The true northerner., 1876-05-12
APPEARANCES ARE DECEITFUL.

APPEARANCES AXE DfCEIIrUL'
had taken my chambers in Washing
ton Square, and was inclined to like
them. They were on the second floor,
and consisted of three rooms. The door
ON the landing opened on to a narrow
passage, at the end of which, on the
right. was the door of the sitting-room,
the three windows of which looked on to
a green expanse, where stood tall,
eaunt tree. In one corner of the sitting
room was door leading into the bed
room. which communicated with dress
ing-room. This dressing-room had a
door leading into the end of the passage,
10 the left of the main entrance from the
landing. Thus l could make the COM
plete circuit of my premises from the
sitting room, through the bed and dress
ing rooms into the passage, and through
the passage into the sitting-room again.
/ am anxious TO be understood on this
point as realization of the topography
of the place is necessary for the compre-
hension of the incidents have to relate.
/ will premise by assuring my readers
was in thorough physical health. AS
In the case with most sucking students,
/ rather prided myself on cultivating
habit of mind that should not permit me
TO be unduly impressed by causes un-
warranted 0y calm reflection. 1 had
been accustomed to sedentary, to some
extent solitary life, and in moving to
Washington Square had determined to
apply myself unremittingly to my legal
studies.
My new chambers had been unoccu-
pied for some months, and, after making
sure that they had been well cleaned and
scrubbed, / sent in my furniture and
took possession. 1t was on a chill, dark
October evening that, after dining at my
accustomed eating-house, wended my
way 10 my new quarters. 1 shall never
forget that evening there was heavy,
clammy feeling in the air of the streets !;
and rs turned into the dreary square
the air seemed heavier and clammier.
On arriving at my chambers. found the
deaf, spirit-sodden old creature who had
attached herself to me as laundress and
char woman in the act of setting out the
tea things. The lamp was lighted, and
q bright fire burned in the CRATE. On
my coming in the old woman mumbled
few words, the meaning of which / did
not catch however, well pleased with
tl,e air of comfort she had impaired to
the place, wished her a CHEEKY good
night as she went out.
Having closed and locked the outer
door, returned down the passage into
The sitting-room. L can perfectly call
to- mind its appearance on that night.
Tho polished furniture was cleaning
and glistening in the light, the windows
were veiled by thick curtains, and the
door leading into the bedroom stood
aiar. / congratulated myself on my
possessions, and, having poured myself
out cap of tea and lighted my pipe,
aettled myself with volume of Hallam
in an armchair 10y the fire. I had been
reading for some time my attention
hnd somewhat wandered TO vague,
sleepy consideration of matters not
strictly relevant to constitutional his
tory, when L became aware of n strange,
all pervading sensation of cold. The
sensation was so sudden, 80 acute, that
Iose from my chair shivering, in the
expectation of finding one of the win
dows open. But no; they were all
closed and fastened. Through the
panes could discern the gaunt branches
OF the trees, unstirred by any gust of
wind. On glancing round the room /
noticed the flame of the lamp. which,
though somewhat dim, did not flicker
or seem agitated by the icy stream of
air which chilled me to the bones. The
bedroom door, as have mentioned, was
aiur and thinking tho draft might pro-
cced from Que of the inner rooms, /
lighted q candle, with the intention of
looking through them. But the instant
/ entered the bedroom the candle went
out not suddenly, as from a current of
air. but quietly, ,nstantaneously, as
though il had been introduced into an
atmosphere of carbonic-acid gas. AT
tho same moment the sensation of cold
again came over me with ten times
greater intensity than before. The gas
hight in the square shone feebly into
tho rooms, and I wasss able TO find my
way through them into the passage, and
back into the sitting-room. My sensa-
hons appeared to me somewhat unac-
countabie but attributing them to
some draft, of which could ascertain
the cause in the morning, L closed the
doors and resumed my place by the fire.
After little while fell again into my
interrupted train of dreamy thought,
and gradually fell asleep. Now, before
proceeding further, / may state that l
had never been a victim to nervous
fmcies. Nothing had ever occurred to
mo bearing IN the remotast way on the
events l am about to relate--events so
utterly inexphcable 10y natural causes,
and yet 80 tantas ieally real, that even
after lapse OF many years ] call them to
mind win n ahudder of horror.
| rnulL I'M n. lhn..ol. a .......-- -. -.