Middletown transcript., 1886-09-02

and the moon, thought, was strug
| Cling behind a cloud. Round th
house we went, faster and faster, int,
gardens at the back, and down tn,
slopes toward the sea. Sydney seemed
to be dragging me along. Once
caught a glimpse of his face and / saw
it was deadly white, though his eye.
were staining wildly after the phan
tom he was following. Still he went
on and on. We were nearing the
beach now, and | could hear the surf
beating againt the rocks and dimly
see the white crests of the waves hang.
ing in the foggy night, Now we were
on the beach. l felt the seaweed un.
der my feet and stumbled. Still the
boy dragged me along. Now we
must be on the brink of the water, I
thought, and shivered. Then I put
ont my other hand and clutched at
Sydney's arm.
. In Gods name, where are you
going?' said in terrified whisper.
The boy did not answer. He stop
ped dead. The darkness was thick
about us. We were standing in a
mist, and even the blurred stars had
faded out. Suddenly I felt a wave
break over my feet. And at that
moment, kissing out and echoing
across the darkness, there grated in
my ears the sound ofa harsh and hol-
low laugh-the very laugh I had
heard in my dream!
The gloom was SO dense that l could
only see the outline ofSydney's body,
though I was grasping him with my
two hands. There was perfect sill
ence. Still / stood there notionless,
rooted to the rocks. Then I felt the
boy start off again toward the house.
Another wave washed against my feet
as turned with him aud began to as
cend to the gardens again. The fog
was growing thinner. Presently it
parted, and a strong wind seemed to
have risen suddenly out Of the sea.
Now | could distinctly see Sydney's
eyes still fixed on the invisible thing
before him. I could see, too, that we
we're mounting the pale avenue Of fir
trees, and from the distant windows
Of the library dim light was casting
shadows down upon our faces. But
we did not make for these windows.
My guide turned off to the left, and
we entered the deserted part of the
house. l felt utterly spellbound. l
seemed to have lost all power of voli-
ton. l believe l should blindly have
followed that boy to my death.
We had plunged into a labyrinth of
shadowy rooms, leaving the outer air.
How we got into that part of the
house cannot tell. had not been
there for years. Sydney could never
have been in it, and he led me on ra-
pidly, and never faltered or hesitated
once. I think that the moon must
have come out, for there was a faint
light shining through the windows as
we passed, and by that light he guided
me. We crossed several empty rooms
and passages, and at last came out
into long corridor That, to. we ira
versed. At the further end a door
opened before us. | stepped through
it into my own library, and stood
there in the lamplight gazing stupidity
into Sydney's face. hi
He, too, had paused. But he never
spoke a word, nor looked at me. His
eyes were fxed on a tall bookcase in
the corner of the room. Presently he
began to move slowly toward it, and
|, still holding him, followed. Then,
as we approached it, to my utter
amazement, the whole bookcase swung
back upon its hinges, revealing a
small closet, which l had never seen
before, with some dusty rolls of paper
lying on shelf within it. With a
wierd cry Sydney sprung forward,
wrenchipg himself from my grasp.
He seized the papers, and, turning.
thrust them into my hand. Then,
with his face as white as snow and
eyes distended, he raised one arm and
pointed to the window. In another mo-
ment he had tottered back and fallen
on the floor. .3.
But was already at the window.
In my frenzy dashed my shoulder
against it The fastening gave way.
The glass came crashing down about
me. I was outside standing in the
chill blue night. Round me the wind
was whining and clustering. The
fog had melted away. Overhead the
stars were burning golden. The BAN
ished clouds had gone. But no sign
of any human figure, man or ghost,
was there. Only the desolate avenue,
with its fir trees, bending over it, and
at the far end, in the dimness, the
high moon over the whitened sea.
When I went back into the library