The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-01-24


Gas If she were watching for some /
thing and afraid added my compan-
ion They do say that Doume is real /
" haunted.
"Oh, what funlf / cried I've never
been in a haunted housel'
Il can't see where the fun comes
in" she replied. III / saw anything I
should simply lie down and die
And what is there to see here? I
questioned. eagerly.
Nothing" sne answered, with a
shrug; mo one knows. People are
found dead In their beds without any
marks Of violence-and you know
dead men, and women, tell no talesl"
'But how hideously mysteriousl"
Yes; and there is 12 O'Clock strik-
ing, and l must ask you to see me to
my door, and safe inside it.
The next week went like lightning
what with drives, rides, acting, dan
cling and games the moments few.
Lurline had the knack Of keeping
things going. and Mr.. Rainsford was
an accomplished host, and entered in
to every scheme with zest The one
drawback was his mother, who re-
mained reserved and sternly unap-
proachable. She was by no means
an agreeable old dame, and said as
much to Maud Anstruther There
I is something peculiar about her, | am
convinced"
"And about the castle" she added;
Capt. Forde says so. His brothers
place is within a few miles, and he
declares that he knows for fact,
that within the last five years three
people have died here quite sudden
/ ly. He firmly believes in the ghost.
They say 1t comes only when the
moon is fuIl--a tall figure, that stoops
i over people. and strangles them. A
man he knows, assured him that he
awoke one night smothering- and
/ struggled and shouted. and the thing
. disappeared. 1t always comes by
moonlight
I Bennett, my maid Ia severe elGsTly
person, who kept us all in order),
I was anxious that we should bring our
stay to a conclusion.
Miss Dolly" she said as she held
my hair firmly in her hand, will you
make some excuse, and go? There's
something not right in this house; a
lady was found dead in this wing
years back--a young footman came
to a queer end once-and it's not
IL months since a housemaid met
her death They are all alike in one
particular-not mark or sign npor
the corpse-its just the work of tht
dead"
Il have no intention of leaving this
Bennett, simply because you choose
v to listen to stories" I answered. II
people have died in the castle-peo
pie must die somewhere!"
| But not as they die here" she re
sponded, in hollow voice withou
i sickness or warning" And she tug
ged at my hair till / could hav
T screamed.
Two nights later-when It was ful
moon-I pulled aside the curtains. AM
suffered the searching white light t
a flood my room. For some moments
gazed out of the window on the grea
park, with its somber woods, and III
lands bathed in silver. Then, as
was very tired. / got into bed, an
al slept soundly. But what was thi
a which awoke me-this horrible ser
81 sation of suffocation?-wa it 81
a called nightmare? No; somebody wa
4. steadily pressing. with pitiless dea
{. weight, the pillow over my face.
= : struggled, at first uselessly and wilt
i ly--for the thing, whatever 1t wa
- leaned over me with redoubled fore,
u But / was a muscular girl. Not
,st vain have / rowed and swan; m
strength was often the subject Of NJ
IN Rainsford's S jokes, and now / put
no forth to save my very life. With a
no extraordinary effort I wrenched asid
~ the hands that pressed the pillow-a
nd other frantic struggle. and tore Il
vit pillow from the thing-whether gho
u or fiend, must breathe. or die!
in / breathed; ! uttered faint excl
,le mation-for in the apparition, Il
nd would-be murderer, I recognized n
lat kind host Mr. Rainsford. Mr.. Rain
eir ford wearing long gray dressin
govn-his face distorted with an e
no preston Of diabolical fury-in b
mo eyes the wild glare Of maniacl
nd As sat up painting and staring,
tly vanished, and there was nothing whs
ON ever TO recall the recent scene, b
,at my labored breath, and the d
i'd placed pillow. AS / lifted it, sign
a ring fell on the floor. This carri
gas to the. window. and recognized t
try Rainsford crest my hosts own PFC
erty.
md Now / understood Lurline's gr
ers hairs, the old lady's repugnance
en- strangers - unhappy womenl th
ne we're both in the secret; they we
"a aware Of the strain Of insanity in I
md family-the curse Of homicldal man
ira But if his mother halfsuspected,
wife never dreamed that her husba
.aa. was the cause Of the various mys
-.