The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-03-29
A STRANGE EXPERIENCE.
Longn,4n's Magazine.

e1perience stands ou, m very sharp rciie against the dull background of my other recolce,ions, which, ;o tel. truth, arc exceedingly prosaic @n experience 50 terrible that at the t.a1c |; almost threw me of my mental balance, and even now often hiis me Mi,h arrest and disquiet by its mere memory.
 When VAS Tn my iwenty-sfth year was suddenly left to face lie alone l leokcd about for employment, and before many iays my attention was a;- ,racted by the following advertisement
 Wanted .aa. ,.atezy.a fady, ls com. faaao1 ;o a young idsts #ho slstly t!r r4ast!. Ths Haticni s EtG;,s lasmirss an,l gentle. 4 eoliat,s.4. .s l. pne onesca.i
 was no, by any means weak-'ninded or nervous young woman, and ii seemed to me ,ha; the s!ish, prejudice which made me shrink fsogl such eempaaion- ship might easily he overcome. The salary named suited my requirements and, as my credentials were satisfactory, my application was me, by aH acceptance, and all the preliminaries being arranged, ii was agreed that should tourney down 10 E. without further delay
 Ca the morning oi the day or which l had arranged to besla ny new life !, oc- cured 10 ne iha; the train had fixed on would nc; get me to E- before seven o'clock. and tha; t would be far from pleasant 70 afrive ln the damp darkness oi .tn autumn evening II ii sta lion with which 1 MAS no; familiar. and which might he fltlcs ifom the manor house"
 therefore deeiacel.o D 70 by an earlier train, thinking that !, oanil 10, possibly makc-mueh eiiiieteE n my employers whether rca ifed ry destination n, elgh, or four. knew nothing of the peo- pie to whom l vis geing, beyond the facts that they were the cider sisters of the patient. and that .he;r references had been III ;ha, could be desired. On the way down amused myself with suesses IS 10 the kind of household was abon, to !oin and y the tune l reached F., had ioisie(. :. pretty l.ule fancy picture ef two cheerful. comfortable. md dle-agea ladies, and had begun to think that the " derangcd young lady might after all be only lule peculiar and eccentric, not enough to make any serious drawback ;u quiet and happy life
 go, fly at the station, and with my smaller belongings was packed into il. After what seemed an lntciminable drive. the conveyance lol,cd and shook itself down into quletncss in front of closed door. which formed the only feature in d long red-btick wall. high enough to be IT itself ! very suitlcien, protection, and further secured by formidable chevaux de trise. My iiy-man rang the bell and aighted. A long interval elapsed without any sign of fife from the other side of the door, bu, when at las, he somewhat impatien;ly rang again. there came a soand of footsteps on the Jagged path within. and the door wa $ opv.~ssd about three inches, while a voice said
 ""ho' ,herer
 My name IS Graham. l answered. I have come to be Mss Tharpe's com panion.
 Oh" said the voice suspiciouSly, " but Mss t.raham was no, to come till seven.'
 Nevertheless an Miss Graham, and you sec have come al four. am coming in, so please open the door
 Well, l suppose you may come in, was the ungracious reply, and the door opened. passed through it. and up the Jagged pathway on either side of which stretched a garden, laid GU, in brown, desolate flower beds. Some large cedars grew near the hoyse and GAS, a heavy shade over its long. red facade The whole scene was dreary in the extreme. all the blinds were drawn down, and over the front door the family hatchment was displayed. In reply 10 my hasty question whether there had been reeen, death in the family. the woman who had let me Tn answered s,oldly
 No. the place IS always like this"
 The hall III which my boxes were SC, down was large and dark. furnished with oaken settles and se-,s black with age.
 paid the f,y-I.a... and when he was gone l looked with anxiety for some sort of welcome. for the tone of the letters | had received led me 10 hope this would oe home in fac, no less than in name.
 ' Are the ladies out = asked.
 Yes, said the old servant. They will no; be back till six. You had better take your things oil, and sit in the library till they return"
 did as she directed In the library, which was at the back of the house, were good fire and two wax candles ia ponderous silver candles,icks The walls were oak-panelled, and the curtans heavy, hark, and handsome, The whole atmosphere was one of decayed magnifi- cence- leaned back in my chair and put my feet or the fender with a feeling Of contentment which not even ,he mys- tery shadowed forth by the outward signs ot mourning on the house could dispel. The change from the chill damp world outside to this warmth and comfort, the absolute stiffness of the place after the hurry and hustle of railroad travelling, these were very soothing, and all csn- dnced to sense of drowsiness which gently stole over me. Iyielded to it. don't know how long dozed, but when a slight noise-a cinder dropping from the hre, fancy-roused me again to con-