The Sunday herald., 1886-08-22

bardane Sydney Loeb went with me as my
hnsn
Tullybsrdane is a desolate place. II lies
in narrow gorge which runs down straight
to the shore. The hills slope up on either
hand, and end in tumbled rocks and caverns
where the sea foam breaks and the sea waves
sing. The old Grange Is a rambling house.
From its windows you can look over the
beach, and only the falling gardens separate
you from II. On the right hand Is the IL
brary, which faces down long avenue Of frs
to the sea, and beyond the library stretches
the deserted part Of the bouse; which for
FIVE and thirty yeats have been rheanipg to
repair. The library was rather gloomy
room, communicating only by a long passage
with the other inhabited parts Of the house,
indeed, the whole house was rather lonely.
For myself, I never minded that, but fancy
II struck my new servant as bit solitary
and weird
Now must tell You about the doings of
this young fellow. A day or two after my
return both my mother and beganto notice
something strange about him. II was not
that did not like him, for took strong
iancy TO him al oncs-and here, Ave and,
thirty ,years after; he lives 10 this day, less,
think, Of servant TO ts than a faithful
aud trusted friend. hut certainly his be.
havior was odd, aid the first thing we Oh
served was this:
One afternoon was sitting with my
mother in the dfaying room, My mother
had ordered tear. Personally am afraid Of
these unwho1esohe drinks, aud never had
taken 10 that surreptitiors fashion Of work
ing in an extra meal In the afternoon. But
was sitting with her AMI talking very dis
consolately. for felt thoroughly depressed.
Presently Sydney came in with some cups Of
/ taa M, n frav-a tn1, s,1u NJ al NO
tea II you must take II, but TO one which my
dear mother was partial. lie handed the
tray 10 my mother, and he handed II to me.
Then, to our surprise, he walked straight
across the room to big armchair that stood
near the window, and handed the tray 10
the empty chair But the arm chair. or It's
invisible occupant, refused IL apparently,
and the man withdrew.
am endowed with large fund Of Scot
tish humor, and burst out laughing. My
mother was equally perplexed.
"He must have thought there was some
one sitting there" she said. ''He must be
very short sighted, poor boy. It's very
strange"
lie must be blind as bat" answered,
"or else have been playing a practical
joke on us. never saw anything SO absurd
in my life."
But In the next few days was destined
TO zee stranger things. l asked Sydney II
he was short sighted, but he denied the
charge With warmth. And yet the more
watched him the niUre obvious was II that
he was always meeting invisible people.
Once, as chanced 10 see him coming down
stairs, | distinctly saw him draw back,
pressing himself against the wall, as II 10
allow an Invisible person to pass. Another
time saw him walk TO the front door, open
IL, and hold IL, as for an invisible visitor to
pass out. After that 1 could stand IL no
longer. l am the worst possible hand at
fault finding with servants, but was deter.
mined to have an explanation of this. So
that afternoon spoke TO Sydney.
Sydney" said bluntly, care you given
to seeing ghosts ?"
81 sir!'' he answered, with a smile of
astonishment. "No, sir, l never saw a
ghost in my life"
"Thep. what the devil do you mean,"
broke out. "by behaving In the way you
have been doing!"
The boy stared. EsiIently he thought
me off my head. determined 10 speak
more gently.
"Then,'' said, "who was the person you
showed out of the hotse this morning 2"
knew had him there, for was sure nobody
had called.
'"Oh, you mean the old gentleman In
sir, he seemed to be at home in the house;
had seen him here 30 often, sir.''
Now il was my turn to stare. was DUN
founded. literally stammered for want Of
words. Then showed what have always
thought was remarkable presence Of mind.
turned round and walked into the dining
room, telling the boy to follow. There
poured out glass of whisky and gave 1t 10
him.
Drink that" said, land you had bet
ter sit down."
Obviously he t-ouRht me as eccentric as
thought him. But he merely said "Thank
you. sir" and drank the whisky.
"Do you feel quite we'll 70 asked frigidly.
"Quite we'll, thank you, sir.''
care you subject to delusions or halIuci-
nations? ?''
"No, sir never, sir" he answered
promptly, with a lurking smile which he
vainly tried to conceal.
That smile annoyed me. l broke cut
again:
"Then what on earth do you mean"
cried, "by telling me this nonsense about
gentleman in gray p
| Sidney arose. Th'rs was some dignity in
his manner. He spoke respectfully, but in
an injured tone:
81 beg your pardon, sir; hut only told
you about the gentleman who called, and
thought, sir, you might have seen him. for
he passed by you, aud I fancied he nodded
TO you as he passed"
Really, things lad come to a pretty pass
Here was my own servant accusing me- of
seeing invisible phantoms, which only ex-
listed in his own disordered braini
But there-I will not repeat all the con
versation that followed. must say Sidney
kept his temper wonderfully, for lost mine.
However, We had q long explanation, which
ended in this way. The boy asserted posi-
lively that he had three or four times seen
an elderly gentleman in gray walking about
the house. He had seen him sitting in the
drawipg-room with my mother. He had
seen him in the passage upstairs, and in the
grounds outside. He had, he admitted, won.
dsred who he could be, and had fancied that
hs must be some very intimate friend, or
some one connected with the establishment.
Hs had never heard him speak, certainly.
lie had not yet questioned any one of the
servants about him. But then he had him.
self only been . few days In the house, and
AZ yet did not know all the people about the
place. When told him that no one else in
the house had ever heard of such person,
Sidney was completely staggered. In fact,
the only result Of our conversation was TO
leave on the minds of each Of rs grave
doubts as TO the others sanity, II not as to
his own. But before we parted made the
boy promise me solemnly that the verv next
time he saw this mysterious figure he would
summon me at once.
Next day nothing happened, and msdi-
tated dismissipg Sidney. 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 Sidney
Loeb the most faithful friend have.
| II was late In the afternoon-a winter
dusk. Twas upstairs In my bedroom, writ,
ing letter to Nelly, vowipg that would
never give her up, and yet seeing NO pros.
peot ofever being able TO claim her for my
wife. II was that hour when the day begins
to pass into the night, and shadows have
grown gigantic and mems thoughts are turn.
ing toward dinner. Suddenly was reused
by quick step aud knock at my door. |
called out: "Coms in;" and Sydney ap.
psared on the threshold. He looked very
pale and excited, as far as l could see him by
the dim light Of my candles, and he spoke in
I -. r..t.