The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-09-08


all from those strange serpent eyes,-eyes
that had now become distinctly visible.
For there, though in naught else around
me, was aware there was Will, and a
Will of intense, creative, working evil,
which might crush down my own.
The pale atmosphere in the room began
now to redden as if in the air of some near
conhagration. The larvae grew lurid as
things that live in fire. Again the room
vibrated; again l re-heard the three meas
ured knocks; and again all things were
swallowed up in the darkness of the dark
shadow, as if out of that darkness all had
come, into that darkness all returned
As the gloom receded, the shadow was
wholly gone. Slowly as it had been with
drawn, the fame grew again into the can
dies on the table, again into the fuel in the
CRATE. The whole room came once more
calmly, beautifully into sight
The two doors were still closed, the door
communicating with the servants room
still locked. In the corner of the wall, in
to which he had convulsively niched him.
self, lay the dog. 1 called to him-no
movement: approached, the animal was
dead; his eyes protruded, his tongue out of
his mouth, the froth gathered around his
jaws. l took him in my arms; brought
him to the fire; l felt acute grief for the
loss of my poor favOrite, acute self-reproach;
l accused myself of his death; imagined
he had died of fright. But what was my
surprise on finding that his neck was actu-
ally broken, actually twisted out of the
vertebre. Had this been done in the
dark? Must it not have been by hand
human as mine? Must there not have
been human agency all the while in that
room? Good cause to suspect it can
not tell. | cannot do more than state the
fact fairly. The reader may draw his own
inference
Another surprising circumstance my
watch was restored to the table from which
it had been so myteriously withdrawn; but
it had stopped at the very moment it was
SO withdrawn; nor, despite all the skill of
the matchmaker, has it ever gone since;
that is, it will go in strange, cratic way
for few hours, and then comes to dead
stop; it is worthless
Nothing more CHANGED for the rest of
the night; nor, indeed, had ! long 10 wait
before the dawn broke. Nor till it was
broad daylight did quit the haunted house.
Before l did so, revisited the little blind
room in which my servant and had been
for time imprisoned. l had strong
impression, for which l could not account,
that from that room had originated the
mechanism of the phenomena, if l may use
the term, which had been experienced in
my chamber; and though | entered it now
in the clear day, with the sun peering
through the filmy window, still felt, as 1
stood on its floor, the creep of horror
which | had first experienced there the
night before, and which had been so az
gravated by what had passed in my own
chamber. could not, indeed, bear to stay
more than half a minute within those walls.
| descended the stairs, and again heard
the football before me; and when l opened
the street door thought l could distin-
guish very low laugh.
I gained my own home, expecting to
find my runaway servant there. But he
had not presented himself; nor did l hear
more of him for three days, when 1 receiv-
ed letter from him, dated, from Liverpool,
to this effect:
"HoNoRED SIR: l humbly entreat your
pardon, though | can scarcely hope that
you will think deserve 1t, unless-which
heaven forbid!-you saw what did 1
feel that it will be years before [ can re-
cover myself, and as to being fit for service,
it is out of the question. / am therefore
going to my brother.in-law at Melbourne.
The ship sails tomorrow Perhaps the
long voyage may set me up. | do nothing
now but start and tremble, and fancy it is
behind me. humbly beg you, honored
sir, to order my clothes, and whatever
wages are due to me, to be sent to my
mothers at Walworthi John knows her
address"
In the evening returned to the house,
to bring away in hack-cab the things 1
had left there, with my poor dogs body.
In this task 1 was not disturbed, nor did
any incident worthy of note befall me, ex-
cept that still, on ascending and descending
the stairs, I heard the same football in adj
vance. On leaving the house, l went to
Mr.. J-'s. He was at home. return
ed him the keys, told him that my curiosity
was sufficiently gratifed, and was about to
relate quickly what had passed, when he
stopped me and said, though with much
politeuess, that he had no longer any in
terest in mystery which none had ever
solved.
I determined at least to tell him of the
two letters had read, as well as of the
extraordinary manner in which they had
disappeared; and 1 then inquired if he
thought they had been addressed to the
woman who had died in the house, and if
there were anything in her early history
which could possibly confirm the dark sus-
picions to which the letters gave rise. Mr.
seemed startled, and, after musing a
few moments, answered: II know but little
of the womans earlier history, except, as
before told you, that her family were known
to mine. But you revive some vague rem
iniscences to her prejudice. will make
inquiries, and inform you of their result.
Still, even if we could admit the popular
superstition that person who had been
either the perpetrator or the victim of the
dark crimes in life could revisit, as rest
less spirit, the scenes in which those crimes
had been committed, l should observe that
the house was infested with strange sights
and sounds before the old woman died.
You smile; what would you say?'
81 would say this, that l am convinced,