sedatives,
morphia being one, which he administered to Esther about ten o'clock as
she lay in bed. She still complained of her nervousness, and said she
felt as if electricity was passing all through her body. He had given
her the medicine, and had just remarked that she would have a good
night's rest when the loud sounds commenced, only they were much louder
and in more rapid succession than on the previous nights. Presently the
sounds left the room and were heard on the roof of the house. The doctor
instantly left the house and went out into the street, hearing the
sounds while in the open air. He returned to the house more nonplussed
than ever, and told the family that from the street it seemed as if some
person was on the roof with a heavy sledge hammer pounding away to try
and break through the shingles. Being a moonlight night he could see
distinctly that there was not any one out on the roof. He remained until
twelve. Everything becoming quiet again, he then departed, saying he
would call the next day. When he had got as far as the gate, the sounds
on the roof commenced again with great violence, and continued until he
had gone about two hundred yards from the cottage, at which distance he
could still hear them distinctly.

The next week it became known throughout Amherst that strange things
were going on at Dan Teed's cottage. The mysterious sounds had been
heard by people in the street as they passed the house, and the
poundings now commenced in the morning and were to be heard all day
long. Esther always felt relieved when the sounds were produced by the
unknown power.

Dr. Caritte called every night, and sometimes during the day, but could
not afford her the slightest relief. One night, about three weeks after
the doctor's first visit, as he and the family were standing around her
bed listening to the loud knockings, Esther suddenly threw her arms up
towards the head of the bed, and seemed to be seized with a spasm, for
she became cold and perfectly rigid. While in this state she commenced
to talk, and told all that had occurred between herself and Bob McNeal
on the night of the fatal ride. This was the first anybody knew of the
affair, for she had never told of it, and Bob had never been seen in the
locality after that night. When she came to her senses again, they told
her what had been said by herself during the strange state from which
she had just emerged. Upon hearing this she commenced to cry, and to