Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-06-28

N&I
"Your ghost Is 'vox ct prateres nihil,' j
seems" | remarked dryiy. Don't yos
thisk. Ethel you may have bee"
Ethel held up her hand. moioning me Il
"Harkr' she whispered, Hthere il IS again
But tia dying away nov. Listen"
Ieomplied, half infected By her excite
meue bat within and without the house al
was profoundly still.
"There-it has ceased" she said al
length, drawing a deep breath. "You heard
il, did you notf'
1 shook my head. MY dear Ethel, there
vas nothing to hear"
She opened her blue eyes to their widest.
Papa, am l not to believe the evidence
Of nv own ssnsesY'
mot VIXEN they are affected by nervous
excitement. If you give way to this fancy
you viii certainly make yourself i'll. See
bow you trsmblel Come, lie down again
and Try to sleep"
"Eot here" she returned, glsncing round
with q shudder. Il shall go to the spare
chamber. Nothing would induce me to
spend another night in this room"
/ said no more, but felt perplexed and
uneasy. 1t was so unlike Ethel to indulge
in superstitious fsn,ies that | began to fear
she must be seriously out Of health, and l
resolved tor my own satisfaction to have q
doctors opinion regarding her.
Ii happened that our nearest neighbor
was 8 physician, whom l knew BY repute,
though not personally acquainted with him.
After breakfast, without mentioning my in
tention to my daughter, | sent a note to
DR. Cameron, requesting him to call at his
earliest convenience.
He came without delay; q tall, grsy.bsard-
ed man of middle age, with q grave. intel,
Ggent face, observant eyes and sympathetic
manner.
His patient received him with undisguised
astonishment, and on learning that he had
called at my request she gave me q look Of
mute reprosch.
al am sorry that papa troubled you, DR..
Cameron. There is really nothing what
ever the matter with me" she said.
And indeed at that moment, with flushed
cheeks, and eyes even brighter than usual,
she looked al little Ike an inVilsd as could
well be imagined.
my dear Ethel" l i~nterposed, when
people take to dreaming startling dreams,
and hearing supernatural sounds, 1t Is q
sign Of something wrong with either mind
or body-as | am sure DR.. Cameron will tell
YOU"
The doctor started perceptibly. "Ab-
is that Miss Dyssrt's csseT' he inquired,
turning to her with sudden look Of inter
est.
She colosed and hesitated. III have had
a strange-experiencs. which papa con:
siders a delusiOn. l dare say you will be of
the same opinion"
Suppose you tell me what it wasH' he
suggested.
She was silent, triaiug with one of her
silver bangles
Please excuse" she said hurriedly at
leuath. 81 don't care to speak of il; but
Papa will tell you" And before l could
detsin her she had hurriedly left the room.
When we were alone he turned to me in
uuiringly, and in q few words | related to
him what the reader already knows. He
listened without interruption, and when |
lad finished sat for some moments without
speaking, th~oGghttully stroking his beard.
Hewas evidently impressed by what ne
had heard, and | waited ~anxiously for MS
opinion. At length he looked up.
Mr.. Dysart," he said gravslY, you will
be surprised to learn that your daughter is
rot the first who has had this strange expo
rience.' Previous tenants Of The Cedars
lave heard exactly the sounds which she
describes"
j pushed my chair back half a yardin my
establishment.
Impossible
He nodded emphsticslly.
1T is q fact though | don't pretend to ex-
plain it. These strange manifestations have
been noticed at intervals for the last three
or four years; ever since the house was oc-
cupied BY q Captain Vsndeleur, whose Or
phsn nephew
'YandeleurH' l interrupted; why, he
a client of ours. BE insured his
nephew's life in our Office for a large
amount, and 80.
And a few months afterward the child
suddenly and mysteriously diedY' nv COM
panion put in. "A singular coincidence, to
say the least of lit
$50 singular" l acquiesced, that we
thought it a case for inquiry, particularly
as the ex -captain did not bear the best OF
characters, and was known to be over head
and ears in debt. But | am bound to say
that after the closest investigation nothing
was discovered to suggest a suspicion OF
foul play" .
Nevertheless there had been foul play"
was the DOCTOR reply.
You don't mean that he murdered the
BOY that pretty, fragile looking little tel-
low"
mo, he did not murder him, but he let
him die" DR.. Cameron rejoined. Per
haps you are not aware" he continued,
that the little lad was somewhat feeble in
mind as we'll as in body? l attended him
more than once at Ysndeleurs request, and
found thai among other strange tears
and ~antipathies he had a morbid
dread Of darkness. To be left
alone in q dark room for only a few
minutes was enough to throw him into a
paroxysm Of nervous excitement. His uncle
who, by the way, protested more affection
for him than l could quite believe in when
noticed how the child shrsnk from him
cO0SQlIeU me rs 10 tue jest UcoAo VI OfSA
coming this weakness. | strongly advised
him to humor it for the present, warning
him that any mental shock might endanger
the boys reason, or even his life. | little
thought those words Of mine would prove
his death warrant
What do you mean?
"Only a few days afterward, Yandeleur
locked him up all night in a dark closet,
where he was found the next morning,
crouehing against the wall; his hands
clenched, his eyes fixed and staring-dead."
Good Heavens, how horrible! But no
word of this was mentioned at the In
quest?'
mo; and | did not hear of it myself till
long afterwsrd, from a woman who had
been Yandeleur's housekeeper, but was too
much afraid of him to betray him at the
time. From her, too, l learned By what
refined cruelty the poor little lads nerves
had been shaken and his health under
mined. If the intention makes the deed,
James Vandeleur was a murderer"