Graham's Magazine, Vol. XXX, No. 1, January 1847Various
General
Graham's Magazine, Vol. XXX, No. 1, January 1847
Various
Literature -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals
Just as we were running out of the house we heard Mr. Helger behind us.
We ran up the street all the faster, the women screaming at the top of
their voices. The noise and hubbub at last woke up a watchman, who had
been peaceably slumbering in a sheltered corner. That functionary,
wrathful at being disturbed from his nap, arrested our farther progress
with his hook.
“An’ what the divil wud yees be doin’ wid yerselves here, the night?”
inquired he, in a decided brogue.
This pertinent question brought me to my senses. I pulled some money
from my pocket, and told the son of Erin to come back with us and he
should be well paid for his services. We went back toward the house, and
there, near the door, we found Mr. Helger, lying exhausted and fainting
on the ground.
We raised him up and carried him back into the house, and put him into
bed; and then I despatched Pat for a physician. He soon returned,
bringing one whom he had roused from his slumbers. The physician took
out his lancet and bled the patient, and, having administered the usual
remedies, I had the satisfaction of hearing him say that he thought it
probable in a few days Mr. Helger would recover, and be as well as ever.
He advised us to remain with him, however, that night, and give him hot
drinks from time to time. I paid the physician and the watchman for
their trouble and dismissed them.
It was understood that Mr. Helger’s death had been very sudden, and it
turned out that instead of really dying, he had only fallen into a deep
trance, and on arousing from it had frightened us so dreadfully. We were
all put in excellent spirits by this happy termination of our
adventure—this restoration of the dead to life.
“Supposing you let us hear the rest of your ghost story now, Mrs.
Johnstone,” said one of the ladies—“if that awful interruption hasn’t
taken away all your desire to finish it.”
“Oh, no,” replied Mrs. Johnstone, “I will tell you the rest with much
pleasure—perhaps it may turn out as well as our present adventure has.
“I believe I left off where the knocking was again repeated at the door.
Well—the mysterious door again opened, but nobody was there. I felt
desperate. I felt that my reason would give way if I should remain quiet
any longer without doing something, and I determined that, if the
knocking was repeated, I would take my child in my arms and run round
the house, and see if any thing was there which could have produced
these unaccountable sounds. I waited patiently till the knocking was
repeated, and then went out of doors and ran round the house. The
mystery was solved.
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