The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-06-19

LOT the creature was very shy. Curious
~ enough, though, Inow ate very little.
l did not feel hunger. In fact, was
dying by inches. All my vital powers,
bodily and mental, seemed as if slowly
and painlessly fading away. This lie.
thargic habit began to Cypress me seri-
ously in the beginning of October and
continued into the month of November.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE GHOST.
Once while was in this lax and
spiritless condition, highly nervous, too,
as have NJ doubt, l became suddenly
aware that something was passing me
by, not in front, but behind me and
very close. OF course l saw nothing.
The sensation was something like that
of person who in dark room becomes
aware, he does not know how, OF the
presence and proximity of another per-
son. My fire was on smooth, inclined
rock, or rather on the smooth, inclined
floor of the cavern, which, from where
lay, sloped rather sharply down to the
seals pool. My hearth, so to speak.
and the floor Immediately around it
were level. pitched upon this spot as
my resting place because from it the
light of tho fire not only illuminated
the pool and allowed me to see my seals
at their gambols there, but threw GER
tain pleasant reflections on the rugged
projections of tho opposite wall of the
cave-that on the same side with the
pool. Between the fire and the other
wall of the cavern at this point there
was only the distance of four or five
feet. usually lay or sat facing the
pool, therefore, with my back to this
wall. 1t was between me and it and
close behind me that the thing. what
ever it was, seemed to pass. l had new
or seen "a ghost. never believed in
them. More than once when l wanted
timber for any work might have had
on hand have sailed forth ut night to
get what l required in an adjoining
graveyard. There was one separated
from the rectory by single field, and
i'll corner of this were all manner of
boards, generally decayed, but some
sound enough for my purpose. had
never even taken an imaginative delight
in ghost stories, which seemed to give
others such singular and unaccountable
pleasure. fancy was of too active u
habit of mind and body for that form
of pleasure. At the moment l was
thinking of home and even of home
scene more calculated than others to dis
pei evil imagination. was thinking
i'll fact, of our household, tho family,
tho domestics and two outdoor servants
assembled in tho breakfast room ut fam
lily prayers and of my fathers appear
unce and manner when, us was his GUS
tom, he prayed extempore, including in
his petitions many things of local and
family interest. Like nearly all tho
rural clergy of that time, his principles
and practices were of the low church OF
evangelical school.
While SO brooding, rejecting and i'm
agining as l sat over my fire, sleepy,
too, rs l usually was in those days, sud,
denly felt curious sensation of cold
and then became aware Of this thing,
person or whatever it was passing INC
by. l dare say my hair stood OH end.
l certainly felt the most extraordinary
sensation, as Of thousand needles driv-
en- into my head and such sense OF
horror and fear as never experienced
before and hope never shall again. am
ashamed to say, too, that l screamed,
and with what II noise that scream rang
through the long and lofty cavern. with
it's various galleries, can DO imagined.
l heard great splashing in tho seals
pool. 1t WIS my seals plunging into
tho water when they heard the scream.
| ran down to tho water, quaking in ev-
cry limb, or rather tumbled forward
in that direction, for remember fall
ing more than once and afterward found
my knees badly cut as well as tho low
or part of tho palms of my hands near
the wrists. In fact, fled to my seals
for protection against this thing. They
were alive. real and natural, and has
tened to thom quite instinctivcly, az
one might to any human companions
ship from the dread of that which was
uncanny and supernatural or what SEEM
ed such. But had cffectually fright
ened tho seals. They had plunged
through the water into their tunnel and
disappeared. Presently, however, saw
them again in the opening of tho tun-
mel, four or five black heads close to-
gether, with their round eyes. filled with
wonder, glittering in tho light shed
upon them from my fire, which was
blazing brightly at tho time. A little
before my alarm in that manner had
hcaped up some fresh timber, which
was now sending out n good blaze.
spoke to my seals, called them to me,
and in few seconds they calne to me.
The moment l laid my hands on their
heads felt Gained, and although Istill
quaked l felt my courage and self con-
troll returning. knew had need of
them, for was certain that would
see this thing again.
The apparition, rs l was aware, had
passed mo from tho right hand to the
left as l sat-that is to say, coming
from tho interior of the cave and going
toward the entrance, or, in other words,
from the gallery in which was the TOM
and going toward Curry's Window. 1T
will pass this way again, returning"
said to myself. am not sure that am
speaking correctly when l say that l
determined to watch for its reappcar-
ance. 1t would be perhaps more cor
rect to say that my gaze was drawn in
the direction of the fire by horrible
fascination. After time, which SEEM
ed an age, but which was exactly s