Year: 1867

bed he soon fell Into uneasy slumbers:
As the clock down stairs struck tor
midnight he was reused again by his
wife, who said the bell at the front en-
trance had just rung violently. Getting
up, he went down and opened the door,
wondering whatyisitor could be coming
at such late hour. The moon was at
the full, not cloud obscured the clear
wintry sky, and the hemlock grove, the
vacant barn, and the leaf1ess trees
which girdled the silent road, were all
lighted up by q sortgof dim daylight
He saw, ortthought he saw, in the clear
moonlight, q carriage drawn by white
horse, standing at the door. Just then
sudden gust of wind blew out the
flight which hesbore. He turned to re.
Light it with a match. Tho interval
was hardly a moment; but when he
again looked out, he could see
or hear, nothing that wore the
semblance or gave out the sound
of moving mortal. Turning round
he fe-enteredf the house, and then
a soft hand was laid lightly on his arm,
aud an unseen form glided swiftly by,
with rustling sound, as of heavy silk
brushing against some solid substance
It rapidly ascended the stairway, and,
bolting the door, he quickly followed,
holding the light above his head. He
saw nothing; but still the soft rustic
smote on the air, and no~ gentle foot
fall sounded on the carpet. Past his
own room it went, past the children's,
and then paused at the door of remote
chamber, which, as if touched by some
invisible hand, swung open at its COM
ing. Then the brave man entered the
room, and found it as empty and as des-
olate as beggar's pocket.


He went back to his chamber, threw
himself upon his bed, sandl closed his
eyes for another short sluTber. His
wife lay awake, not alarmed, but with
the Thought that no earthly visitors
were breaking the quiet of their peace.
fuf dwelling. Soon she heard loud
rap on the door of their bedroom, and
springing up, awakened her husband.
"WhO are youY What do you want ~
A low, rattling, aud yet musical laugh
was the only answer. 4 Lin j


AS the man rose from the bed and
went to the doorway his wife suddenly
exclaimed: "Its against the wall-a
woman in silk dress and mantillan'
Her husband looked but saw nothing.
Some eyes, it is said, arenaturally open,
and some naturally closed to ghostly
spectacles. p Ea hH


Again the man went to sleep, and
again was awakened by loud noises in
the lower part Of the cottage. This
time they seemed to come from the
kitchen. At first he thought that the
room door was broken IN, then that the
chairs were tossed wildly about, and
then that the stove was thrown across
the room with crash which shook the
whole building. He rose again and
went softly down to the lower story,
but so little of ghostly impression had
all this made upon him that he opened
the kitchen door fully expecting to en-
counter three and perhaps four mortal
Burglars. 'But no human being was
there. The stove was where it had
been, the chairs were in their former
places, and the window stood in no
need Of glazier.


Perplexed and annoyed, he went again
to his chamber and slept out the rest of
the night soundly. Happy results of
healthy nerves and good digestion.


In the morning the aged lady, who
was their guest, said to Mr. King and
his wife: about midnight strange
man came to my bedside. He so fright
ened me that l couldn't make an out
cry. He stood and looked at me, and
then, after a while, began to walk up
and down the room, with his head down
and his hands behind him. l saw him
as plain as 1see you. He was tall, had
large features, slightly gray hair, and
wore long dressing-gOwn."


Two or three years afterward the
family learned that this was true de-
scription of the Colonel and that the
room in which the old lady slept had
been his bedchamber.


10 = [Concluded merit Friday.