The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1922-02-10

! my eyes became accustomed tot h
} gloom, and | saw, clearly enough
} great apartment all in disirder
the bed without sheets. yet with it,
mattress and its pillows. one Of
which bore the deep impress of al
elbow or a head, as if some one
had just lain on it.
THE chairs seemed all in confu
sion. l noticed that a door Unto q
closet, no doubt) had remained halt
open
Il went first to the window t {
i let in some light. and l opened it,
but the iron fastenings of the out
side shutter were so rusty that
could not make them yield.
Il even tried to break them with
my sabre, but without success. And
as I was growing angry at these
useless efforts, and as my eyes had
at last perfectly accustomed them
selves to the darkness, | gave up
the hope of seeing more clearly.
and went to the desk.
Il seated myself in an armchair,
lowered the shelf and opened the in
oicated drawer 1t was full to the
top. l needed only three packets.
which | knew how to tell And
set myself to looking.
Il was straining my eyes to deci-
pher the inscriptions, when behind
me | thought | heard a slightrus-
tie. | paid no heed to it, thinking
that current of air had made some
of the hangings stir. But, in
minute, another almost impercepti-
BILE movement caused a singular,
unpleasant little SILVER to pass over
my skin. 1t was so stupid to be
even in the least degree nervous
that | would not turn round, being
ashamed of myself in my own pres
ence. I had then just discovered
the second of the bundles which
wanted. And now, just as lit up
on the third, the breath of great /
and painful sigh against my Shout
der caused me to give one mad
leap two yards away. In my start
ha6 turned quite round, with my
hand upon my sabre, and if I had
not felt it by my side I should
have run like a coward
"a tall woman dressed in white
stood looking at me from behind the
rm-chair in which, a second be-
ore, I had been sitting.
"Such shudder ran through my
imbs that | almost fell backward
III, no one who has not felt it can
Understand a dreadful yet foolish
ear like that. The soul fairly
lelts away, you are conscious Of a
cart, no longer; the whole body be- I
ONES as lax as a sponge; and you
Tould say that everything within I
on was falling to pieces.
81 do not believe in ghosts at ALL
We'll, l tell you that at that mo-
tent l grew faint under the hid !.
Dus fear OF the dead And from
he irresistible anguish caused by
Ipernatural terrors l suffered, oh.
suffered in a few seconds more
ian l have done all the rest of my
Re. h
IF she had not spoken l should C
srhaps have died But she did a
'eak; she spoke in a sweet and "
'lorous voice which made my 81
'rves culver l should not ven u
re to say that ] became master
myself and that l recovered nv
ason. No. | was so frightened y
at / no longer knew what was -
ing; but kind OF personal dig -
ty which | have in me, and also ~
little professional pride, enabled
? to keep up an honorable coun- Dis
nance almost in spite OF myself. hi
sed for my own benefit, and for re
RS, no doubt-for hers, woman o. liz
sctre, whatever she might be. wi
alyzed all this later, because, I as hi
re you, that at the instant of the
partition l did not do much think
:. | was afraid. 90
'She said I'M
. oh, monsieur, you can do me
great servicel ~,
L tried to answer, but it was
lply impossible for me TO utter a
I'd. A vague sound issued from th'
throat
She continued:
VIII you do it? You can save ="
cure me. I suffer dreadfully
uffer, oh, / suffer,'
And she sat down gently in my
l-chair. She looked at me:
Will you do it?' sHs
/ made a sign yes with M