Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-15
Which only existed in bis own disor-

oeJtc brain
Hut ,here---T will not repsst all the
conversation that followed. l mnstsay
Sidney kept bis temper wonderfully, for
lost nine. However, We had . loog
explanation, which ended 10 this way.
The boy asserted positively that ne bad
three or four times seen IN elderly gan.
tleman in gray walking about the house.
He bad seen him sitting in the drawing
room with my mother. He had seen
him in the passages upstairs and inthe
grounds outside. He had, he admitted,
wondered who he could be, and hsd
| fancied that he must be some very in
innate friend, or some one connected
with the establishment. lie had never
heard him speak, certainly. Tie had
not as Yet questioned any Of tbs other
servants about him. Bat then he had
| himself only been fe~ DAYS IN Cue
house. and as yet did not knov all the
people about the place. When told
him that no one else in the house had
ever heard Of such person, Sydney
was completely staggered. In fact, the
| only result Of our conversation vas To
leave on the mind Of each of US grave
doubts as 10 the others sanity, IT not
as to his own. Bot before we parted
made the boy promise me solemuly
that the very next time he saw this
mysterious Agure he would summon me
Of once.
Next day nothing happened, and
meditsted dismissing Sydney. The
day afier an event occurred which
changed the current Of my thoughts /;
which. thank God, altered my whole
life since, and which has Eade Sydney
Loeb the most faithful friend have.
1t was late in the sfternoon--a win.
ter dusk. was upstairs in my bed
room writing letter to Nellie, vowing
that would never give her up, ana
yet seeing no prospect Of ever being
able 70 claim her for my wife. /; was
that hour when the day begins to pass
into the night, and shadows have
grown gigantic, and mems thoughts are
turning toward dinner. Suddenly
was reused by quick step and a
knock at my door. | called out,
"Come in," and Sydney appeared on
the threshold. lie looked very pale
and excited, as far as | could see him
by the dim light Of my candle, and he
spoke in q strange voice.
"He is here, sir, the old gentleman in
gray-in the passage"
l jumped up, and was following him
in moment. 1t must have been we'll
past 6 o'clock, and yet the lights in the
corridor were still unlighted. l looked
all round, but could see no one.
Where?" said in whisper; for
/ think the gloom and the boys strange
looks had frightrned my common sense
out Of me.
Sydney took me by the arm and
pointed. | felt he was trembling all
over. And for my own part, an un-
comfortable chill seemed to be creeping
through my limbs.
"There, sir, there-don't you see
him at the top Of the stairs. He's
beckoniDg us to follow-come."
strained my eyes in the direction
where he pointed, but could discern
nothing. However, | caught hold Of
Sydney's arm and folio we'd him silently
like a sheep. Why ! did so | cannot
at this moment conceive.
The boy led the way down stairs, ap-
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,
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 | caught glimpse of his face,
and saw it was deadly white, though |
his eyes were straining wildly after the
phantom be 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. felt the seaweed
under my feet and stumbled. Still the
boy dragged me along. Now We must
be Oh the brink Of the water | thought,
and shivered. Then put out my other
hand and clutched at Sydney's arm.
"In Gods name, where are you 60
ing?" I said in terrified whisper.
The boy did not answer. He stopped
dead. The darkness was thick about
us. We were standing in mist, and
even the blurred stars had faded out.
Suddenly felt wave break over my
feet; and at that moment, kissing out
and echoing across the darkness, there
grated in my ears the sound Of harsh
and hollow laugh-the very laugh had
heard in my dream!
The gloom was SO dense that could
only see the outline Of Sydney's body.
though was grasping him with my two
hands. There was q perfect silence.
Still, I stood there motionless, rooted to
the rocks. Then felt the boy start off
again toward the house. Another wave
dashed up sgainst my feet as | turned
with him and began to ascend to the
gardens again. The fog was grow
ing thinner. Presently it parted,
and a strong wind seemed to
have risen suddenly out of the
sea. Now l could distinctly see
SydDey's eyes still fixed on the invisi-
BILE thing before him. | could see, too,
that We were mounting the pale avenue
of fir trees, and from the distant win
dows of the library dim light was
casting shadows down upon our faces.
But we did not make for those win
dows. My guide turned off tc the
left, and we entered the deserted part
of the house. l felt utterly spell
bound. / seemed to have lost all
power of volition. | believe should
blindly have followed that boy to my
death.
We bad plunged into labyrinth Of
sbadowy rooms, leaving the outer air.
How We got into that part of the house