The Argosy — page 330: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

310 . Nelly Devitt’s Ghost. Rete s I took hold of the knob to close it again, when I felt it pulled out of my hand as plainly as if I had seen the one who did it. Jenny saw it too, and the same feeling came to her and me at the same moment—a desire to save the children from fright; so she called them to her, and busied them about their pictures, still keeping an anxious eye directed towards me. Will says I’ve a good temper, and I am happy that he has found it so, for it’s to his own credit as much as mine; but I believe I’ve a sharp will of my own, and I know it came to my aid when I found that un- seen force resisting me. I just said to myself, “I will shut it in Heaven's name !” and it closed with a bang. Then I made haste to lock it, and came and sat down as quietly as I could and took up my sewing. ill was still for a while, and then came three measured raps that paused a moment before they were repeated. I did not rise, so my eldest boy said, in surprise : ‘‘Somebody’s knocking ; don’t you hear, Jenny ?” [ don’t know what I expected to see, but I do know that I was not afraid on my own account ; if the children had been away, I believe I should have courted an encounter with whatever power it was that was at work to our annoyance. ‘Tt is some bad boys trying to bother us,” said Jenny ; “ but we won’t mind them, will we? We'll just say our prayers and be good ourselves, and then nothing can worry us or disturb us.” Poor Jenny was frightened ; I could sce that at a glance, for her face was as white as her dimity apron, and her eyes were large and round. I think I was uncomfortable myself, but I took thought and recalled my wits about me. ‘There is no evil that can harm us, unless we give it power over us,” I said to myself; and I got up and went to the door. “Go along with you, you bad creature,” said I; “don’t you know that we are poor people, who try to serve God and do our duty without giving offence to any? In the Lord’s name, be gone, and leave us in peace !” After that we waited awhile, and no other sound came; so, lest the children should discover our excitement, we got ready leisurely, and closing the shop, went up to bed. There was not another sound that night, and I think Jenny and I both lay awake till daylight, listening if we could discover any. The next morning we felt so much more courageous than we had done the night before, that we were inclined to laugh at our fears as Imaginary. Jenny said after all she believed we could explain the whole thing to be caused by the wind and a loose shutter. But as evening drew on, I saw that she looked timid, and I’m afraid I felt a little so myself, although I reasoned that no harm could happen to me or mine. comicloooks (CO) mn _