New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-11
AFRAID OF THE DARK.

health and spirits hold q Government inspector
ship with tia good salary or en oare II Pshh e % To
am afraid of the dark. Indeed it is something
more than fear-it is terror which has haunted
me from my childhood to the present day =,
Only three people in the world besides myself
have my secret: my mother, Sir George Glillng-
ham, of Gillingham Towers, with whom nved
for five years as private tutor 10 ms sons, ana
who got me my appointment, and Mr.. Pallattl
When l left the Towers twelvemonth ago.
my nervous dread of the nights should have to
pass in strange bedrooms of strange inns, when
travelling on inspection duty, became so acute
and overwhelming that l determined to consult
a leading physician about myself.
Sir Alfred Smith listened to my story atten-
lively, asked me "a multitude of questions about
my health and habits, and especially whether
ANYTHING ever occurred IN very early na baoO TOO
young at the time to remember ii now. My cate
chsm over, he said:
Mr.. Houghton, | must tell you frankly That l
can do nothing for you. The symptoms you have
described are distressing but / cannot tell you as
physician how they originate, or suggest any
way of alleviating them | have friend; how
tism, and although l am very sceptical about
many Of his theories, he is one of the clevereSt
harm for you to see him; and am quite, certain
he will perfectly sympathize with you, if he can
do nothing else His name is Palatti, and have
written down his address for you. Call upon
him at three o'clock tomorrow, and VIII write
to tell him that he may expect you ,..
| found NJ. Pallatti the next afternoon loung-
ING book IN q large lu\urOuSlN 1ul0lSncu
room crowded with pictures, curlos and pretty
things'-a handsome young gentleman, perfectly
dressed, with a pair of eyes which, II they cOulo
not see through milestone, looked as II they
could pierce human being through and through
After little indifferent conversation, began
TO tell him my tale, but | was so nervous that L
bunglcd wofully and interpreted my narrative
with idiotic gigges.
Wait a bit Mr. Houghton, there's no hurry,
said Mr.. Pallatti, bringing me glass oil wine
from q side table: YOU are my patient, you know,
NIL fI hnfA lGln n
story.
expect he must have put something into my
draught, for in a few minutes | 1ound mysell
talking as calmly and impasslvcly as II were
speaking of some other person.
l told him how, if left my bed in the dark and
took two steps away from it, was utterly lost;
how my Outstretched hands would touch q WIN
dow where | expected TO find door, and all the
furniture seemed TO play puss IN the corner as
moved about until at last l would snk on tne
ground utterly unnervcd and trembling 10 walt
through long hours for daylight
told HIM and as | went on Mr.. Pallatti's face
grew eagerly attcnuve) how when l was boy
circumstances of my eldest brothers death by
drowning when | an infant; how the same
night my. high; went out and saw through a
luminous haze a room with ladies and gentleman
in 1t, servant coming IN at the door followed by
boatman carrying boy In ms arms WIN IL
dead face and water dripping from his long hair !;
how, when | told my mother what had seen.
She said that had described TO the mlnutest de-
tal-the pattern Of the wallpaper, the flowers
occurred on thai terrible morning at Brighton,
ANY other experience like that" asked Mr.
Pallatti. | can't tell you how deeply you have
interested me. Mr. IIoughtOn.'
Only one other replied, and that occurred
at G;ilingham Towers, where | lived for five
years private tutor 10 Sir George Gillingham S
sons. He had been telling me one evening a
curious StOiy of tragedy that occurred III his
family more than century ago, and had pointed
out TO me- the. portraits hanging IN the great
drawing. room of the three principal actors Some
papers OF The utmost Importance were distracted
In the confusion at the time, and Sir George sad
that his inability to produce then If ever called
upon to do might I've most disastrous The
danger, Of course. decreased as the years rolled
by, but the sword still hung the house OF
Gillingham, though the hair by which II was
originally suspended might have thlckened TO "a
cord.
That night great storm Of wind and rain
broke the Towers my window was burst
open, my light cNtinsuished, and the matches
always kept TO my hand were wet and useless.
For the second time in nv life the luminous haze
rolled out before me, and through it there APP
peaIed very small room with one narrow win
dow the lower sash of which was thrown up-a
lumber room apparently, with one bare table in
the centre, few broken chairs piled up In the
corners, some dirty looking prints in black frames
the walls, and great glass case fun OF stuffed
birds, some tunibling and some tumblcd from their
perches, AMI all in the last stage of diapidaiion
and decay When all this was clearly developed,
the shadow forms Of a man and woman APP
peared dnly, and [ could see that their outlines
agreed with those of two of the family portraits
at that moment TO turn my head, saw thin
stream OF light shining through chink IN the
door. / reached it at bound, and catching up
lamp some one bad left burning on the stairs,
returned TO my room TO find everything as usual
| told Sir George, and we thoroughly explored the
deserted wing of the Towers, but could find no
room IN the least resembling the one of my vision.
AS l concluded page boy brought in coffee,
and when had drunk mine, the curious feeling
of constraint under which had been speaking
passed off, and said quite cheerfully, There.
Mr. Pallatti, have made clean breast OF it,
"A dog said Mr. Paliatti.
Whats to eat? laughed.
No to sleep with. There is no cure but death
for the wonderful gift of second sight, and it is
gift, if too much used, full of danger to brain
and nerves But prevention is better than cure
80 buy q little dog and let him lie at the foot of
Sour bed, and you will not be troubled by visions
hgain even if your light does go out
We parted with mutual promises TO meet soOn
but was ordered away on duty, and it was SIX
months before / saw him again.
had jl%t returned to London and was intend
Ing TO look him up, when | received letter from
Sir George Gilngham begging me to 90 at once
10 the Towers on matter of the deepest impor-
ance / lost not a minute in obeying the sum
mons and uU Of anxiety and misgiving that
something was very wrong, | arrived at the
Towers as the dressing gong for dinner was
sounding.
Sir George met me as drove under the great
bortieo He looked 50 worn and harasscd that
could not help whispering Good Heavens. Sir
George, what is IT, las thai question of the
Yes il has with "a vengeance said Sir George,
but 90 dress and meet us in the dining
room. There are no ladies-only Pallatti, who
Iays he has met you before
/ entered the dining room with the soup and
shook hands cordially with Pallatti. He and |
were IN ordinary evening dress, but Sir George
was arrayed as for some great state function.
lie wore black knee breeches and silk stockings
and great diamond buckles IN his shoes, the broad
tbbOn OF the Bath crossed ms whitc walstcoat,
and he wore bali a dozen orders as well. lie had
brought his chef down with him, and sat
down to a dinner fiji for the gods. The wine he
rave us was scarcely ever brought cut except
when some Royal Prince accepted the hospitality
of the Towers for night, and was almost price
less / knew il and Mr. Pallatt soon found il
BUT, and our eyes twinlxled. Sir George saw it
md was glad. He drank 10 each Of US in the
,ld-fsshoned way and SAID, i am making a
jttle feast tonight my young friends, for reasons
II my own. 1t is the old story let us eat drink.
ud be merry. for tQ-mQrrQW-WelL tO-UOrrOW