,f Ix 1 thtistgi: - 000 1, CIWCPCIMELTP COEMOCIIIMEIMPIMEMDIRN, Neatly and Promptly Breast e d, at LM. ADVEBTISE3 037/102, .LEBAIOX, PENN'A . , , Tem este Mimi. le non entiplied :With tiniiitinutve lesentment of JOB , TYPE, which will be increased as the pstrosage demands. It. Mn now turn out PUNTING, Of ilovldelffilitkn l / 4 11 1 nest and expeditious monum— ent oritry wearombleterres. Such as Pamphlets, Chocks Boohoos .Coxdo; Circular* Boleti* Bill Itoildingt, Blanks, BitOipantnios t Bills of Botil t - .38 1 0ittidotoi, Tickets. Be., itlor of adtichnisti and.lndgmen BONDI. "Mg , Julkoortiolultibloe aud other Wolin, printed oorrootly and neatly on the best raper, constantly kept fpr ot this aflice, at prices " to suit the time." strWarletkie price of OwLEBANON `ADVELBATERE Ono Dollar and a Half a Year. Address. We. 3t. Denetnt, Lebanon, Pa. * } ryfatug knit. EEO lIATY TED, AND I'NE HA.uNTERS; OR TUE NORSE AND THE BRAIN. A Friend'ol Mine, who is a man of Utters and a philosopher, said-to me one day, as if between jest and, earn. . e!ist,—“Paney since we last met, 1 - have discovered a haunted house .in Zthe,hiidttlnf -London." • • •'• "Really haunted ?—and by what ...ghosts ?It I can't answer these . ques tions; all I know is this—sir weeks ago I and my wife werein search of a furufshod apartment. Passings quiet street, we saw on the window of one 'Of the houses a bill, ''Apartments Furnished.' The situation suited us : .we entered the house—liked the • rooms—engaged them by the week them the third day. No .power on earth could havereeonciled my Wife to stay longer; and I don't wondeint it." "What did you see ?" ."Exouse me—l have no desire to ,be ridiculed as a superstitious dream er..-nor, on the other hand, could I flask you to accept on my affirmation what you would hold . to be incredible without the evidence of your own Senses. Let me only say MIS," it was not so much what we saw or heard (in which you,might fairly suppose , that we were the dupes of our own excited fancy, or the victims of im- posture in others) that drove us away as it was undefinable terror which seized both of us whenever we passed by the door of a certain unfurnished r . lr,ocnn, in which we neither saw nor —heard anything. And the strangest marvel of all was, that for once in my lifer agreed with my wife, silly wo man though she be—and allowed, af ter the third night, that it was im possible tostay a fourth in that house. .iLecordingly on the fourth morning I summoned the woman that kept the house and attended on us, and told her that the rooms did not . quite suit usi And:we would not stay out our She said dryly, 'I know why, you have staid longer than any other lodger. Few ever staid, u second night ; nono before you a third. But. I take it they have been very kind. to -•; • • " ' l Theywho?' . I asked affecting a • smile. 'Why, they who haunt the house, whoever they are. I don't mind them ; I remember them many years ago, when I lived in this house, not as & servant ; but I know they Will. .hiiithS death of me some day. I don't ears—l'm old, and must soon die any ; and then I shall be with, them, and in this house still. The woman spoke with so drew a calmness, that renlly it was a sort of awe that -pre vented my conversing with her far, tber. 1 paid for my ;a-4,0c, and too 4, %MT/ were I and my,ivite to get WS, :so eheaPly:". "You ex,eite my curiosity," said I; "nothing should I like better than to :Sleep in a haunted house. Pray give me the address of the one which, you 'left 5Q Ignominiously." • Afir friend pie - me the addmar; aid when we parted, I walked straight towards the house thus _in dic#ted. . • .It it situated on the north side of Oxford Street, in a dull but respeeta ble thoroughfare. I found, the house shut up--no bill at the window, and no response to my knock. As I was turning away, a beer-boy, collecting pewter pots at the neighboring areas, said to me, "Do you want any one at that house sir ?" "Tea, I heard it was to let." 'Let I—why, the woman who kept It is dead—has been dead these three weeks, and no one can be found to stay there, though Mr. J . -- offered, ever so much. Ho offered mother, who chars for him, 41 a-week just to open and shut :the -windows, and she would not.' mWould not l--and why ?" -. "The house is haunted ; and the old woman who kept it was found 'dead in herbed; with her eyes wide open. They say the devil strangled her." "Pooh I—you speak of Mr. .I—. is he the owner of the house 7" Jy es. ” -"Where does he live 7" "In G--- Street, No.—." "What is he?—in any business ?" ,"No, sir—nothing particular ; a single gentleman." gave the pot-boy the gratuity earned by' his liberal information, and proceeded to Mr. J---, in Street, which was close by the street that boasted the haunted house. I Was hicky enough to find Mr. J— et home—an elderly man, with intel ligent countenance and prepossessing manners. I communicated my name and my business frankly. I said I beard the house was considered to be haunted— that I had a strong desire to examine a house with so equivocal a reputa tion—that I should be greatly obliged if he would allow me to hire it, though only for a night. was wil ling, to pa 7 for that privilege what ever he might be ; fl at t ed to. ask "me- said Mn, with , pent ~tow "the house is as r ail ap.. 11110 i OM' 4irti 6.A0:4),* VOL. 16 -- NO. 7. you please. Rent is out of the ques tion—the obligation will be On my side should you be able to discover the cause of tNii strange phenomena Which at preSent deprives it ofull val ue. I cannot let it, for I cannot even get a servant to keep it in order or answer, the . door. Unluckily the house is haunted, if I may use that expressioni not only by night, but by day; though, at night the disturban ces are of - a more unpleasant and sometimes of a more alarming char acter. . The poor old . woman who died in it three weeks ago was a pita per whom I - took out of a workhouse, for in her childhood she had been known to some of my family, and had once been in such good circumstances that she had rented that house of my uncle. She was a woman of superior education and strong mind, and was , the only person I could ever induce in 111 the house. Indeed!, since, her death, which was sudden, and.the coroner's inquest, which gave it a no toriety in the neighborhood, I have so despaired of finding any person to take charge ofit, much more a tenant, that I would willingly let it rent-free fora year to any one who would pay its rates and taxes." "How long is it since the house ac quired this sinister character ?" "That I can scarcely tell you, but very many years since. The old wo man I spoke of said it was haunted when she rented it between thirty and forty years ago. The fact is that my life has been: spent in the East. Indies, and in the civil service of the Company. I returned to Eng land last year, on inheriting the for tune,of anuncle, amongst whose pos sessions was the house in question. I found it shut up and uninhabited. I was told that it was, haunted, that no one would inhabit it. I smiled at what seemed to me so idle a story. ',spent some money in repainting and roofing it—added to its old-fashioned furniture a few modern articles—ad vertised - it, and obtained a lodger for a year. He was a colonel retired on half pay. He came in with his fami ly, a son and a daughter, and four or five servants: they all left the house the next day, and although they de poned that they had all seen some thing different, that something was equally terrible to all. I really could not-in conscience sue, or even blame, the colonel fOr breach of agreement. Then I put in the old woman I have spoken of, and she was empowered to let the house in apartments. I never bad one lodger who stayed more than three days. Ido not tell their sto ries—to no two lodgers have there been 'exactly the same phenomena re peated. It is better that yen should judge for yourself,. than...ebter: the house with an imagination iniluenced by previous narratives ; only.-be pre pared to see and to hear something or other, and take whatever precau- Lions you yourself please." "Have you never had a curiosity yourself to pass a night iu Oat house ?'' "Yes. I passed not a night, but three hours in broad daylight alone in that house. My curiosity is , not satisfied, but it is quenched. 1 have 'no desire to renew , the experiment. You cannot complain, yell see, sir, that I ain notaufficientlycandid and unless your interest be exceedingly eager— and 'your, nerves unusually strong, I honestly add, that I advise you not to' pass -- a night in that house." "My interest is exceedingly keea," said I, "and - though only a coward will boast of his nerves in situations wholly familiar to him, yet my nerves have been seasoned in such variety of danger that I have the right to rely—on them—even in a haunted hou4" Mr..il—skid very little more i • he took the keys Of the house out of bureau, gave them tome,—and thank ing him cordially for his frankness, and his disband concession to my wish, 1 I carried off my prize. Impatient for my experiment, as soon as I reached , home, I summoned my confidential servant—a young man of gay spirits, fearless temper, and as free from superstitious preju dice as any one !could think of. nF—," said I, "you remember in Germany bow disappointed we were at not finding a ghost in that old castle, which was said to be haunted by a headless apparition ?—well,. have heard of a house in London which, I have reason to hope, is de. eidedly haunted. I mean to sleep there to-night. From what I hear, there is no doubt that something will allow itself to be seen or to be heard —something,. perhaps, ' excessively horrible. Do you think, if I take you with me, I may rely on your presence of mind, whatever may hap pen ?" "Oh, sir I pray trust me," answered grinning with delight. "Very well,—then here, are the keys of the house—this is the address. Go now,--select for me any bedroom you please; and since the house , has not been inhabited for weeks, make up a good fire—air the bed well—see of course, that there are candles as well as fuel. Take with you my re volver and my dagger—so much for my weapons—arm yourself equally ; as well and if we are not a match for a dozen ghosts, we shall he but a sorry couple of Englishmen." I was engaged for the rest Of the day on business so urgent that I had not leisure to think much on 'the noel turnal adventure to which had plighted my honour. I dined alone, and Very late, while dining, 4tead, ae ,is uiyhabit. The volnma spieeted 'vrai One of : t hou g ht to ,iygelttlat X wto,tila , A*bear it iStt. $11.10"-.:*At 4 ; J .„:: • • " = Ce.. - b...;:ai - aU 411 , much of healthfulness in the style, and practical' life in the subjects, that it would serve as an antidote against the influence of-superstitious fancy. Accordingly, about; half past, nine, I put the book into icy pocket,. and strolled leisurely.towards the haunted house. I took. .with, me a favorite' dog,—an exceedingly sharp,, bold, and vigilant :bull-terrier,--a dog fond ',of :prowling about strange ghostly corners and passages at night in search of rats—a dog of dogs= for ghost:'; It was :a summer night, but chilly, the sky somewhat gloomy and over cast. Still there was a moon—faint and sickly, but still :a moon—and if 'the clouds permitted, after midnight it would be brighter. 'I reached the house, knocked, and my 'servant opened , with a cheerful smile. sirrand verycomforta- "Oh !" said I, rather disappointed; "have you not seen nor heard any thing remarkable?" - "Well,.sir, I must own, T have heard something queer." "What ?—what ?" "The sound • °fleet pattering be hind me ; and once or twice small. noises like whispers close at my ear— nothing more." • • "You,are noti,at all frightened' • "I! not.a bit of it sir ; and the mates bold look, reassured me on one point—viz. that, happenwhat; might, he would not desert me. . We were in the hall, -the street door closed, and -my . attention was now drawn to my dog, He had at first ran in eagerly enough, but had sneaked back to . the door, and was scratching and whining to get out.— After patting him , on the head, and encouraging him gently; the dog seemed to reconcile himself to the sit- : nation and followed me -and through the house, but keeping close to my heels instead of hurrying in quisitively in advance, which was, his usual and normal habit in - all strange places. We first visited the subter ranean apartments, the kitchen and other offices, and especially the cel lars, in which last there were two or three bottles of wine still left in a bin covered with cobwebs, and evidently, by their appearance, undisturbed for many years. - It "was clear that the ghosts were not winebibbers. For , the rest we discovered nothing of in terest. There was a „gloomy little back-yard, with very high -walls.— The stones of this yard were very damp,—and-what with the damp, and what with the dust and smoke-grime on the pavement,-our feet left-a slight impression Wlkero,, passed. And now appeared the firfit strange like- nomenon nomenon witnessed-by myself-in this strange abode.- I saw, just before me the print of a foot suddenly form it self, as it were. I stopped, caught hold of my servants and pointed to it.. In advance of that footprint us sud denly dropped another. We both saw it. I advanced quickly to the pia%) ; the footprint kept advancing before in e; a small footprint—the toot of a child : the impression was too faint thoroughly . to distinguish the shape,- but it-seem - ed to us, both that -it. was the print , of -•a naked foot: This phenomenon ceased:when we ar. rived at the opposite wall, nor did it repeat itself on -,returning. We re mounted the stairs, - and entered the rooms on the ground floor, -a• dining parlour; a small back parlour, and a, still smaller:third room that had been probably appropriated to a footman —all still as death. We - then visited the drawing rooms, which seemed fresh and new. In the front rooni I seated myfielf in an arm chair. F-- placed ou the_ table the candlestick with which he hadlighted us. I told him to shut the door. As he turned to do so, a chair opposite to me mov ed from the wall quickly, and- noise lessly, and dropped itself abent, a yard from my own chair immediately front ing it. . "Why, this is better than. the turn ing-tables;"..said I,- with a half ;laugh ,---and as I laughed my dog put, back his head .and howled. coining, back, had notoob served the movement of the chair.— Tie-employed himself now in stilling tho dog. I continued to gaze on the chair, and fancied Isaw on it a pile blue misty outline of a human figure, but an outline ,so indistinct that I could ,only distrust my -own vission. The dog now was quiet "Put back that chair opposite to me," said Ito F—; "put it back to-the wall." F— obeyed. "Was that yon sir ?" said he, turning abruptly. "I—what ?" "Why, something struck me. I felt it sharply on the shoulder—just here." "No," said I. "But we have jug glers present, and though we, may not discover their tricks, we shall catch them before they frighten us." We did not stay long in the draw ing rooms—in fact, they felt so damp and so chilly that I was glad to get to the fire up-stairs. We 'locked the doors of the, drawing rooms—a pre caution which, I should observe, we had taken with all the rooms we had. searched below. The bedroom My servant had seleotod for me was the best on the floor—a large ono, with two windows fronting the street.— The four-posted bed, which took up no, inconsiderable space, was opposite to the, Are, which burned' Clear and bright ; a door in the wall to the left, between the bed and the window, 9 oramtinioatecl with the room which ray servant appropriated to himself; 'This last was a, small room *ith aso. faJbed,'An4; Ind i cornraunica,tpqa ;44tbithe leading plic*- - -ztoi Absai door that witililosistdstated toriath Wit i 3 0 ,1 vol , oil6llin irrodf.: t _bc.“l-1 1 fft !Pt: 7rSilmiT MEI LEBANON, PA., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1864. rOOlll I was., i to occupy. On either side of my.fite place was a cupboard, without locks, flushed with the wall, and covered*ith the same dull.brown paper. We examined these cupboards —only hookino suspend female dress es—nothing-W:se ; we sounded,itha walls--evidently solid—the ..outer walls of the lititilding. Having flhish ed the survey of these apartments, warmed mYstga few moments, and lighted my cigar, I then, still accom panied by F- 2 =-'-;., went forth to ~•com-, plete my reconnoitre. In the 'land ing place there was another door; it was firmly , closed. ‘ 4 4 Sir, " said ffiy servant in surprise, "I unlocked this door with alt the others when :I first came; it cannot have got locked from the inside, for it is a—" Before he bad finished his sentence; . the door, ,which ' neither of mg then was touchineopened - qUietiy of itself. We looked fiteol other-a, siiigle stant. - The-tatine thought seized both —some bean agency might be de tected here. I rushed in first, my servant followed. A small blank dreary room without furniture—a few' empty boxes and haniliers in a corner —a small )vindow—the shutters clog ed—not even a - fire:• rilace—nO3other door but that by which-We had enter ed—no carpet on the? -floor,lnd the, floor seemed very old, uneven, worm' eaten, mended here, and there, as was shown by the whiter patches on the wood; but no liyinglieing, and no visi ble place in which a living.being could have hidden. As - -'We - stood gazing round,-tie door by'which welled- , dn tered closes as quietly as At .had before opened:: we were , imprisoned'. For the first time I felt".a creep of undefinable horror. Not so 'my ser vant. "Why, they don't think to trap us, 'sir, I could break that trumpery''door with a kick of my foot." "Try, firstif, to your hand,' said I„ shaking off ,the :vague apprehensien that had seized me, "while I open 'the shUtters and see what is with Out" I unbarred the shutters—the win dow looked on the little ,hack-yard have hefore-described ; there was no ledge without—nothing but sheer de scent. roman getting out of that window would have' foand any foot ing till ho hart fallen on the stones be low. meanwhile, was vainly at; tempting to open the door. He now turned round to me, and asked my permission tons° force. And I should here state, in justice to the servant, that, far from evincing any supersti tious terrors, his nerte, composure, and even gaiety amidst circumstances so eXtramAittr'siirtrefred - my -toln riiil6ll3" arid 'male tile, congratulate my- Belton having secured a companion in every way 'fitted to the occasion.— ' willingly gave hiin the permission he required. Bat . though he was a remarkably strong man, his force was as idle as his milder efforts ; the door did not even shake to his ;stoutest kirk. Breathless and plaiting he de sisted. I then tried .the door equally in vain. As I ceased from the..efrort, again that creep of horror Caine over' me ibut, this tithe. it Was more cold and stubborn. Ifelt as if soMOstrange and ghastly exhalation were rising np from the chinks of . that rugged floor, and filling, the atmosphere with' a venomous- influence' , hostile-to hi man lifet c , The, door now very sloiv.; ly and quietly opened as °kite own accord. We precipitated ourselves into the landing-place. both saw a large pale light-t-as large as the hu man figure, but 'shapeless and unsub stantial--,move s before us, and ascend the stairs that led from the landing into the attics. 1 folloWed' the light, and my seTvarit followed me. It en tered, to the right of - the landin o, a small' garret, of which the door stood" open. I entered in the same instant. The light then collapsed into a small globule,-exceedingly brilliant and viv id.; rested a moment on it bed in the corner, quivered, and vanished.. We approached the bed and examined it —a half-tester; such as is,commonly found in attics devoted to servants.- 0 n the drawers that stood near it we perCeived an old . faded silk' kerchief, with the needle still ;left in the rent half repaired. The kerchief was coy ered 'with'dfist ; probably- it had be longed to the 'old woman' who hml last died in that house, and this might have been her sleeping room. -I had sufficient .curiosity to open the'draw ers ; there werep a few' odds and ends of female dress, and two letters -- tied round with a, narrow ribbon , of faded , yellow. I took the liberty to possess ' myself of these letters. We found nothing else in the room worth notic ing—nor did the light reappear ; but we distinctly heard, as wo turned to go, a pattering' footfall on the floor just before' us. We went through the_ other attics (in all four,) the footfall still preceding ne, Nothing . to be seen—nothing but the footfall heard. I had the letters in my hand ; just as I WitS descending the stairs I dititi net ly felt my wrist versed; and a faint, soft effort made to - ,draw the letters from thy I only held them the more tightly, and the. effort ceased. We regained the bedchamber ap propriated to myself; and I then re marked that' my dog had not follow ed us when we had left it.. Ile was thrusting himself close to the fire, and trembling, rwas impatient; to, ex amine the letters ; and, while read them, my servant opened a little box in which he had deposited the wait pons I had> ordered him to bring; took them out, . placed. them on a; .table close at my ,had-head, , and.then emu pied hi mse lf in soothing the dog, who; hoWeref ) Veiited,tri feed him' - • • ; • 6 .3 1 *el* 1114 aofr F rvlriarrm , i..•atr., - ;* dated ; the date exactly thirty five years ago. They were evidently from a lover'to his mistress, or a has ; band to some young wife. Not only the terms of expression, but 'a dis find reference tet`.a former voyage in dleated ;the writer to have a Sea farm'''. The 'and handwriting were these of a man itigierfeetly edu cated; but still the langnage itself was forcible. • In'the` expressions of endearment there'Wat a kind - ofrough wild love ; but here and - there were' dark unintelligible hilikt some se crel not of InVe—so secret that seemed of crime: ""(Ve ought to love each other," was one of the sentences I remember, "for how every one else' would execrate us gall was known." Again : "Don't let any, one be in the same recut with you ut night—you talk' in year sleep."' -And again : "What'Sdone can't be undone ; .and I tell'on there's nothing against us unless the dead could come to life." litTe" there was underlined in 'a bet ter handwriting (a female's). "They do -I" At the-end of the letter latest in date the same female hand had written these words : "Lost at sea the 4th of June, the same day as---" • I put down the letters, and 'began to muse over their contents. ' Fearing,:liowever, that the train of thought:into which I fell might un-' steady my nerves I fully determined to keep my. mind in a fit state to cope with whate.ver of marvellous the advancing- night might bring forth. I roused myself—laid the-let , ters on the table—stirred up the fue which was still bright and 'cheering —and opened iny volume of Macaulay. I read quietly enough till about' half=, pasteleven. I then threw- myself dressed upon the bed, and. told my servant he might retire to his own room, but must keep 'himself awake. I bade him leave open the doors be tween the two rooms. Thus, alone, I kept two candles burning on the ta ble by my bed-head. I placed my watch besides the weapons; and calm ly resumed my Macaulay. Opposite to me the fire burned clear ; and on the hearth-rug, seemingly asleep, lay the dog. In about twenty minutes I felt an exceedingly cold air pass by my cheek, like a sudden draugl4t. I fancied the door to my right, commu nicating with the landing-place, must have got open ; but no—ft was clos ed. I then turned my glance to the left, and saw the flame of the candles violently, swayed as by a wind. At the same moment the watch beside the revolver softly slid from the ta- Ne—softly, softly—no visible hand, it was gone. I sprang up, seizing the revolver with one= hand, the dagger `with the oth'er--; -T : , 'was , not i;villing: that my weapons should share: the fate of the watch. Thus "armed, "I looked round the floor—no sign of the, watch. Three slow,- loud-, distinct 'knocks were now heard , at the bed head ; my servant called but, "Is that you sir ? "No ; be on your guard." The dog now roused 'himself and sat on his haunches, his ears moving quickly 'backwards aud forwards. He kept his' eyes -fixed on Me with a look so strange that he concentrated all illy attentionon - Slowly he rose up, all his'hair bristling, and stood perfectly rigid, and 'with the' satiTd :wild stare. I had no tithe, how td'exarnine the dog. Presently ray eery - ant emerged from his rooni ; and-if I ever saw horror in the human. Mee, it Was then: I should not have recognized him had we met in the . street, so altered was every linement. He passed by me quickly, saying in a whisper that seemed scarcely to come froth his lips, "Run—run 1 it'is after me !" grined the door to the landing, pulled it open, and rushed forth. I fellowed him to the landing involuntarily, calling to him to stop ; but, without heeding me, he hounded down stairs, clinging to the balusters, and taking several steps at a "time.— '" heard, where .-1 stood, the street door operi 7 -heard it again clap to. I was left alone in the haunted house. .It was but for a moment that I re mained undecided whether or not to folion , my servant pride and curiosi ty alike forbade so dastardly a flight. I re-entered myroom closing the door after me, and proceeded cautious ly into the interior chamber. I en countered nothing to justify my ser vant's terror. I again carefully ex amined the walls, to see if there were any concealed door. I could find no trace of one—not one even a seam in the dull-brown paper with which the room was hung. How, then, had the. Tama - Whatever it was; which had so scared him, obtained ingress except through my own chamber. ' I returned to, my room, shut and lotkid the door that opened upon the inMrier one, and stood on the hearth, expectant and prepared . . now per ceived that , the < dog had slunk into an angle, of the wall, and was pees& ine: himself close against it, as if liter ally striving to force his way into, it.' I approached the animal and epoke to it; the poor brute was evidently beside itself with terror. It showed all its teeth, the,slaverdroppingfroM its jaws, and would• certainly, have bitten me if I had touched it. It did not seem to recognize me. Whoever has seen at the Zoological Gardens :a rabbit fascinated by a serpent, cow ering-in a confer, may form some i dea el the anguish which the dog ek hibited. Finding all efforts to soothe the animal in vain, and fearing that his bite Might be as venomous in that state as if in the madness of hydro phobia, I left him alone, placed A n lid Egi:Pfft i sj ME tire sti6arti,sfsr: A FAMILY PAPER TOR Twat AND. MONTER, IS 111,117T4D AID PUBLISHBp -wpm By vat. =MIN, f 3d Story of Funck's Nes Building, Cumberbin' TS, At One Dollar and r ifty Cents a Tear. _ . . ear Aorsomorters inserted at the Mull rutin. 'IA AtiKIANDBILLS Printed at ari hours notion: RATES OF POSTAGE. In Lebanon County, postage free In Pennsylvania, out of Lebanon free , d amid per quartet, or 20 cents a year. Out of this State, 6 1 4 cte. per quarter, or 20 845. • yaw if the. postage is not paid in advance, rates are donna. perhaps, the shark of the ocean ; 4 felt morally. Opposed to my will was another will, as far surrrior to its strength as storm, fire, and sliark'are saperior in material force to the fOree of Men. And new, as this impression" Blew on ure,.noW tame,' at last; , horror— horror to 'a.degree that no wordscan convey'. !Still I retained Pride if snot courage ;'and in my own said, 'This is 'horror, but it is ;not' fhar ; unless I fear, I Cannot he' 'harmed ; my reason rejects this thing ; it is an Illusion—l do not fear." With a vio lent effort I succeeded at last in stretching out my hand towards the weapon on the table : as I did •so, on the arm and shoulder I received a strange shock, and my arm fell •te my side powerless. And now, to add to my horror, the light began slowly to wane from the candles—they were not, aa it were, extinguished, but their flame:see'med' very gradually withdrawn„: it was the same with the fire—the light 'was extrigited from the fuel ; in a few- minutesAhe rd out was in •utter 'darkness: , The dread that came over me, to be -thus to the dark with that dark - Thfrog, whose power was so intensely felt; 'brought a, reaction of nerve. In feet, terror had reached that climax, that either my senses alueVhaxe deserted" me , or I must have thirst through the spell. I did burst through it. 1 found" voice, though the voice was ;re:shriek. 'I re member that I broke - forth . 'with words like these—"l do not fear, my soul does not fear ;" and-al, the same time I found the strength to rise.— Still in that profound gloom I rushed to one of the windows—tore aside the curtain—flung open the shutters; my first thought was--LIGHT. And when saw the moon high, clear, and calm, I felt ajoy that almost compensated for the previous terror. ' was the moon, there was also the light of the gas-lamps in the deserted slum berous street. I turned to look back into the room; the moon penetrated its shadow very palely and partially still there was light. The dlying, whatever it might be, w b one----except that I could yet see a dim shadow, which seemed the shadow of that shade, against the op posite wall. Dly eye now rested on the table, and from under the table (which was without cloth or cover—au old maho gany round table) there rose a hand visible as far as the wrist. It was a hand, seemingly, as much of flesh and blood as my own, but the hand •of an aged person—lean, wrinkled, small too—a woman's' hand. That hand very softly closed' on the two lettere that lay on the table ; hand and let ters both vanished. There then came the same three loud measured knocks I had , heard at' the bed.head before this extraordinary drama had 'cam menced. • •As theie sounds sloWly cintsed;,l felt the whole room vibrate: sensibly ; and at the 'fir end there rose, as from thefloor,sparks or globules like :bub bles of light, _many-coloured—green. yellow, firelred!,-azure, up and dawn, te.andfre, hither,,; , thither„. as :tiny Will‘c.'4lle-wisps,'theeparks;- moved, slow sea, , at its oven caprice. chair' (as draling' 'room be !lfitV)Utat3 'n now adVarte4frthri the:wall without4ptirentiagency,--and placed , at, the . .. Opposite of the' - table. ,Suddenly al' forth Train the . chair, there , greir , !&-• fStiape.---a!'woman 'a 'shape. It was distinct: as al..:shapa. of life—ghastly . .aslashape of. Afeatii. !Inn face- was that, olyauth,. - with a 'strange mournful beauty. ) ;, the : throat 'and, shoulders werehare,„the rest of the form in :'loose robe of cloudy` ,white.. it began: sleeking its long yellow hair, which fell. over its ; shout ders ;Its. eyes were not towards ; me, but to the door ; it seemed listening, ,watching,lvaiting. The shadow of the- shade in the background grew darker; and 'again I thoaght I beheld the eyes gleaming out train the sum mit of the shadow=---eyes hied upon that shape. As if from the doer, thotigh it did not 'open, there grew 'out , another shape, equally distinct, eciaallyghast. I,y—a Man's shape—a young Man's. It .was in the dress of the last Centu ry, orrather in a likeness of . such dress for, both the male shape and the female, though defined, were evi dently ansubstantial, inpalpable— ' simulacra—phantasms ;, and .' there wassomethingineongruons i grotesque yet fearfal in the contrast between the elaborate finery, the courtlY, pre eision of that old fashioned garb,; with its ruffles and lace and buckles, and .in the corpse-like aspect and ghost like stillness of the flitting .wearer. Just as the male- shape appro4Ohed the female, the Shadow started from the walf, - all three fora motnent wrapt in darkness. When' the ';• pale light returned,. the two phantoms were as if in the graSp of.theiStin,dow that towered 'between .theiti',;` and there was a bloodstain on the.'breast of the fetnale ; and, the 'phantai9=tnale was leaMng its phantom •"sword, and, blood. seemed trickling fast from the, ruffles, from the "lice.; and the darkness. of ;the intermediate'Shadow swalloivad thinh up-4,hey were gone. And again the bubbles Of light shot, . • and sailed,and undulated, growing thicker- and thicker and more wildly confutied 'in their movements.' The closet door to the right of Oka fire placenow opened, and Irani the aperture there came the- form of a woman, aged. In-her hand she held letters—trm very fetfers over Wliich had seen the Iland close- and.l;ehind her I heard a footstep. She turned around as if to' 'listen, and then she opened the . letters and, seemed to reads abd artiliei 'Amidst , I saw ibl`fOlior a anus' desaised., 83 71 (It; . 641...«.ni .11 ; . ;41• t:Sq 04H, CM F tat , Z".