Wichita eagle., 1886-11-12
ghe aaicna aau eagle: griday urniuo ouembr ~ 1886


gigantic, and mems thoughts are turning
| toward dinner. Suddenly was reused by a
quick step and knock at my door. l 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 ne spoke in a strange voice
HE is here, sir, the Old gentleman in gray
in the passage"
jumped up, and was following him in q
moment It must have been well past 6
o'clock, and yet the lights in the corridor
were still unighted. looked all round, but
could see no one.
"Wherel" said in q whisper; for think
the gloom and the boys strange looks had
frightened my common sense ont Of me.
Sydney took me by the arm and pointed
I felt he was trembling ell over. And for
my own part, an uncomfortable chill seemed
to be creeping through my limbs.
There, sir, there-dont you see hinAat
the top of the stairs He's beckoning Us to
follow-coEae"
strained my eyes in the direction where
he pointed, but could discern nothing. How
ever, 1 caught hold of Sydneys arm and
followed him silently, Ike a sheep. Why
did so I cannot at this moment conceive.
The boy led the way down stairs, appar-
. emily keeping his eyes fixed on something 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 ore or two blurred
stars were Pickering palely, and the moon,
l 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. Sydney seemed to be
dragging me along. Once 1 caught a glimpse
Of his face, and 1 saw it was deadly white,
though his eyes were straining wildly after
/ the phantom he was following. Still ho
went on and OF. We were nearing the beach
nov. and | could hear the surf beating
c5ainct the rocks and diIaly see the white
crests OF the waves hanging in tho foggy
night Now We were on the beach. l felt
the scawecd under my feet and stumbled.
Still the boy dragged me aIong. Now we
mast be on the brink of the wafer, thought,
and shivercd. Then put ont ny other hand
and clutched az Sydnoy's arm.
In Gods name, where are you goingT l
said, IN terrified whisper.
The boy did not answer. he stopped dead.
The darkness was thick about Us. We were
standing il a Iaist, and even TIE blurred
stars had faded out. Suddenly felt q wave
breal, over my feet. And at that moment,
Kissing ont and echoing across the darkness,
there grated in my ears the sound of q harsh
and hollow laugh-tho very laugh I had
heard in my dream!
The gloom was 50 dense that l. could only
see the outline of Sydney's body, though
was grasping him with my two hands. There
was a perfect silence. Still I stood there
rotioEless, rooted to the rocks. Then felt
the boy start Off again, toward the house.
Another wave washed up against my feet as
turned with him and began to ascend to
the gardens again The fog was growing
thinner Presently il parted, and a strong
wind seemed to have risen suddenly out OF
the sea Now l could distinctly see Sydney's
eyes still fixed on the invisible thing before
him could see, TOO. that wo were mount
ing the pale avenue Of fir trees, and from the
distant windows OF tho library G dim light
was casting shadows down upon our faces.
But we did not make for those windows. Ny
guA.> turned of 70 the LETT, and we entered
the deserted part Of the house. l selt utterly
Gpcllbound. I seemed TO have lost all power
OF vol;t;on. believe I should biindly have
followed that boy to ny death.
We had plunged into q labyrinth of
shadOwy rooms, leaving the outer air. How
we set into that part of the house l cannot
tel. 1 had not been there for years. Sydney
could never have been in il, and he led me on
rapidly ard never faiteTed or hcsitated once.
think that tic moon must have come out,
for there was q faint light shining through
the windows as we passed, and by that light
he guided ne We crossed se-eral empty
rooms and passages, and at last camo out into
n long corridor. That, too, wo traversed.
At tho further end door opened before Us.
/ stepped through ii into my own library,
and stood there in the lanplisht, gazing
stugic.ly into Sydney's face.
lie, too, had paused. But he never spoke
wcsi, nor looked at me. His eyes were fixed
on u tall bookcase i. q corner Of the room.
Presently he began to move slowly toward it,
and I, still holding him, followed. Then, as
we approached It, TO my utter Amusement,
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 n shelf within it. With a
weird cry Sydney sprung forward, wrench
ing 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 moment
he had tottered back and fallen on the floor
But was already at the window In M
frenzy dashed my shoulder against it. The
fastening gave way. The glass came crash
ing down about me. l was outside, standing
in the chill, blue night. Round mo the wind
was whining ard clustering. The fog had
melted away. Overhead the stars were
burning golden. The banished 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 dimnes, the high
moon over the whitened sea-
When went back into .sle library found
Sydney in dead faint on the floor. rushed
to the bell AID rang it Till its tones went peal
ing and clashing through the house. Then l
raised the boy in my arms and carried him
easily into the lighted hall The blood from
the cuts Of the broken glass was running
freely down my face and hands. But did
not mind it, for felt as If life had suddenly
come back to nc And when nv mother and
the servants came out and gathered, startled
and lan.nting, round Us, l fell on my knees
beside the boy and wept SIS | never wept,
think, before ,hat day or since.
have no more to tell The closet in the
library opened, l found. by O secret spring,
but what hand opened it that terrible night
never knew. Among the papers which sgd
ney had thrust into my hand was the long
lost documen. which confirmed my title tc
tie estate Sydney WIS for long very ii, bur
at last, with careful nursins-I know my
mother ard l did all we could for him, and
somebody else, who shall be naIncless. did
more than we-he recovered, and has ever
since remained with NE. Neither OF ss ever
spoke much Of the things We had seen
that winter dav The rnvsterv Of nv inher-