Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-08-05


you showed out of the house this morn
ing?" knew had him there, for
was sure nobody had called.
"Oh, you mean the old gentleman in
gray, sir. He left no name. thought,
sir, he seemed to be at home in the
| house; I had seen him here so often,
| SIR
Now it was my turn to stare. I was
dumbfounded I literally stammered
for want of words. Then I showed
| what have always thought was re-
markable present of mind. 1 turned
around and walked into the dining
room, telling the boy to follow. There
1 poured out glass of whisky and gave
it to him.
Drink that" 1 said, sand you had
better sit down"
Obviously he thought me as eccentric
as 1 thought him. But he merely said:
"Thank you. SIR" and drank the
whisky.
'.Do you feel quite well?" 1 asked,
frigidlv.
.'Quite well, thank you, SIR
''Are you subject to delusions or hall
/. lucinations?"
No, sir; never. SIR" he answered
promptly, with a lurking smile, which
he vainly tried to conceal.
That smile annoyed me. l broke out
again
Then, what on earth do you mean"
cried, '.by telling me this nonsense
| about Il gentleman in gray?"
Sydney rose. There was some digni-
ty in his manner. He spoke respect
fully, but in an IN iured tone:
Il beg your pardon, sir-but l only
| told you about the gentleman who
called, and | thought, sir, you might
have seen him, for he passed by you,
and fancied he nodded to you as he
passed"
Really, things had come to pretty
pass! Here was my own servant accus-
ing me of seeing invisible phantoms
which only existed in his own disor-
dered brain!
But there-I will not repeat all the
conversation that followed. | must say
Sydney kept his temper wonderfully.
for l lost mine. However, we had
long explanation, which ended in this
way. The boy asserted positively that
he had three or four times seen an
elderly gentleman in gray walking
about the house. He had seen him in
the passages up stairs and in the
grounds outside. He had, he admitted,
| wondered who he could be, and had
| fanced that he must be some very in
innate friend. or some one connected
| with the establishment. He had never
heard him speak, certainly. He had
not as yet questioned any of the other
servants about him. But then he had
himself only been a few days in the
house, and us yet did not know all the
h. al, I told
him that no one else in the house had
was completely staggered. In fact, the
only result OF our conversation was to
leave on the minds of each of us grave
doubts as to the others sanity, if not as
to his own. But before we parted 1
made the boy promise me solemnly that
the very next time he saw this myster-
ious figure he would SUNNI on me at
once.
Next day nothing happened, and I
meditated dismissing Sydney. The day
after, an event occurred which changed
the current of my thoughts, which,
thank God, altered my whole life since,
and which has made sydney Loeb the
most faithful friend | have.
1t was late in the afternoon-a winter
buSh. W ut)SidllS III LILY bCu-l JUN,
writing a letter to Nelly, vowing that |
no prospect of ever being able to claim
her for my wife. 1t was that hour when
the day begins to pass into the night
and shadows have grown gigantic, and
mems thoughts are turning toward dim
ner. Suddenly was reused by n quick
step and a knock at the door. / called
out "Come in," and Sydney appeared
on the threshold. He looked very pale
and excited, as far as could see him by
the dim light of my candles, and he
spoke in a strange voice.
''He is there, sir, the old gentleman
in gray-in the passage"
jumped up, and was following him
in a moment. 1t must have been well
past six O'Clock, and vet the lights in
the corridor were still unlighted. 1
looked all around, but could see no one.
"Where?' / said, in whisper; for l
think the gloom and the boys strange
looks had frightened my common sense
out of me.
Sydney took me by the arm and point
ed. felt he was trembling all over.
And for my own part, an uncomfortable
chill seemed to be creeping through my
limbs.
There, sir, there-don't you see
him?-at the top of the stairs. He's
reckoning us to fullow-come.
strained my eyes in the direction
where he pointed, but could discern
nothing. However, | caught hold of
Sydney's arm, and followed him silently,
like a sheep. Why | did SO [ can not at
this moment conceive.
The boy led the way down stairs, APP
parently keeping his eyes fixed on some
thing he could see in front. | held him
blindly. We went down and across the
hall. and then out of the front door into
the cold air. 1t was quite dark outside,
though one or two blurred stars were
Pickering palely, and the moon, 1
thought, was struggling behind cloud.
Round the house we went, faster and
faster, into the gardens at the back. and
down the slopes toward the sea. Sgd
ney seemed to be dragging me along.
Once l caught a glimpse of his face and
l saw it was deadly white, although his
eyes were strainng wildly after the
phantom he was following. Still he went
on and on. We were nearing the beach
now, and | could hear the surf beating
against the rocks, and dimly see the
white crests of the waves hanging in the
foggy night. Now we were on the beach.
l felt the seaweed under my feet and
stumbled. Still the boy dragged me
along. Now we must be on the brink
of the water, l thought, and shivered.
Then l put out my other hand and
clutched at Sydney's arm.
I'm Gods name, where are you