You'll recall that Effie died there in 1879, and that one bride came to the house in 1907 and her three-week-old baby Jenna was left motherless in 1908. It was in 1942 that Giff and Ellen and their young daughter came to live in the house, and in the next few years Ellen had the misfortune to miscarry three times. Two doctors advised surgery.

Then a strange thing happened. One night, after Giff and Ellen had gone to bed, the Death figure floated into their bedroom. It came from the dark hallway and appeared in the doorway. No night lights were on in their room, and no security light was on outside. But Ellen could see that the gaunt figure was draped in white, even over its head that resembled a skull. She could see it plainly.

The Death figure floated across the room and across the foot of their bed. It came up beside Ellen and raised its hand toward her as if to touch her or take her away. Ellen felt that if it did, it meant she was going to die.

But at that moment Bertha appeared out of nowhere. She was a registered nurse and a friend of Ellen's in real life, but at this moment was more of a shadowy figure. Bertha was near the head of the bed, beside Ellen yet between Ellen and Death. When Bertha said, "No. You can't have her. We are going to save

her," she also reached toward Ellen, not touching her, but as if to protect her. Then both figures vanished.

Ellen sat up wondering what had happened, what it was all about. Giff was sleeping soundly, so she didn't wake him. It was hard for her to get back to sleep. As she lay there thinking about it and wondering what it meant, she decided that Death and Bertha were telling her something. Ellen's husband Giff and her mother, too, had been against the surgery advised by the doctors. But after she told them of her experience that night, they didn't have much more to say about it.

Ellen had the surgery. The problem turned out to be even more serious than the doctors had anticipated. They told Ellen's family that if it had been an emergency surgery, she would have died.

Ellen firmly believes that Death paid her a visit that night, perhaps to leave a warning. But Bertha also came, to bring hope. Hope that if Ellen had the surgery, another little girl would not be left motherless by another death in the big house. For that, Ellen is thankful.

And now, while her story is being written, on the nights when Ellen is restless and in pain from her present illness, shadowy figures slip in and out of her room in the same house. She thinks they are checking on her. Does she wonder which figure will win out?