Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-12-20
Al is Sues fetiob, Aunt saIly,

win strange VehsmHNes, Y'fGn know
hate tho thing Aud passed on, W
following, iRto nay chamber which, viii
its bright phintz furniture, and blizinI
lire on tho hearth, seemed Of itself 4
welcome ne
lom deposited my wraps and travel
ing bag on = phaib thea took himsel
on, leaving hle and ma 10 make Gael
olhe's acquaintance, With me II was
easa 81 love al int sight After 81
hours chat IN the din twilight, on
acquaintance lad progressed wonder
July 80 wonderfully, that l laade vi
nay miud 10 ask heF as 10 her rea
reasons Tor dIsliking her grandmother
house, M | began Tom Gays yo'
don't like yeRr houseG How IA II
delrr
"hHe started Her whole lace workeC
neiyogdy." I.ileitfBie said, her y0ieI
trsmb)ilgplIsluilE ifyoH only knew,
bhe broke Oh pl'slonstely, illeV
What, dslrr | tall, gently pnltinl
my arms RrOUnl her and loOkinl
down at tito prgliY pale face Moth
iHB,' she sail, with M effort, diseAgig
ing herself rpanlutllv, Don't paw anI
attention 70 anything | ray, Aunt Aally
fnn know Tvs been III | and Im not !
bit myReli yel,' Then with q 1niel
return 10 her usual manner, she added
l's llme 10 dfeat ioF dIRner Can | dc
anything lor YOU before GOg
u thanked her. Rad 6he went,
'lhe opportunity was gone, VIA
had tho ciili triei 10 toll MOP
couldn't forget hcr face, o. she looked
w 10 ne that plte0uS expression, a. Il
begging for q al,tdnas,
Guided by tho sound OF voices
/ | found, when lad dressed, the
snug little dlnlRR'rOum, aud Inter
ruplel q very pretty little tabeau,
Tom was In tho very not Of kissing hif
pretty VITO, Wh,, stretched ON tipiOe,
looked very much a' II she liked II,
They bath started foot apait, bluahing
guilty whom they SAW NO,
DInnar was served Immediately, We
wrv d happy little party Sue was in
tho higbeIt spirits, Her checks fairly
blnlrl with color and hor eyes wero
bright ~ stars, blo greeted all Toms
absurd Fpccchcawilh tho merrioHt laugh
ter tfat looking ut their bright young
lacc7, aud tho pretty room filled Will,
dainty lnick lnack7i and then, with
ms usual ill'luck, ! said just the wrong
thing: Il can hardly believe this room,
10 bo IN this house, | said, 'Its no
modern IN lbs character; tho rest be-
Longs 10 the dead con,uriet'
1T wR o. II III boon an cnchaner,
and hud waved my wand aud COM
m1nlCd mirth TO vanish. sue made no
reply, but looked emyoly down At her
plate Tom, seeing my disnoy, cave q
hearty laugh and sad Aunt Sally, |
really think this child Is afraid OF all
this Old stun And yot she keeps IL
because its been for ages in tho Van
Wyke family; in fct, ! believe its a
part OF ,hcir religion, Seriously, Sue
promised her grandmother always to
keep it, You should SEQ her pass the
gentleman Just outside your door in the
hall above, Upon my soul, l believe
Size expects him TO grab her.
This sally OF Toms was followed by
silence. Not hearing tho merry laugh
and quick denial from Sue that had
expected, looked up to find to my
di5may that her eyes were trimming
over with tears. Tom saw il, too but
making q luigh sign to mo not 10 speak,
he ratified on with some absurd non.
sense.
After dinner wo sat talking until the
clock struck eleven. Tom now rose
odd left the room and presently we
heard him, it seemed TO me everywhere,
locking and boiling barring and clos
ing, As ! said to Sue | felt as though
I were in u Bastile. Then | added
thoughtlessly; DO you stuff tho key.
holes, too?' NO. said Sue, 4 wish we
did A quick change passed over her
face. Aunt Sally must toll
What she was going to say / don't
know, for in came Tom at that instant,
with Now TO bed--to bed |! Pm be.
coming anxious about my beauty sleep
Laughing immediately ut his non
sense, we hurried up stairs. At my
door, We al paused for one more good
night As J closed the door, l saw
Sac grasp her husbands arm tightly as
she passed the awful figure. Smiling to
myself ut the child's foolishncss, /
commenced my preparations for the
night. Thoroughly tired out by the
days excitement, | longed for good
nights rest. The last thing ! did was
TO bolt and lock the door. as usual.
Suddenly / awoke. must have
slept for some time; two or three
hours, say, to judge from the appear
ance of the fire, which was now
smoldcrng in the CRATE. / awoke, too,
with the consciousness that there was
something in the room. No one, who
who has not experienced the feeling,
knows what it is the horror, the igno
rance, anything better than the sus'
pense.
Half asleep, raised myself on one
elbow, and looked carefully around the
room. [ could see nothing, though
occasional CLEANS from the dying fire
lighted it up after fashion, Satisfied,
sank back on my pillow. 'Stuit and
nonstnse,' / said, impatiently. 4
must nave had a bad droam, and settled
myself comfortably. But it was OF no
use. I could not sleep. My eyes re.
NAMED resolutely wide open.
Il had been lying motionless for
about ten minutes, / should say, when |
hearl--what | couldn't call it noise.
l. was more like the sound cat makes
on well,carpeted. floor, or as ii some
thing invisible were creeping toward
me, from the further end of the room.
Thoroughly awake now, I sat erect.
Strange to say, the idea of anything
supernatural never occur d to me. NV
only thought was that there was some.
thing shut up in the room with me. The
fireplace faced the door So, whatever
light there was, shone directly upon it
and could see distinctly the lock with
the key in it, and the door haudle.
'But now, the thing, whatever it is, is
coming toward me. The dull, soft
sound-thud, thud-grows louder and
louder. Then, for the first time, it
comes over me, that whatever it is, it is
not alive; it is not flesh and blood.
Nearer and nearer I hear it approach,
until it is at my bedside. Yet still l can
see nothing. Then something grasps