The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-02-11

to SEND a chill down my back. I was
some little way off, so that | could not
make out the features, but there was
something unnatural and inhuman
about the face. That was the impress
sion that l had, and 1 moved quickly
forwards to get a nearer view of the
person who was watching me. But as
/ did SO the face suddenly disappeared,
so suddenly that it seemed to have
been plucked away into the darkness
of the room. / stood for five minutes
thinking the business over, and trying
to analyze my Impressions. | could
not tell if the face were that of a man
or a 1t had been too far from
me for that. But its color was what
had impressed me most. 1t was of a
livid chalky white, and with something
set and rigid about it which was shock
ingly unnatural. So disturbed was l
that l determined to see a little more
of the new inmates of the cottage. 1
approached and knocked at the door,
which was instantly opened by a tail,
gaunt woman with a harsh, f%orbidding
face.
"'What may you be wantin'?' she
asked. in a Northern accent.
81 am your neighbor over yonder,'
said ], nodding towards my house. I
see that you have only just moved in,
so I thought that if l could be of any
help to you in any
LAY, Wen just ask We when we
want ye,' said she, and shut the door
in my face. Annoyed at the churlish
rebuff, 1 turned my back and walked
home. All evening, though l tried to
think of other things, my mind would
still turn to the apparition at the Win
dow n the rudeness of the woman.
I determined to say nothing about the
former to my wife, for she is a nervous,
highly strung woman, and | had no
wish that she should share the I'M
pleasant impression which had been
produced upon myself. / remarked to
her, however, before / fell asleep, that
the cottage was now occupied, 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 ever
wake me during the night. And yet
somehow on that particular night,
whether it may have been the slight
excitement produced by my little adj
venture or not I know not, but l slept
much more lightly than usual. Half
in my dreams 1 was dimly conscious
that something was going on In The
room, and gradually became aware
that my wife had dressed herself and
was slipping on her mantle and her
bonnet. My lips were parted to muir
muir out some sleepy words of surprise
or remonstrance at this untimely
preparation, when suddenly my half
opened eyes fell upon her face, illu-
minated by the candle light, and as
constituent held me dumb. h 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 furtively towards the bed
as she fastened her mantle, to see If
she had disturbed me. Then, thinking
that I was still asleep. she slipped
noiselessly from the room, and an in
slant later / heard a sharp creaking
which could only come from the hinges
Of the front door. l sat up in bed and
raped my knuckles against the rail to
make certain that l vas truly awake.
Then / took my watch from under
the pillow. 1t was 3 in the morning.
What on this earth could my wife be
doing out on the country road at 3 in
the morning?
II had sat for about twenty minutes
turning the thing over in my mind