Year: 1875

precede her, and with difficulty we
climbed the rickety stairs. Reaching
the landing, we were at first unable to
| discover O single object in the dusky
place but as our ewes became accus-
toned TO the gloom, we beheld in the
! further end of the garret an object that
struck us with unmitigitated terror.
Through crevice dusty beam of
subdued light fell athwart the darkness,
| and rested upon the face of tiend. All
| else was in obscurity we could see only
the coarse gray hair, the head turned
sideways by the strain of the rope, one
eye closed, the other widely open and
shining in the beam of light, as if ogling
death behind the black mass of chimney.
Approaching with cautious steps, we
were enabled to see more plainly. 1t
was the sister, of course and it was evi-
dent she had committed suicide. Still,
there were circumstances of a character
to hint at foul play, yet seemingly not
sufficient strong to warrant anything fur
ther than coroners jury and inquest.
The body was found hanging to a rafter,
and so low was it that the knees of the
corpse rested on the floor. There We're
several bruises and scratches on the face
and body, but none of a determinate ma
ture. In fine, the jury pronounced it
case of sef-destruction and if any per
son. had misgivings as to the correctness
of the verdict, they kept them studious-
ly to themselves.


The body was taken down, assisting,
and decently laid out. The funeral was
appointed for the next day two or three
o. the village women remained through
the day, and until dark. When about to
quit the house it was found that nobody
had been engaged to "set up with the
corpse" Gn the CHASTITY parlance of the
common people,, a ceremony as pune
tiliously observed in those days as it was
foolish and superstitious.


1t was Immediately sought to find
somebody of nerve and will sufficient to
undertake the undesirable task many
were requested, but none obtained
there was a something about the affair
that moved the most careless and bold
to shun the ghostly duty.


At last, finding no one else likely to
undertake it, l volunteered to act ,as
watcher and so about nine o'clock of the
evening, selecting book from my un-
cle's library to help me through sleep
less night, l took my way to the house of
death.


The old woman met me at the door,
and admitted me without word. A
single candle was burning on low ta-
BILE ; the corpse, knew, was lying Ill its
state chamber directly over my head.


Presently the old woman withdrew to
little bedroom adjoining the apartment
i'll which was sitting and in few min
utes l knew by her heavy breathing that
she was asleep.


Ipicked up my book and opened it;
full tales. A strange choice, You may say;
and so it might have been for some, but
/ was never timid. First l read "The
Black Cat ;" but just before reaching its
close, very slight creeping noise
brought me to my proper self in an in
slant it seemed to be in the chamber
overhead, and l soon argued myself into
the belief that it was only the wind
through a broken pane of glass swaying
the window-curtain. Coming to this
conclusion, / felt easier rose walked
to the window, and looked out. A few
clouds were flying through the sky, and
in the west a new moon, Just at set,
cleaned fitfully. At this moment, with
much whirring and wheeling, a venera-
BILE old clock in some distant room tOlled
out the hour Of midnight. / was aston
ish9d at the lateness OF the time /; but on
consulting my watch, found it in perfect
accord wi IN the clock. L went back to
my book, and listening a second, heard
the laborious breathing of the old woman.
an. L began reading the adventure of
Arthur Gordon Pym. How far l had
read, / cannot say, when a wind sprang
up in the trees outside the house, and
walled through the empty rooms hollow
ly. The moon had set, and the clouds
thickened, and again the wind came, but
with new force. Involuntarily l closed
my book, and turning half-round, en-
countered the cleaning eye of the old
beldame, looking out from the partly
opened bedroom door with an express
sion of horror. She Immediately with
drew without saying word !; and again
1 sought to forget myself in my book.


read page after page, and finally
finishing my story, leaned back in my
chair and ruminated on the strange
events in the life of the fabulous Pym.
BY y-and-by found myself nodding, and
only with an effort was enabled to col
lect my scattering fancies. At last /
slept know must have slept, but how
long L have no means of knowing. Did
/ dream, or was it real ? / sprang to my
feet with nervous terror my candle was
Pickering and sputtering in the tube of
the candlestick a terrible shrek was
dying away in the echoing rooms-or
was it only the wind which was now
wailing with added strength9


A slight cold breath of air came
against my cheek. L turned and saw
that the door of the room leading to the
broad staircase was wide open and
glancing nervously up the length of the
stairs / saw, white object just turning
to round off the upper balusters. A
chill horror overcame me and while 1
sat moveless and silent, the wind lulled
an instant, and in the quiet heard a
dull, dragging sound from the regions
overhead. At that instant, as if an outer
door had been opened, a strange draught
of cold air rushed down the staircase,
slamming doors and rattling windows,
futtered the leaves of my book, and
puffed out my feeble candle.