Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-03-25

house. for the purpose. and had
caught the infection of curiosity. AS
soon as he had gone began to ques.
ton Miss Rutlcdgc about the haunted
room. She told me that during the
early part of the eighteenth century
one of her ancestors had been murder
ed there. lie had married the daughter
OF a neighborlng planter. She loved
and was loved by another This lover
came TO the house, and during an alter.
cation between him and the husband
IN this room the latter had been stab.
bed there. Since then every one who
had tried to sleep In the chamber had
been driven ont by the appearance OF
the murdered man.
The most natural thing In the world
for lover is to try TO make hero
Of himself. Virginia was full Of mill.
tary heroes. and as such I was merely
one Of thousands. resolved to do
what could to show my courage by
sleeping In the haunted room. Miss
Rutledge begged me not to try 1t since
Nht NhHA il'ictl WIZ Mtto NnlVN u
into fever which. being followed by
other symptoms. finally carried him off
was resolute, because IN the first
place believed haunted chambers
to be n myth. and in the second
II anything marvellous did occur II
would give me the desired opportunity
to show my pluck. The evening be.
fore Klrkwood was moved sent word
to the general that If could be spared
from headquarters would stay all
night ut the plantation with Kirkwood
He sent back an order for me to re.
main.
pledged Miss Rutledge TO say moth
ing about my intention to sleep In the
haunted chamber. hoping In this way
to head Off any one who might be dis.
posed to play ghost. She prepared the
room herself for my occupancy. keep
ing watch that no one should see her
doing so. ! waited till late hour be
fore going TO 60, when not person
besides myself and Miss Rutledgc. ex.
cept In the invalld's chamber. was
stirring. Then went to the room I
had occupied whenever had remain
ed for the night and. removing my
boots, stole in the dark TO the haunted
chamber
That my presence there might not be
betrayed | took or my clothes in the
dark. Feeling sure that the parts OF
ghosts are always played by persons in
the flesh and that no one on this side
OF the dead line knew that the room
was occupied. went to sleep within
reasonable time
awoke with n start. At the other
end of the room | saw glimmering
such as appears In the east Mt the first
faint dawn. | watched II and soon
saw that II was increasing. both
spreading and growing In intensity
II grew till that end OF the chamber
was Illuminated. or. rather. II seemed
that there was no end to the chamber.
but misty. III defined space Then !
saw In this space the bed In which
lay and asleep In II figure. a door
opened. and man dressed In the cos.
tune in vogue at the end of the eight
zenith century stole stealthily toward
the bed. Reaching it. quick as fash
he buried knife in the sleeper's hos
ON. Then all was dark again.
! felt all the horror one experiences
in seeing n murder In cold blood. For
more than year had seen mon
killed continually. sometimes thousands
at time. but that was under the ex-
hilaration Of battle. The vision. or
whatever 1t was. left me all OF trem
Bile. There being no further use for
concealment. lighted candle that
stood on a small table beside my bed
would have given half my fortune
was rich--io leave that bedroom. but
my love for Lillian Rutledge was
greater than my fear | had come
there TO show her my pluck. and did
not propose TO show the white feath'
or. Yet | would have infinitely pre-
ferred TO lead forlorn hope against
battery OF n hundred guns.
had not long 10 wait for dawn. and
" hen through a window came its first
beams blew out my candle and with
In half an hour had so far recovered
from my disagreeable sensations ms to
fall asleep.
Shortly before o O'Clock went down
TO breakfast. feeling AT liberty 10 play
the hero. since no one had seen me dur
ing the night shaking like n leaf In the
wind However. that's what we boys
did often during the war. II we tenn
lorarily lost our grip ON our courage
we looked about 10 learn who had seen
us. Miss lulledge's mother and other
members of the family were present,
So nothing was said about my expert
cnce. assumed n careless deport.
ment. though confess ] had not get
recovered my nerves. Finally was
alone with Miss Rutledge and she
looked AZ me lnquiringly. confessed
that had seen n vision OF murder
"And stayed In the room?" she asked
quickly.
"Yes only left il Just before break.
fast"
I failed TO add that II was the hard