Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-06-25
IN THE DARK.

ing her brows in a thoughtful frown as she
yazed into tho depths of her empty tea-cup. .
"Wbat has happened Inquired, CLAN d
cling up from the money article OF The Times O
at my daughters pretty puzzled face. "Noth-
ing uncanny, ] hope! You haven't dis
covered that ghost Is included among the .
fixtures of our new house?'
This new house, The Cedars, was pretty
oldfashioned riverside villa between Rich
mond and Kew, which / had taken fur
nisbed, as n summer residence, and TO which
we had only just removed
Let me state, in parenthosis, by way Of
introducing myself to the reader, that l.
John Dysart, am widower with one child
the blue-eyed, fair-haired young lady who
sat opposite TO me at the breakfast table that
bright June morning; and that have been
for many years the manager of an old estab-
lished life insurance company in the city.
"What is the mystery?' repeated, as
Ethel did not reply.
She came out of her brown study, aud
looked at me impressively.
alt really is a mystery, papa, and the
more think of it the more puzzled | am."
al am in the dark at present as to what NJ |
may be-" L reminded her. |
''Something that happened last night You
| know that adjoining my bedroom there is
large, dark closet, which can be used as
box or stOreroom? 2"
81 had forgotten the fact, but / will take
your word for it. Well, Ethel?"
| "Well, last nignt was restless, and IT was
some hours before / could sleep. When at
| last did SO, l had a strange dream about
| that closet. 1t seemed that as lay in bed
| heard noise within, as If some one were
| knocking at the door, and a chid's voice,
| broken by sobs, crying piteously, Let me
out, let me outr thought that / got out OF
bed and opened the door, and there crouch
ing all i'm heap against the wall was little
boy pretty, pale little fellow OF six or
seven, looking half wild with fright. At the
| same moment woke"
"And 10, it was a dreamr' flushed. "lf
| that is all, Ethel
al But it is not" she interposed. "The
strangest part of the story has to come. The
dream was so vivid that when woke J. sat
up in bed, and looked toward the closet door
, almost expecting to hear the sounds again.
Papa. you may believe mo or not, but 1t IL "a
| fact that did hear them, the lnuiiled knock
ing and the pitiiul cry. As listened, II
, grew fainter and fainter and at length ceased
| altogether. Then | summoned courage to
| get out of bed and opened the door. There
was no living creature in the place. Was 1t
not mysteriOuS?" she concluded. What
| can il mean ?'
glanced at her with a smile, as / refolded
n the paper and rose from my chair.
!, " 1t means, Iuy dear, that you had night
mare last night Let me Recommend you
. for the future not to eat cucumber at din
Is ner ~
z No, papa" sho interrupted 81 wa
II broad awake, and | heard the child's voice
e. as plainly as ever heard sound in my
~ life"
~ "Why didn't you call me -
81 :" / was afraid to stir till the sound ha'
Il ceased but if ever hear ii again, | will lie
H. you know at once"
ut BE sure you do. Meantime, suppose yo
,d | come into the garden" j continued, throw
es ing open the French windows "the morn
e. ing air will blow all these cObwebs from you
w brain"
All Ethel complied, and Gor the present
ed heard no more of the subject
ry Some days passed away, and We began
feel quite at home in our new quarters.
A more delightful summer retreat tina
l., The Cedars could hardly be imagined, vii
~ | its cool, dusky rooms, from which the SUI
nj light was excluded by the screen Of iolial
outside its trell>ed Yoranda, overgrown wit
creeper-, and it's smooth lawn, shaded by Il
nj rare old cedar trees which gave the place J
- | name.
Oh Our friends soon discovered its attraction
ler and took care that we should not stagnatc f
Dnt want of society. We kept open house law
nd | tennis, garden parties and boating excursion
en- | were the order of the day. 1t was glorio
,.p | summer weather, the days warm and golde
-, | the nights starlit and still.
~ Onenght, having important letters To nnls
,ut ] sat up writing after all the household we
ia in bed. The window was open, aud at int
lty walls glanced up from my paper across I
ted moonlit lawn, where the shadows of the {
In dars lay dark and motionless. Now al
80 then great downy moth would ilutter
ohI and hover round the shaded lamp now al
ltal then the swallows under the caves uttered
1t faint, sleepy chrp. For all other signs al
to sounds of life | might have been the on
lis watcher in all the sleeping world.
10 ! had finished my task and was just clos
my wrlting-case when / heard a hurri
u movement in the room above-Ethel
Footsteps descended the stairs, and the ne
moment the dining-rOOm door opened, a
Ethel appeared in q long white dressiI
nm | gown, with a small night lamp in her hanC
ate Thore was a look on her face which ma
me start up and eXcaim: "W What is the III
- | ter2 What has happenedg"
-; She set down the lamp and came tOwa
" me.
Il have heard it again." she breathed, II
rec ing her hand on my wrist
ew " You have hGard-what?' ?'
"The noise in the boX-roonl."
,or- / stared at her a moment in bewildermC
/. at | and then half smiled.
"Oh, is that it?" ! exclaimed in a tone
am. relief "You have been dreaming again
the ! seoms."
,e a al have not been asleep at ALL" she repl
"The sounds have kept me awake. Th
t,a | are louder than the first time; the Ch
lot | seems to he sobbing and crying as If
4 10 heart would break. 1t Is miserable to IN
80 it."
rha "Have you looked inside?" ! asked, i
pressed in spite of myself by her manner.
i III "No, l dared not to night i was afr
re- of fseeing-something," she retuned witt
aW- shiyer
20 20 "Come, we must get to the bottom of [
.an- mystery" / said cheerfully and taking
the lamp led the way upstairs to her roo
As the door of the mysterious closet '
auu level with the chamber, and papered like |
Coi, did not perceive it till Ethel pointed it out
ana listened with my ear close 10 il, but ho;
,ere not the faintest sound, and after waiting
Mr.. moment threw it open and looked in, no
90 ing the lamp so that every corner Y
lighted. 1t was a cramped, close, airl
Gin place, the ceiling (Which was immediat
die below the upper staircase) sloping at
mar acute angle to tho floor. A glance show
)pal me that it C )ntained nothing but brol
the chair and a couple of empty boxes.
rie, Slightly Struggling my shoulders, ! clo'
lily, the door.
ern "Your ghost is : vox ct preterea nihil,
seems" remarked dryly. Don't J
ant. think Ethel, you may have been-"
Nj. Ethel held up her hand, motoning me
ech | silence
!, he clark ~ she whispered, there it
The again But it is dying away now.
md | ten"
,ere IcompIed, half infected by her exc
M. ment, but within and without the house
the was profoundly still
"There--it has ceased" she said at leng
drawing deep breath. you heard it,
you notT'
l shook my head "My dear Ethel, tn
was nothing to hear"
the She opened her blue eyes tC their widest
In "Papa-am not to believe the evidence
one my own sensesY'
~ 90 Not when they are affected by nerve