat to patiently wait
and listen. Not the falntest sound dis
turbed the stiffness Of the night. Not
breath of air stirred the leaves. The
silence was 80 profound that 1t be-
came oppressive. longed for the
sharp click of the gate-latch and the
well-known step on the gravel walk.
did not dare to break the silence my
self by moving or singing, I was so
oppressed with the deep stiffness. The
human mind Is strange torturer of
itself. began to conjure up vivid
fancies of ghostly vlsltants, in the
midst Of which there occurred to me
the stories 1 had heard from superstI-
tious people about the troubled spirits
of those who had died suddenly. like
the man whom my servants had gone
to wake" who had been killed by an
accident at the sawmIIl.
In the midst of these terrifying re-
Elections, was startled by stealtby
football on the piazza. 1 listened be-
tween fear and hope. 1t might be the
doctor. But no, he would not tread like
that; the step was too soft and eau
tous for anything less willy than a cat.
As listened again, my eyes fixed on
the window blind. saw the Stats
move slowly, and then the rays of the
moon disclosed thin, cadaverous
lace, and bright, glittering eyes, peer
Ing at me. o horror! Who was it?
or what was 1t? / felt the cold pers-
piration start Mt every pore. l seemed
to be frozen in my chair. / could not
move; I could not cry out; my tongue
seemed glued to the roof of my mouth.
while the deathly white face pressed
closer, and the great sunken eyes wan
dered In their gaze about the room. In
q few moments the cautious footsteps
came toward the door, "Merciful
heavens!' crsed, in horror-strlcken
whisper, as heard the sound of the
latch, 1.-THE doctor In his haste must
nave forgotten to turn the key"
I heard the front door open, the step
IN the hall, and, helpless as a statue.
sat riveted to my chair. The parlor
door was open, and in 1t stood tall,
thin man, whom never before beheld.
he was dressed in long, loose robe,
sort Of gabardine, and black velvet
skull-cap partially concealed a broad
forehead, under which cleaned black
eyes, bright as living Goals, and placed
80 near together that their gaze was
preternatural In their distinctness
heavy, grizzled eyebrows hung over
them like the tangled name of lion:
the nose was sharp and prominent;
the chin was overgrown with white
hair, which hung down in locks as
weird as the Ancient Mariners. He
politely doffed his cap, replaced 1t, and
then said, in slightly foreign accent
MADAM, 1t is not necessary for me
to stand on any further ceremony, as
your husband, DR.. Maynard" here be
again bowed profoundly. "has already
acquainted yon with the nature Of my
business here td,nislt, ] pepeelYs,n be
sadedl klhAeHs At my aesIises yshe