a wireless message

by Ambrose Bierce

in_the summer of 1896 Mr William Holt, a wealthy manufacturer of Chicago, was living temporarily in a little town of central New_York, the name of_which the writer's memory has_not retained .Mr Holt had had " trouble with_his wife," from whom he had parted a year before . whether the trouble was anything more serious than " incompatibility of temper," he_is probably the only living person that knows: he_is_not addicted to_the vice of confidences . yet he has related the incident herein set down to at_least one person without exacting a pledge of secrecy . he_is now living in Europe .

one evening he had left the house of a brother whom he_was visiting, for a stroll in_the country . it may_be assumed-- whatever the value of_the assumption in connection with what_is said to_have occurred-- that his mind was occupied with reflections on_his domestic infelicities and_the distressing changes that_they had wrought in_his life .

whatever may have_been his thoughts, they so possessed him that he observed neither the lapse of_time nor whither his feet were carrying him; he_knew only that he had passed far beyond the town limits and was traversing a lonely region by a road that bore no resemblance to_the one by_which he had left the village . in brief, he_was " lost ."

Realizing his mischance, he smiled; central New_York is_not a region of perils, nor does one long remain lost in_it . he turned about and went back the way that he had come . before he had gone far he observed that_the landscape was growing more distinct-- was brightening . everything was suffused with a soft, red glow in_which he_saw his shadow projected in_the road before him ." the moon is rising," he_said to himself . then he remembered that_it_was about_the_time of_the new moon, and if_that tricksy orb was in one of_its stages of visibility it had set long before . he stopped and faced about, seeking the source of_the rapidly broadening light . as he_did so, his shadow turned and lay along the road in front of him as before . the light still came from behind him . that was surprising; he_could_not understand . again he turned, and again, facing successively to every point of_the horizon . always the shadow was before-- always the light behind, "a still and awful red ."

Holt was astonished--"dumfounded" is_the word that he used in telling it-- yet seems to_have retained a certain intelligent curiosity . to test the intensity of_the light whose nature and cause he_could_not determine, he_took out his watch to_see if he_could make out the figures on_the dial . they were plainly visible, and_the hands indicated the hour of eleven o'clock and twenty-five minutes . at_that moment the mysterious illumination suddenly flared to an intense, an almost blinding splendor, flushing the entire sky, extinguishing the stars and throwing the monstrous shadow of himself athwart the landscape . in_that unearthly illumination he_saw near him, but apparently in_the air at a considerable elevation, the figure of_his wife, clad in her night-clothing and holding to her breast the figure of_his child . her eyes were fixed upon his with an expression which he afterward professed himself unable to name or describe, further than that_it_was " not of_this life ."

the flare was momentary, followed by black darkness, in_which, however, the apparition still showed white and motionless; then by insensible degrees it faded and vanished, like a bright image on_the retina after_the closing of_the eyes .a peculiarity of_the apparition, hardly noted at_the_time, but afterward recalled, was_that it showed only the upper half of_the woman's figure: nothing was seen below the waist .

the sudden darkness was comparative, not absolute, for gradually all objects of_his environment became again visible .

in_the dawn of_the morning Holt found himself entering the village at a point opposite to_that at which he had left it . he soon arrived at_the house of_his brother, who hardly knew him . he_was wild- eyed, haggard, and gray as a rat . almost incoherently, he related his night's experience .

" go to bed, my poor fellow," said his brother, " and-- wait . we_shall hear more of_this ."

an hour later came the predestined telegram . Holt's dwelling in one_of_the suburbs of Chicago had_been destroyed by fire . her escape cut off by_the flames, his wife had appeared at an upper window, her child in her arms . there she had stood, motionless, apparently dazed . just as_the firemen had arrived with a ladder, the floor had given way, and she was seen no more .

the moment of_this culminating horror was eleven o'clock and twenty- five minutes, standard time .