HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1890-3-14, Page 2isaweeerestsiesseereeeresisoresseem.
THE BRUSSELS POST. 1‘1,411.(11 11, 1800,
ra,maatzaux(*Ammersowca--...aina=„,.„ Pst‘i ,....,,,==;,,,aaymmumurauxismentapaimmouramuithap.lcamiomnatatmassausaawasuitutr,cmit4
RRIBLE NIGHT.
iteniece.tmen). , ebote this atilt, tliffereut frent ail ate other
Alld noW Intother eitiguler mitulfestatien Itl"tnt "'me.
I On elltcrilt,„ We felt tho air perceptibly
took pine.,
th.„1,„ ei„,,, our warmer, and rtitel: (Melee remained in it fee
A street., son1111 gradually
kart,. Wit both %card it. It veiny from the a very Motet time, 1 b 1, a droluAnt,s„,,a11,1
nialltlawss Which I had inwer 'kit Iru C.X.1111.-
Y00111 Wil bad inFt left. It enteniniel s..niellow
from the worm-eaten harpnehoril tinge lowed itneitiolly etealiter ever um.
stamijug. who,. dm,,,,,k,„,..a,,,,, giv,„ i„ ()„,. ittatlity to examine this eloset watt
nuell to lie regretted, ibt. rm. preilui•tive
music. ilor minty a ycar.
Wild, iniearthle greine 110W 1.1.11U; 101111 0,01, of this..• 3 eneatii ea: es•eor d e eneitew tti
wen ete trent it. end ;nitwit in it tcr,ity
from its Om:elite* Moles:rd. their ;:lii. oly ef•
i ••) - . . rt, - ti . !meet, ql 1-4..1- i. -,,,,,l 11,0 lllU1-1•1- 1', 01014 1.0 ittl iitSt-10elitS1 deer,
ely ii teed e experiele•es were smoler it,
10 Usl lingers tltat played. 1 hccetsi, which
(.11instal 11141 rattling 01 he elaulting uweetwe nee teen: 1 111 7 0114101171y tt't a much 1,,,, ex.
ISM, Mid it, late; Mose/est I iy atz.c, to ,Itiver I' ',1“ LIII 111.'1 113Fillls 11110 the 01110111C7 Of
113111 1111.1111.S1111 116:r, 11111.00,1y.:11111 1'0 111q0S1 , ,s-, • ' , e-, . 4.,
, plainly' Mow the mete teiy eitueds 'whiel, • tlito the r. eel, out tonekly tint•itioel we
' 11,0,i3, whining. IN'ith debt -tiny we ieduced
swelled from it. . ,.
: WV -wen, powerless to stir while the sha. 1 Ill.`,.'l .0-1 1-0-1.1t7t•r, 1(111,11 110 renotteed toilet e.i•
1.10W aus li-illt us. but on itS disappearance 1, 1,'" ili"tite(1", 31 -id ,1101. as it 141,,11,,,141 /1Y
I
the trammels Which. I sound Us were 1,,,,,,e1,3,11, it (lemon, Ile ottcre41 a howl 0f ,thetay, tied
• and we felt fertility impelled tefelh,w it. - 1 11"n," 1Ile IlleIlf" l.t "n" 133',,,idi li(td ril4ted
Wc „taccti it so iar as 11, diew•e• pessage, te tee ft:Nue:4 et:incl. of our roolit, Where
but no further. e o• et the entewee ;levet. es. , we felled hlin 011 our rientel, awl f Lie.. width
: we, eg.,,e, ,:„.t 11:,• I e„, i,„set,„0„e. ese,,,,,,, , While ltlacc We ecithl hardly prevail upon
him to re.I,c,tir hinvelf.
Whathr„..it it w$$. v. 16311 rc,,i st 4,1 .11 0111' et -A/1 -ES
\ \ 0 11111.011 1107 1'0114111 1110re than a fele
to acivanee further, aad tee were cow Morc
minutc,, in the attic.; 1 here Was Intinistaltaidy
enehainetl,
: .And now the 1 en,ic ellaugie1 free; e 0,,:,,.. 030,,,,fh;,,,,t, („x„, wising nu etiete mem inn. een.Fee
I.y tehieli we felt we slit 111111 be 11Ver-111:18tCr.111
eneaeure to into 3.1 entelter time : eeter, fees
-ter, louder, lender, it en -riled, tile elaiteeing were we to remein 1, eiger.
of the wore lo-ybeer.1 awl fie:Mess thigeof There was now nothing, fie. it Iota 10 rt,t 0111
Still being heerd. over ;01, and. there WaS a to our room, completely foiled in eteiry at,
sound 110 of the tramp 4,1 feet near us, their tempt we hall inadc to elucidate the mystery
steps pacing to the ietervale ci the time, and suer nettling our singular telt-minute..
, etill the mini, rolled ou till the air met -meek cif eiltu,L, 010113 WEN by this time ilnpossilde,
but 31-0 Still .41,1111111nd to Wittch, Mal Watell
. mid a droweinese nein over us, and every.
keeely, till inereilig, Tiartuy had w. begun
thing flickered before UR:
Then it Was slowly hushed -bunter, tam- the descent, when that detestable liausli
eeei., :needed, :eel the :tette deer e tie ly
ter, it beetane, end when at Ian it Was all '
but silein, lo i. a dart:woe gradually tilled ele""'d (1,'11. I felt ti ereep tif heron-.
the room, and by the dint light we carritil i,313 3.3i"i,"1"3.3. "nr, i",11111 111,F ii,ri't 'On' 1,"
we agnin distiugnithed the : eleelow• low, rept, :ern the Me, v.:Men WO 1011110 10 he al.
noiselessly towatels us, awl again fade into • 13,13'1I 'la.
• VS hr!ther it 31,1S 11 110 10 (an. having entered
'Faeroe:7.
' Instantl,• on its dieappearaece a ellsinee. ae : that st 1,..1.1!!..,4. 1.1 t 10, I 1111 001 know, Int I mile
before cal;ie over ell, for the last taint 1:1:4/01-10111,1 14 variety ef 10'11,1 1 11‘11? -1, b011ily '
30111111S were Imehed, the tramp of the feie 1311,1 Inelltel• width 1, nee•er before felt. It Sr
w as s•illeil and orei1 More 44, 31-1.-1.0 relests0,1 ii!,1 very city te detine them. It seemed as ;
feont the enthrallieg spell which enchained i 3 - 3.3 '''" '1' 1", ( 'lel"; ' • ' ' 3 • - , ,
i 3 .2 'ewe nay, et .1-10`0. lo Soule pri,S,1.100, 111- :
• 11S.
111.1,1,,0, 1111k1100-11, 1111-1S11,10, 1011 1 Vrrlbly ap- !
We Intl inveipitated ourselves headlong
preeiated, mailifeetiner itself by fears, Ming- '
Out, aria into the room whence theee tei-
eitetlde straine had proceeded ; bat it swelled "I'lti''''s* f1lo'''''. r"l'131"g in raldd sneeseen"1
t biotech my bean in spite of tile meet reeolut 11 :
as we had been but dreaming, for Wu 0011111
efforts to resist, to repel then, ; to say 1 do I
detect nothing to aecuunt for What We had
set Mee ; so leng US Illy Will boldl,y asserts ,
just heard. ..
i iteelt, I eau eel be over -mastered : frequent. i
All was as before : the instrument was
1,1o. ly I experienced. suddeu elternatione of heat I
• still fast closed. as when we had left it,
awl cold, mid these were hivariably accent.
apparently had it ever been otherwise, for
the very dust on it, slight though it Was„ panied by a tingling sensation in the 1111118 1.
.
.
1
3Vhat, what 33 as thus yonilee venter 1 I did see nue of the 'Windows lighted lir,
loll it Was not mitil the 1
feit h.& 1 mas faethiat,.a.
Thttitt wt. tut ttitratittou sheeting, „Wet
within the rottin, 11 raj pod ha a
(.011011(4 covortol it, Was evee
brought over as a hood, etineealing its fea.
three.
f ace it dist inetly now as my eye:,
amenstomed themsele 00 10 the gloomy light.
it :tots( there inotitelless ; it seemed as if its
01011y 1:11-il• 0-011. 1131'11 011 int,. and was
1/1 0101-1c8,1 ints4 turther 1 colilti only
stand entranced.
Awl nom I felt horror rising 111111131 131,,
horror Whiell no «that could (mbdile, 1
tried te cult:owe * me feet 11 11 111111111 11101
1.111'01'10SS. 1 1,31-3` 20 later 11 Ord$ of 'lett.
ants., lait the tongtle 0111 penile:eel, end
refiteed utteiente. ; all iieiVe. of 11 ill 14 as
1.04 departintr, eivine pette t horror,
Which I vould lei 1 el. eely, pereeplibly,
eternly, ovine; ever 'no, moil it ((Mood
10.ery Ell 0111 111 111S 6111110 W1111111 be 011) 011.1 311
in its ghastly folds. It eeented as if vett.
cwieuitnes, were beim; gradually' withdrawn
frem ine, esif I were icing hurit01 int., (lilt-
MisSio11 14; )1,thl to this inticenee, eget, ,
presence, V, hal ever it Was, Which : 11 it,
demand the Utmost stirrettiler of Will.
Faseinated I could not Ind (311,tc al the
appearainee. Yes, there it st owl, dimly e
timely I-1.41de in the 140121.):- 1000103.-1011s.
\That W110 it -1111:V.`111 1-11 or. within...Mit 1.41.•
Wards it 1Va' it fear 1 elowe te feel, to
11111:0 1 110 01111001070,110:41 71110 it W/10 /0.1.
01100 MOM I lis111011, it WilS HS 104011', 11111f
14011/117g, VA- Withal as if ite piercing gate,
ere. still traustixing me through 10131
7-111101g11.
1111t 1100, a paseing cloud partially 111/01,111,.
1•41 the Moonlight, and horror upint horror, ;
the phalitonl (dandy raised it$ erm ; Mind, I
round further round, till oppneite where 1
010,31 shivering. there it etayeil ; it petite!
and le • •kens, and 1 once Twee* hear that ;
meek ing
I ,ifitl. betiobl ! at the uplifting of its'
tingt rs the sable drapries by whieli it wa
I mein -elided fell limn eft its fcrin, and me
they fell there Was left diselosed to vieW
a figura-but, heavens of whet 1 -tie of a
corpse gieeney and Wall, haldted tit the,
eeremente of the grave, auLl whose femme.:
-dared 1 doubt the testimony of My :ulna's; ,
were WIWI other than those Winch had
bein so well, so ininettly het:rile:41 to 1111
1110 long, grey beard, the glit wring slake- ,
likewye, the features of the late tlweller
herein.
Shuddering, I turret' from the frightfal,
Spectre to My ; but what words, !
what pen, shall nue* describe the terror
which 1 felt, when I found that for Min II
Molted in. rain, and that in the place where
his prostrate form met pallid. features had!
shortly before been outstretched, 11118 1.1011,
another form, Lowther face wIncla did not
recognize !
ilia au this portend Y-WaS the
w hole a marvellous juggle 1 was I really
the victim of an impoeture -wrought by!
others, or itfter all but simply the dupe of
my own fevered imagination Again I look-
ed, and then it was that the Inclemis reality
of what I was gazing at slowly, sternly
thrust intelf upon me, fox. the cloud now
rolled away, and the fitee wheel before I
had seen but dimly, 110W ill the increasing
light gradually assumed a defined outline,
and, with an icy eln11.--- how laid I not re-
cognized this before WV that it was
the face of a skull.
How hie light Was prodtossl. 11 0 1 11011 11 Impodiment,
livX1 that 11 1110st
hare been the rellection of a 11i141 111 blast,
frirnave 31 Melt ean be nem from the ti Whew
in inteneitiett, perhape, by an
ete of the at n wephere,
apparent eiioppettrouve 11401 1 V 1.1210 1S 1.11'11
bil1114 7 110 re..1111 of viee eat the w indow
at diduritid etudes. fer the reader 14 ill
recollect that it 006 1114 fem. the read -way
that We first notiettd tho elienge, lalt when
at the itotwe itself, MIMI( 14 as ma1111. fifty
t,r sixty yards hack iron; tho 0,1(310 we,
Why the pee:Ability of it. havieg Leen .
/1 71 11001i011 001, 010 ii1110 0000 r 10 11:1.
1 0,111 0111:: 11 1.01100 1 11 1 111' lu01.11.31 1101 0,il0i1011
see.- of tided tie 11,11' 11 lill 1 1:n
feet tied the 11, l011 11 ‘1,-, 111,101114 0111,y
'11131,1 1S-11 1111111? tillhe01 7 01 1101 1'07 1071 1/.1- du"
nannl ea.
Thee, few in, ei the 0111,. of our exantilet-
• lien of the varione 1-111111, lils011' 01110110 011
infitteitee the hewn, 41111 10 000 111
1,01 of int 14 ild ycenei, s the feeeied hearing
of tbe !teed may eleerie 10.
, 11 ie. ewe: red thee W0 llisillterr011.
'1110101' It001117.0- l -i1.1111110111111-04, 111111 11011.111
!.10:11 IC, 11: :1.1 1001 1011t.
'III,' ,ft1,1(.1111t,,4 with which 1 Mee hilliews
.seete e were foesel mem eii eat ernlly pin-
. , • ,
eaten a neve itgitotien, W111411 was eci,
1 a inly lessened hy our dog It:I.:111g 011011
!before z1101 111711-War110 1111101 Meth into a
, viek•nt lieg, the muse for white' we trice!.
in lain to tlieteiver.
Acid to all this the smunge tale we had
jur•t Itetted ef the house, awl the fact that for
einet. Wien preeleuely 1 had been devoting
leienre hours to the stud) of a werk on
the Intluente, of he Imaginal 14111,111sin the
Mind and :Will ;" that, as a variation front
chte, 1 bail le 11 reading a, semewlat sen-a-
thmal publieetion on the horrors of the In.
ouisit ion ; awl 11,,t. as a eliange 11,1,3 1107 11.
1 he:1 been dilteently pernettig a 1 thane int
the eubjeet of trained unettletieni, which
„duffle, nem* treating in a eentprelteusive
1111-,1110-1, 1,1 the erutle theeriee theisner,
Mesmer, end Pnysegur, and dreltieing there -
&inn variens idereiwee, condi:he' with a
minute ileeeription of some of the marvellous
feate achieved by the later dieeiples of these
theenverere, tei the astounding principle of
the od-foree eame to be, daunt untlersteed, at
least tieknowledged -add, I say, all theee
eiremestaneee together, and I thinlr it will
be admitted that my mind was to some ex -
tout predieposed to intlidge in the wildest
flights of intagination, even while melee
the influence) of " Nature's sweet restorer."
But this was not all -for, as the sleeping
accommodation in our apartment was um
fortunately of small dimensions, I had, as
best I (meld, to improvise a couch upon three
chairs, making the hearthrug do duty as a
mattress and my great coat tte a blanket,
rhe consequence of this delightful internal
and external combination W/18, that when I
awoke, it was under the apprehension of an
apoplectic fit caused by an apparent attempt
to stand upside donee
While wonder, then, under all these pre-
disposing influences of mental bias end un-
comfortable situations, that my n' iht
thoughts should have been of a somew tat
different nature from those ot the late Dr.
Young, or indeed that they should not have
taken somewhat of the fermi have tried to
describe ?
So ends this tale.
'Chose who desire to see one ghost or sever-
al ennnot do better then act as I did ; while
to those who would prefer to eleep quietly in
a house, haunted. or otherwise, I would say
don't previously and simultaneously study
exciting works on the Middle Ages and
Electro -biology, and books on the Powers of
the Imagination and 1‘ listeu to
strange tales about the building you are go-
ing to inlmbit, especially when such tales
are related by superstitious country people,
EL11(1. 31111 sure, therefore, to be exaggerated- I
don't eat an intligestible meal and walk
out hninediately afterwards -don't take a
dog with you enless you can rely upon his
being proof against howling when there's
nothing to howl at -and don't: persistently
and inquisitively emleavour to wreneh open
a fast closed drawer unless you know its
contents.
If, courteous reader, you (10 110110 of these
things, I think will undertake to promise
that neither will you have any of the strange
adventtves had M that lonely house,
-was unfeneered, and Re warped wood. oven I
• :tee would be pranced by the electric bruele
ruleed, ti0 regards this latter, at times I 111 -
We certainly as yet had been completely
most fancied .I. 00111d detect a faint blue elec.
foiled in our attempts to discover the cause
or causes which were pro ue trie light emanating from the finger points -
d .ing su ,h
this, however, may have been but imagin-
ation.
And noW began the last act of. this strange
drama, the recollection of which even yet ,
sends a thrill of terror through and through
and strange combinations of effect.
We now once more began to ascend the
Mair, with the intention of searching the
upper rooms.
While ou the stair we noticed a marked
change ie. the o hind. of the dog. Instead 01e.
We were startled by a single deep -sound. ,
of runatee ie bay on ahead, peering and
fug peal overhead from a large bell, by the
Fyinor odd holes and corners as was
nenat, and as he had done on our tn•st 'c i •
on entering. It was as if a voice had ntid
entering. he 110W sneaked after 118 with a
cowed look, and frequently crushed him- " PrePare
Our dog immediately thereafter began to
self against MS as if fearful of being any
more restlessly about, and tiredly retreated ,
distance from es. o the other endof the chamber, where, pant -
We managed to complete without further
adventure all the apartments upstairs 1,111g.. he slunk into a corner of tbe wall, and
.1 1 t- 31.1 t s in mann r s
except a bedroom, and an wile whit:
unusual and SO unnatural that we could only
found was to be reaehe through it, by a
attribute it to his being utterly beside him.
curious little staircase come:tied behindevliat
seli with terror.
seemed to be a cupboard dom.
We had just diecovered this staircase, the \ \ hen the clang of the bell, which rolled
existetwe of which one would never have and echoed through the lonely house, had
enspected when one of the doers shut with a quite died away, n-0 again heard that strange
• p• '
Ilerdiy had ife 00111111 ceased when another
deep rolling peal broke ka upon the stillnes
louder than before.
This was again followed by another stop ;
and on, and on, and on tolled the bell, mob.
succeeding stroke beiug louder than the :last
and each interval between filled up by that
dreaeful footfall, which was 110W uninistak.
ably approaching us.
.When the iron (warhead had knelled forth
its tenth peal, and when the tenth footsteps
mash which shook the hotese.
Almost immediately after, that perplexing
footfall again seemed as if wearily tweending
-the staircase.
When it had eompleted what we fancied
vas about half the number of steps thereon,
it abruptly ceased, and the singular current
of air again swept past us -now, however,
with such violence that the tapers which we
held were both extinguished 1110.1 WO were
left in utter dark.ness.
Ourdog now began to run round and round
had died aevay„ the flames of our tapers,
✓ s, whining peinfully, and a strange moan-
•ing cry gradually filled the room arta ea, through some mysterious agency, slowly be.
gemehow aid not seem to proceed &one engin gen to wane end our dog rose on hie haunch. i
es and beevlech
At the thirteenth stroke, I glanced at
" "'Vetere*, when In the blankness into
F—in utter bewilderment and rising hor-
which we bad been forced, ell sorts of vague,
ror. I was shocked to see that he had again
undefinable feerseenjured themselves upon
become deadly pole, and that his countenance
me, and I now began to feel a terror ef I
again W0ta that 1%111Ni OXpree131011 o
Vaealley.
I shouted to him to be on his guard, when
the instrument above fiercely clashed forth
its final chime, and the last step, the four -
have succumbed to the mysterious influence the 6.tair.
I now rose, trembling. in every limb, for I
of this now rapidly-inereasing terror, 111111
knew inetinctively that something frightful
should have swooned away. As it was
Vita going to happen, and fixed ray eyes in.
however, I teenaged to articulate a fel;
stteuege, the tently on the fast closed door, expecting
*words to my companion.
every instant to soe it open, and a figure
indent I did sr: the moan eetteed, all 111y
miter. but inetead, all became still itIld
fe.a.rs 'were dispelled, and alinoet immediate.
deathly sileut once more, and the taper
1)(1 Was sufficiently reinvigorated to be en.
fli11110,4, Wilioll had meanwhile still been
aided to relight my taper.
waning, now ebbed lower end lower, until
I shall not easily forget my friend's lonlot.
-horrible !---they Wore totally extiresniehed
His feattu•es were HO altered in every linea.
1111t1 WO were once more left in utter Meek-
ment, I hardly recognised. him. Re Witli
twee. Simultanuoteily with this happening
seated on the floor, ghastly pale, literally
k' r, 1 ..th
, - 1 et r o, gio 1 Wall diSh1N,Sild. to hear my companion utter
at, , a seream of tear and fall heavily on thelloor
eountenance shocking to witnese. 13y
; evidently in ti, dead faint. I
dressing him sharply, I managed tn reuse
I felt a thrill of terror. I rushed to the
lim se itir, but it wae seine tinie ere he quite
window and -wrenched batik the shutters
recovered and bemire himself aguin.
and opened it I felt light of any lance
After this we seriously discusSeti the eX- .
pediency01 karing. pride, 11„„.„„,,, awl a ' ev1,13 the sight of the stars, would be a re-
lief, and the air might revive my friend.
faseineting euriosity alike, somehow ulti-
It certainly for the time belog WM delight
mately got the better of US. and prevailed
ful to feel, fresh and cooling; but it produce
epon us, histead of acting upon this some.
ed not the desired effect 071 the postrate
what fainthearted prompting, rather still to
figure and beyond the mere nuonenthey
remain, and 031(1001:011r tO tliliCOVer, if pos.
relief thus afibrded to myself, I :mined
eible, the 0a1100 or causes of these extra,or.
little or nought by noting as did, for
dinary manifestatione ; certainly unaecount-
vmer w, without there WM a eiekly moon, welch by
ed for so .1er, but whoee motive
iiid not yet altogether despair of treeing, 1 ite ghostly minibint. Cone of light and shade
added weirdness and niyetory to the tune,
Accordingly, we now directed our steps to
and thee aggravated rather than lessened
the last a,partment -the fettle When we
the ftwerofexpoetaney and terrorinto which
reached the level of its door, we both die.
through h,,, 1 was Dew plunged.
tinetly Sale light streaming
1 1 t , . 1, a 1 ' tl 1 If (1 id .,148
underneath it. i eindd see niy friend lying where holete falleu,
We felt SEIM we had new arrived et the
, ill colour emu: from hie feeler:A, whiolt were
t 'stilt pale, pale as death. 1 et first could
re:intim of muell of What WO had even Mut
heard, awl t -•ied to enter. I'lle dour W11.4 Mat
e losed. Again awl again WEI inaewed our 12271191y ttionlittli,s1ei Itlicyat,,,,11.1011psa,e1)1rit.aint,ri.itotio, 11,1;1. ,,, tit 10:0 73%
endeavours to force it, but in vain 1 it. resist- 3 3'3'
unusual pallor of his countenance, heightened
ed most stubbornly, and MVO itS rattling,
and rendered yet more ghastly by tho Wan
which reverberated disagreeably through
moonlight, which by a °feticide/ice streamed
the gloomy passage, not tt. sound wee to re
1 in through the windotv full upon it, there
Irma e I WO 11100 an apparently distorted lookimpart.
All at once this si1enne was broken by
ed to the featuree from hisimnaturalponition,
Mocking Icing], sloes beside us, and the door': I
which still further disguised them, rendering
*I'llieh "(titer a 110 WM .(0"0111"g' SW""g 1 Om rtipiliSiVe to witness and well.nigh till -
Slowly open. poseible to reeognine,
eticks. Perplexiog, baffling, unfathomable 1
We entered faverieltly, clenching our 1
I was advancing towarde him, when I I
noticed, in the dim light, what I had not ,
The light from within tvas note with-
drawn, and nothing to account for it was I 30nbef in0 te V weasel biolofewr ow, 11,1110altyt ohpeoit;t1o,r otyttema0p0a11r1tai '
pereeivabIeseall wee void still edit Its
----, -----' - -- this change have boon effected 1 Ie must
death. I have been sonultaneouely with nie, opening
There were two small ()loots here. Otte
the window, and the uMeo then made had I
We found was empty as the attic itself, the
*Ube of the other defied to the last our PravcInted Inal licarhiff*
But etati 1 I Haw eemetbing elni Which
4°41° to iclt° it' nem yr" 50246thfrig Sent 4 'Cold elikree through and throngh ine,
-knew not what, 'unconsciously carelmg t
mind and paralysing the will.
Had it not been for the animal's whining,
which served in a manuer to distract the
attention and divert it from. the supernatural
teentle sounded, completing the Dumber on
to the possible, I firmly believe I should.
I felt. I knew, that under this fearful strain
the mind must give way, that either reason
must desert 111C Or 9 1111114 burst through the
even ; even already were all manner of still
more hideo its visions rushing with a whirl -
Mg turmoil through my brain.
I did burst through it ; with a gigantic
effort tillf ok 1 t 1 ul an 1 heard the et re-
verberate through the slunibrous deserted
house, but as the echo died mwey, and all
once more became AS the tomb, I felt the
power of will so far restored, twit evhou I
looked at the phantom still motionless by the
doorway, le a change came over it ; it be.
came fainter, fainter, till it seemed a misty
outline ; it quivered violently but still faded;
it Wet gone, dissipated iuto the sombre
gloom, and I sank to the ground exhausted
mei all but unconscious.
The walls were now swayed to and fro by
some mighty power ; the flooring undulated
as a sheet of thin ice. I lay still, quite still.
•
citententbmight have lasted, I know not,
gy
but I Was aroused from it by a voice which
dereti net, could net defy, which rang clear
and loud in my ears ;
" Arise, the doom of the dtiugeon grave
awaits thee; dost thou still resist?"
I had to obey. Inch by inch I turned,
but how -what was this through which, I
knew, I had all but fallen ? It was a door,
a trap door, but 110W skilfully it had been
concealed 1 I clutched emwalsively at the
edge as I felt myself failing, and lnum there-
on till the fingers were munb and rigid. They
rola:testi their grasp, and I fell. I was stun-
ned, \Then I eanie to myself, I eould see by
the fitful gleams of the fire, which had. now
ninual up 111111 W/11011 glanced at iutereals
through where I had fallen, Lhat I was in a
small chamber of 1111t113/113 (1`011, With /10
loorway nor will dew. Arid 11010 tile 01i11111X
of this horrible night was reached, for the
light slowly waned., and the aperture Mlle -
1114111 Was 810Wly 010Sed nay, Nether, the
very chamber itself was diminiehiug 1 Ito
pontlereus walle were contracting, its mass.
eve roefe was descending 1 In a frenzy of
terror I etruggled to dee, but it dead wefght
dragged me downwards, and I conld not,
Ily whet fiendish ingenuity W118 all this
contrived by whieh it seemed I was thus
to be entombed, crushed in this dreadful pri-
son, powerless to resist -to light ?
The last flickering gleam disappeared -all
w as 110W Mier blackness --7 already (elided
I could feel the toneh of the lowering roof
awl collapsing sidee-there :was a hideous
rattle -it craeh--and I knew the work of
destruction had begam-and CAW andhearti
no more.
'Phere is little more to 1111.1111.th. ennecions.
nese, mantel pereeptiou, discrimination, WC.C11
reetored.
I heard my name pronomiecul by a voice,
the familiar sound of which once ()Mined.
a complete traluiformal ion, and carried nie
batik at 0130 stride from the unreal te tho
real.
y eyee wien but I know there was
glorieus light, is te•• wing in epee them,
1 opened them and foiled 11.yeelf lying • mot
immured in it erempedhp 'mace with the ter.
rot. of being buried in falling rutin, but, on
ley improrinel 001101 111 our rood Um
Imunted home:, with the gelled beams of the
Morning sun streaming through a child( iit
theith tier fell 071 019 11100, 10/71 0
up, end in the act. of dreesing. It Wall Open
1'0,T had after all but been wandering in
dreamland -the whole VMS bet Willl dieorti.
end drone.
As a neater of course my first query to
----Wee AA to bow 110 11114 5101/1.
011, boyood faneyieg that Ile had board
tho oucanional barking of a dog, lie had slept
retnarkably well, lie said.
How then, had my slum:bees boon of :melt 0,
dieturfeel warm The eamie, :t tithat, nee
fnexpliaable, as perhape the following mAy
11110W
When We arrived at the house we really.
Gave Her Life to Save Her Dog.
On Thursday, a week ago, as the lightning
express passed through the suburban town
of Oak Park, near Chicago, :Mollie O'Beien,
yolieg girt in the employ of Mrs. R. II.
Salter, ettempted to cross the track. She
was e.comnpamed by it Scotch collie who
was a sevat pot in the family. Tho young
reached the opposite side M safety and
turned to see where the dog had gone.
850111g that the dog was in imminent clanger
of being ran over elle started to save Min.
The crowd on tho opposite platform scream.
ad for her to go back, but she heeded not
her own danger, and as she reached tho
eteps, slipped and fell, just as the great
iron nienster rnshed past. The train did.
not crush her, but the Oliver on the wheels
of the engine broke her neck instantly.
People rushed to her eminence, but it woe
too late, leaving her 0/1 tho platform Irina
Mende feel curiosity seeker:3 crowded armed
her, but tho great noble dog she had tried
to save. kept all away from her. Placing-
Ihnself by hoe side he licked her poor
bruited hands, sad in every way tried tri
awehen hen No ono dared touch her, and
not until au old friend of the family came
weal. 110 leave her for a moment. Miss CP -
Brien WM twenty-three years old, and was
born and raised in St. Louis,
Lora Tennyson and the Local Preacher.
In an article on Lord Tennyson, the poet
Leureate who is fa tins moment lying on
-whet may bo hie death -bed, in the 'February
111,814 yan, M01110(04 illautr:ine, the Rev.
I'Ionry Smith says 1. --"Sunday morning, De -
comber 120, ISSO, will not soon. be forgotten
by' iniuisters awl local preachers who had to
take appeintments dintent placer on the
Isle of Wight, It was 0110 Of the 1vildent
tummies imaginable. Otte veteran local
1,1,1.o:tulle., while presei ott atecinse wind and
'rain, fell doWn dead withie :duet dietenee
!of Preliweeer Lereeleyen Chapel. Lord Tee.
nyson came upou the scene in a few minutee
Ink() Ida friewl Proles:tor Ballston. "Pilo
klielly iliteript taken by tho laureate 111 the
widow and frientle of the henorel local
rt :mbar will never 1 e forgotten. The letter
of eyinpaelly tiont.alned expressions of the
reet's personal hclid 1LS 10 t110 1/01/011r 11-1/11
:1111 13001111008 01 1101114 ngage.1 in so glorious a.
I',Cork itS that of the Wesleyan local preacher.
Ho W11/1 11111011 Impreeried with the eireum-
etellee that the preacher's notee indicated
that the wiener?' that mornitee Watt to have
, been of a speelally gladsome character. Lord
'1'01111y/4mi wroLet-"/ cantiot but look upon
his death as a happy one; sudden, painless,
while he was on his way to his chapel. to reit.
liturgy prays egainst sudden death( but I
-myself could pray for such a atiaao. aath
ISA001,,,rf0ris," ,..„.
der thanks end praise to Ins 1Vra Ler. Our
"1 /101111:,' think 111411 I, 11(11 Dantilt011, 101
the 11111411ppicst girl Vaisteltoe inneogau
ill to neon' lt gnu! Uplil and:Ward *realm.
who 1 Itttl'e 11110W11 for less than a 111011111
awl ie. es a:. if 1 litel Idloirtl all my life
while Fled you 1014.31' ,1.011 Mot Fred 111,
(=Malin 1' i't ;Airy Mg in tee 1,111110 1101100, 10.
0101 hooey :Tette it went to 1110, 011011 10 7 11
11, '11';'1111:11.101'.:!:.4:1i1lig‘ati.xiTristilith'ilf;;;:t 31 let ter
girth jinni t he „snolition 111 Whiel
I founil toy:telf not ury long, all er lily nine.
14,11111 birthday, As I now look bock 05
what long ago, I wonder hoW
11 US 1110. lli11/11-t 1.1116.1i. “Iny ot I ion•'firtee,
Managed to pill 113( tt ith my iibt.•Dif,Or ant
1likllike 101. 11i0 i01-01,UOV, 1101 11
mention lily 1111-,,,, 111 flirt/01011 for 1 in
afraid tlbl flirt 4%11 rrea.
(111111.1 I te eiteinly WWI :Mil Wil 1.1
- ene ef tiers- lee 11 0 11.1 01111 1101 11101 1
Wit1100t 111,001 1-,..1111.1 1011.1, \-1 llet1101- it, 13
VS111,11110 0111 011 VS, Or y0111.
With 11 11001 y and 1,,,thIa:
chart, teri,tlie about 111111 Ho, e 1 Itt
njwaye te,Itteict,ell 111,1 of bie
hands. ivied) e; 10,1, 10111 10 V. 1110-01111111 el
111111.111::::1 01111, To 71101,0 01101.1i -0111i141 1111107
I et added his teethed of brew hing 1 it war.
etent mow mid voted le, heard at a .1i01.111100
Of tit ty yards, Ilut I mightn't to finite it,
...elite that efien gave us witrniug eur
stolen be erview0 01 1.111111-011011, 11101 1,0-
0:11110 1111111111 5.1), 7103 Means of nay release
froln WM.
I Wits not Moab oVer nineteen When
one day Illy father addressed Me at
breakfast : '• Bea, :Mrs. learien wants us to
go there on the Stli." This apparently
1111100010 remark nearly annibilat ed Inc, Th.
bloW had fallen at lina.
Shortly niter hie return froze India, my.
father, who WAS little better than a et teng-
er lo 1151(1 litcoe.t1 out certain ranhams
hinta aS to the expediencyrif inygetting near.
lied and then Mot tine day informed me out.
right thet it wan hie one Wich to Al, Me hap-
pily wedded to the son of hie 01.1 friend
Darien, I WM not unilaterally aghast. Not
to mention a *prier a t atinnent," Mel never
seen (filbert, How wield I marry an utter
strauger 1 How could. 1 throw over Fred
beeltese /to had only 111111. 1111/01 rlid I/01111110 a
year. while hie unknown rival had four
thenteand I had no mother tn confide
and had not the courage to oonfees all to my
respeeted permit, who had returned from
India a broken-down invalid, whose one
objeet in life WELS, US lie informed me some
twenty tintee a day, to see me happily mar-
ried to the F011 of los old friend. " Happily
married forsooth to a men one detests ' 1
bitterly ex'clitinied, perheps rather unfairly,
as I had never 00011 (filbert, who, for aught
I knew, might have been an Adonis as -well
as a future Croons, thongli from my father's
significant silence as to 117S !personal appear-
ance, I had my doubts.
At alt events one thiug was certain, and
that Wee that I WaS not going to give up
Fred ; end with this resolution I sat down
and wrote a leng letter to him, in which I
tee forth my woes. :When I received Fred'e
antae0C, I was agreeably surprised to find
that the Dimities were not stet:Amore to him,
ELS he had stayed with them as a friend of a
painger brether of Gilbert s, " there is
something," he wrote, "fishy about Gilbert.
! . * - 1 • , 1 ' 1
as ill-bred a hippopotamus as I ever had
met. The idea of your marrying 11110 !"
And here followed a long diatribe on my
father aud on whet he called the "cussed -
11028" of things in general, and. his financial
afihirs partiettlar. flowerer, there was a
crumb of comfort itt tho end of his letter,
aml that was contained in tho information
that he would fish for an invitation to
Darien Hall while we were there.
My curiosity was excited by tho mystery,
the "something fishy" about the man whom
tny father had chosen to be my feture hes.
baud. Was Ile subject to fits of madness 1
Was lie a klepto. or (lips°. or anything.else
horrid endirm o-maniee ? I determined
to oross-question my father, and that even -
in I see about the task.
nItnnately succeeded m elmitnig the fol.
lowieg information. " That Gilbert was the
image of his poor father " e" The fright 1" I
mentally ejaculated, for I had seen a photo
of tho poor father, in big baggy white trou-
ears, the lege erotism', and regarding with a
woudering smile -4A well he might -an enor.
Inoue misshapen silk hat) ; " time Ile very
rarely loft his home; having been educated
there by private tutors " ("- lceopers," I ex-
claimed to myself) ; " that Darien Hall had
the reputation of being haunted. ; that it was
111y father's one wish in life to see me happily
married to t110 8011 of his dear old. friend ;
and that he (tuy father) wished I would not
pester him ;with my therm qui:stems ,"
'Phis last became I asked if Clilbert's eyes
wero blue (Fred licts the most charming blue
eyes you Tree RM.
My fathee and I arrived at Darien Hell lato
one evening ; and a single glance ellowed me
thatm worst fearewere realised The photo
of my fatheee "dearest friend" might have
been aportrait of the Apoll o Bel rehire compiles
ell to the dearest friend's 0011, tO W110111, 110111 -
ever, it here a striking resemblance with
re etrd to the inane smile, a smile which, ie.
diteon to Ills general sheepish manner,
told me that, (filbert was aware of
our respeetive parents' plans that we two
should come together.
The next morniug there Wag a kind of
soleme betrothal scene, at which Mrs,
Darien and my father officiated, mud during
which (filbert, liko thopereon in the nuesery
rhyme, continued to smile -perhaps at my
1111001.y.
here intern,. he noun...slim %Odell I
gave my hie !wed to corree0 Fred, .1 re-
, Peat, With a Nileawlierdilie 11 net in the
, future, issiettel that something 11-111111? 1 111'0
1131 ..-1001/01- 01- litter, end ha 1 we met lite ter
" wait Lill that M0111111' 111' 111111 .01/01111 our
WM( Ineano Idle 10 Making tho hest of it,
; Which We did st, ultitet natty, hat (troll 111.0
hmg stillbring, Gilbert. Maidenly took it i1110
I Id, head to remonstrate with Me on My 1111111-
ner to that fellow Hell well."
t 131:1504.iiiiii111)14.1. lc! l'ewc!rIgi 11:frTIci)c,i0al8titni ili°1242e 1,12'.1';"
real w hieh evidently 11101011, 11111t 111.
had !...ttletliing important to tell 111e. He
1. rimmed my ettrioelLy by whieperhig in my ear
zte P11.0011 1110 IL 0111) .11 Collis. " f imve
foetid out why lie 1110"Pr 1011 VIM 110101%"
1 A1'101. Meet:feet, deep:netted filbert to
10144 for 0 !Mir 01 fil0V014, Wili011 1 110 1/11011011
10 1111 VII 111)' 131.-14 LS, 111111 folfawod Fred into
the garden, Leading me out of eight. of (Ito
holue, Ile delivered Iiiinsitlf of the follow ing
ot :titular end intintelligible remark ; " 11B
111111 1511,1111a fits."
t " thssi graehms limy did you find out ?"
" !nig Fred, 111/0 WW1 piallant. Wit 11,
joy at hie dievoyery, ** I'11 tell ,y011, Vint
know I 11 0111 Up 010.1y 10 11/087 11011 eight,
a ad when 1 ent Mtn my room my eitielle Mew
eut. 1 erne. WO lind the matches anyWhero ;
ito 1 went ter to Ofiltertee room, glut of
1171, 111/11011 11111 y tO SOP tile ineitle of it, kir
he keeps it fellew out of it ter if it, were a
cupbeard, with dead WiV08 all
imaging about. There was one there ; KO I
walked straight in, saw a luminous box of
matt:hes, struck a light, and looked round.
The wells were all padded !" Fred patient
tt•itthiph.
" Is that all 3" 1 eritel.
'‘ All indeed I NVIty. don't you see? It's as
cleat. as dpylight, fle's subject 10 ii1S, and
throw hint( elf all over the place, awl the
wells are padded en Hutt he than% hurt him-
"111;;:aire argament steenetl idensible enough ;
and if hie 1.011j0111 11-1111 here was it
splendid 111111111er of 01/11V 11101'71g My father
(ii:atib,011„iniptiseibility of 111y Marriage Wit.11
"1413', 1 1.'s C1I-Str CaSts eltUS0 Awl
impediment," eried. Fred, " Been foie:
tie/Ile:aid pounds per n1011101 can't' tnalce
for those lite. Why, 110 might bit yon in
one of them. and give yeu. !The:phobia, and,
then there'd be the fat in the lire wieli a
vengettnee."
lett if he WIIS S111/P111 to fits, why had ho
novel. had them during the time we had been
in the house 1 fie had 1/01.11r failed, a.s
lame, to our eost, to put in an itppettrauee
in whet happened to be going on env() flay,
and usually ()oilseed, as Prod reluct.antly
. , 3 ,
ignorance of matters medical in general and
fits in particular, we deeided thee, he only
1 1 1 I „ . •
reason wily he never slept away from home.
1 After much coneideration, we determined
with reluctance that the only way to discov-
er the true state of affairs was for Fred to
conceel himself in tillbert's room awl foul
out if our emejecture Walt correct,
scarcely elept a wink on the night on
' .1 F• Ihd 1 1
1
The following three days Boca in coyly
repelling the advanees of my proseectlee
husband. 1 was nuly sustained by tho
thought that soon Fred would 141T1110, and
the Imp° that he would find some method of
relieving me from my prideful position,
Gilbert, heel the imporlibionoo Lo remark
that he hoped I should like young* Fred
Halt well, though, between ourselves, he was
" ruthet- it prig." Filially, Fred tterived,
and was solemnly in lenclueed to me as an
Otter stranger. Otio of the few occasions on
which I sow Gilbert's smile dry up was
when ho noticed how rapidly I got on with
a man whom, as he thought, I had juet met
for tho first time,
The daya went by and my position grew
more and 1110Po hateful. More than twee I
determint te 'make IL elven broast of it to
my father but 1. could never screw tri»ny
courage) to pay ewe, tut inenle to the memory
of his dearest friend tte to decline tn witery
his win. :Moreover, Weigh I had ce
the pee of eitteteemi etrenee !,`”Y,
the renitatt110 (11 enteeitmee, witith from
time to thee gave ine horrid weefal twealca
for what it wee pleated to cell my double-
feenhical, I being imaotietelly engaged to
two Men at. the Hanle time, 130 What Ie.:.
(151Na ct1111(1 I give my father for break] ngetf
my engagement to Militia It would not
Mon! been the slightest, TM to Ouachita
I di luvo hen, or to find fault with the
menial or bodily features ; while to confess
ant. Wita 1.0Ve WW1 Fred would have re.
suited in 0121 aining that ponuiless youth his
eonge from Darien Hall,
Fred ttt the happg-Srolelty Way 'which is
Into execlition, expeeting every minute to
hear piereine, shrieks fieen the remote
't**t f tl I ' *1 ' .1 11 t
However, nothing occurred. to iiisiurb ;
and nieution, Prod behire breakfast, as we
heti arrotmed, In the garden, I overwhelmed
1nm with 0 flood Id „niostiona " Dul
frighten you. much 1 How did. yen manage
to hide Li lie very violent 1 Does he Seine
After 11 tantaliehm to 1110, inexpli-
cable fit of langhter, Fred told mu white had
happened. " 1 1201naged to hide myself hi
wardrobe in hie room, and, after what
Roomed a fearful time, Oilbert came ttp aud.
began to undrees, Good le:event; You
should soo the way that fellow ogles hinerelf
in the glass ; why, he's nearly as bail ELS you.
-as girl I mean. Well, I was in an awful
funk that he'd open tho wardrobe, but be
didn't ; end at Met he got into bed without
havingshowntheslightest symptonsof having
a fie. I can tell you I was disappointed,
a (I det • 1 t 't t'll -
asleep, end then leave the room. I must
have dosed off, for suddenly I woke Ivith a
fearful start, at 'what I thought was a clap
'of thunder, about an inch from my ear. In
three seconds I had found out tho secret of
the padded walla he 131101:02 like a steam.
• ow rked fog -horn 1"
IFred Wae right. Thie m as tho horrible
sevany side to the silver lining of four thom.
sand pounds a year.
I We had a certain delicacy ttliout informing
my father of the one failing of his deurest
friend's 0011, so we hadrecourse to stratagein.
e manage( to conti e let ert and
my father chould be boxed up tagether ler a
tenotile drive home from a ball in theneigh-
Miming county,
Wo loft Dation HMI the next day
" I assure you my dear, that young follow
cracked the carentge window, not to meution
the drum of my ear, with Ms snoring. I
could not think of your marrying null amen.
His poor father never did such a Oleg."
How to Elude the Dootor,
A popider Th3201011111 was reeently called
on by a friend, to whom, in the coulee of
conversation, Ile said 2 "Thom are ten
simple procautious which form an excellent;
rule of life, and if people would but observe
them I should Lave to resort to seme other
means of making a livelihood." Then lie
enumerated the following; Don't read in
Ntreat Cal% 01' other jolting vehicles, Don't
pick the teeth with pins or other hard nub -
stances, Don't meglect any opportunity to
inetwo a variety of food, Don't eat or drink
end coldthingsthunefliatelyinenecossion.
Don't pamper the appetite with suult variety
of food thee may leed to excess. Don't read,
write or do any delicate work unless receiv-
ing the light from the left side. Don't
direct 21 cowl mental or physical energies to
nun Ian eight home work in each
atty. Don't keep the parlor dad:, if you,
value you OWI1 and your anthem's health.
Dont delude yourself into the belief that;
you are an exception so far its sleep is eon -
canted; tho nominal average of sleep is
eight hours. Don't endeatioe to reel, the
muul y abeoltito inactivity, lot it met in
week other channels, and thus rest the
tired part of the brain,
4. -
How Some Kings Died.
Icings lmvo died in mete) fachioe, Fall&
?P.* itattundeg the nhapti of indigestion. Did
Ilut a 111011 Of IteirilVepl hill lIehre, I, 1 111141
not ovvronting t81411 to icemen 1. "led-
liil death pflettit1;1, Upon him," es Thackerity
saye, "In hie trat'eling elittritit on the lien -
over rowl, lett postilion unit outride that
pale horeetwie [loth Fred:wink 1.11,,
poor of t1ertnatly, 'eel hie nom Maximilian
died through excateive indulgence in
molting ; Baldwin King of Ierusnioln,
died of leprosy Philip III. of Spain, of the
etiquette which' loft 111111 to bo roestod be-
fore a naming brazier because the official
oottld not be foil id 1
it woe to remove it, and Stinislas Leesinski
King of Poland, of the terrible burns he
recci,"-31 +1" -•c?, -11 his dressing gown Ambient -
7