The Argosy — page 385: what you’re looking at

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

"Apri 1508. Watching on St. Mark's Eve. 363 A wild screech! Two wild screeches. Phoebe had put her hands on the startled women, and given vent to a dismal groan. Ske laughed ; but the others went into a desperate passion. First at having been fnghtened, next at having been followed. When matters came to be investigated later, it turned out that Phoebe had overheard a conversa- tion between Molly and Hannah, which betrayed what they were about to do, and had come on purpose to startle them. A row ensued. Bitter words on both sides; mutual abusings. The elder servants ordered Phcebe home ; she refused to go, and gave them some sauce. She intended to stay and see what there was to be seen, she said; for all she could tell, ‘Aer shadows might pass, and a good thing if they did; let alone that she’d not dare to go back by herself at that hour and meet the ghosts. Hannah and Molly cut the matter short by leaving the stile to her; they went round, and took up their places by the churchyard gate. It seems very stupid to be writing of this, I dare say ; it must read like an old ghost-story out of a fable-book; but every word is true, as the people that lived round us then could tell you. There we waited; Hannah and Molly gathered close against the hedge by the churchyard gate; Phcebe, wrapped in her shawl, leaning on the top of the stile; I on the old tree’s stump, feeling inclined to go to sleep. It seemed a long time, and the night grew cold. Evidently there were no watchers for St. Mark’s shadows abroad that night, except ourselves. Without warning, the old clock boomed out the strokes of the hour. Ten. Did you ever have the opportunity of noticing how long it takes fora sound like this to die quite away on the calm night air? I seemed to hear it still, floating off in the distance, when I became aware that some figure was advancing up the lane towards us with a rather swift step. It’s Tod this time, I thought, and naturally looked out; and I don’t mind telling that I caught hold of the bars of the stile for companionship, in my shock of terror. I had never seen the dead walking ; but I do believe I thought I saw itthen. It looked like a corpse in its winding-sheet ; whether man or woman, none could tell. An ashey-white, still, ghastly face, enveloped around with bands of white linen, was turned full to the moonlight, that played upon the rigid features. The whole person, from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, was enshrouded in a white garment. All thoughts of Tod went out of me; and I’m not sure but what my hair rose up on end as the thing came on. You may laugh at me, all of you, but just you go and try it. My fear went for nothing, however; it didn’t damage me. Of all the awful cries ever heard, shrill at first, changing to something like the barking of a dog afterwards, those were the worst that arose opposite. They came from Phoebe. The girl had stood petrified, with straining be comicloooks (CO)