Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-06-03

10. ii WELHAH-sQUlRE.
fcortipuec from yesterday. }

/. (COuffnneC from yesteroay.J
The feeling of suspense became unbear-
able. jumped out of bed and walked
With nervous determination to the window
) where I turned round and faced the room,
!, snch lioht as there was being behind me.
I saw no one. Again walked across the
room. and as | did so felt Enthusiastically
! that wave OF air that meets one walking
in the streets when some one on foot pass
es close to him in the opposite direction.
I seemed to feel the light Craze of a pass
ling substance against my night gown. l
was dimly conscious of faint. indescrib-
able odor. calling up recollections of a
time of life long but indefinitely passed.
j And while / stood fixed to the spot with
surprise and horror, my heart beating vio-
llently. / heard distinctly four long, heavy
steps passing from me toward the window.
The floor creaked under their weight. The
next instant felt that was alone. But
it was not until long after the morning
was as light as noon that | fell asleep
again.
| awoke much troubled in mind and
doubling whether | should not. like my
fathers, be compelled to leave thus uncan-
nv dwelling; but when in some measure
restored BY breakfast, determined to say
nothing to my sister at present. but to
wait and see whether the situation would
in any way develop itself. My resolution
was fated to be put to the test sooner than
I expected.
did not get home that evening till
close upon dinner time. When l entered
the drawing room Ellen greeted me with,
'.Oh, Edward what do you think has
C;Loo 10 doo1 ~
Now Skies was gray parrot belonging
to my wife. He was SO called because
when he first came to US it was affirmed
of him, perhaps rather libellously. that
like the hero OF Mr.. Calverley's poem, he
"habitually swore." He certainly did
from time to time blaspheme somewhat
unreservedly.
was secretly not altogether sorry to
hear of his demise. So answered with
much composure. Ibid the cat eat him ?"
mo-" said Ellen. "he died in the most
horrible commissions"
went up to getready for dinner, think
ing more of how to prevent my wife from
replacing Skies by another clamorous
bird than of the manner of the lost ones
death, but in the course of our meal it &C.
Cured to me that his fate was an odd one.
.'How did Skies come to have convul-
sions ?" asked
why. it was most curious" answered
Ellen. IL was going to tell you about it.
| was in the drawing room writing letters
and suddenly heard tremendous scream
ing and Tapping, and looked up. and
there was Skies turning over and in the
air. and pecking and clawing and tapping
his wings and screaming, and before l
could get to him he suddenly twisted his
head right round two or three times, and
tumbled down dead on the floor"
but do you mean" said, THAT he
was carrying on these gymnastics up in
the airp'
Yes; when saw him he was quite up
above his cage. which was on the little ia
BILE, and in his struggles he must have
wrung his own neck"
That seems rather remarkable
Eyes: and another remarkable thing
was that he must have opened the door of
his cage and got out all by himself, which
never heard of his doing before. because
had been feeding him with cake after
lunch, and know the door was fastened
then. found it open when he was dead"
Had he been out longP"
mo. He must have been seized almost
directly he got out, because it so happen
ed that about five minutes before he be-
gan to scream fancied heard the door
open, and looked up to see if any one was
coming in, and no one was there, but
happened to see the parrot, and he was in
his cage just as usual"
well" said. 81 suppose he's dead,
and there's an end of tt; but it is very
singular catastrophe. | hope Marion
won't be inconsolable."
| During the rest of dinner was con-
scicus of being rather poor company.
Following close upon the mysterious oc-
currences have described. Skies un-
happy fate troubled me. MY suspicious
were, however, so underlined, and seemed
even to me, when tried to contemplate
them from an impartial point of view, so
ridiculous, that could not bring myself to
communicate them to Ellen. and incur the
contempt which would be the deserved por-
ton of grown,up man who confessed
to being seriously disturbed by an odd
sound in an empty house. and by a COM
monplace nightmare. | have no hesita-
ton in revealing these sentiments now that
subsequent events have justified them.
| Dut thitI eNcuiuS again ueteTlulneu 10
wait. did not have to wait long.
1t was cold evening. and. after bidding
goodnight to my sister, lighted a fire in
my study and sat down to ENJOY a new
novel had long been wishing to read.
was about half way through my volume
when suddenly felt sensation of cold.
| looked up. The fire was burning bright
ly. but did not feel its warmth 1t was
as though some opaque body. or a large
glass screen, had been interposed be-
tween me and it. A moment afterward
| felt the heat fall on my face again. Had
| heard the muffled sound of fOotstep on
the learth-rug close to me? | put out
my hand and felt nothing but the warmth
of the fire. As gazed about the room
in surprise my eye fell on an arm chair
standing on the other side of the fire. 1t
was a nearly new chair which had bought
shortly after coming to Welham-sauare.
1t had a leather seat, smooth and unworn.
with particularly good and yielding
springs. Hung upon its back was an
antimacassar, worked asthet;caly in
crewels. As | looked at this chair it
struck me that the seat was considerably
depressed. as though some one had re-
Gently sat down upon it and the seat had
failed to resume its ordinary level This
surprised me, for had sat in the chair
that morning and felt sure the springs
had tha,1 l,n.