Telegram-herald., 1888-07-29

and Aals aFea tbs daors ~ - closss ~ tie
ellptlness < wliea hal assured aarse1 %
fore rsSrlag foE las HiEat ID - - { h41
isft Is ne caly QAaer nay Is which, ssea
slpposisg H-y se2sas toT tls moment g. lave
deserted me. ny ss9tca eoul5 have eiu1sd
ule ssas quitting ths roQ1n oatriTht
] sent - tie dsor-it MAS locse3 as haa
taxes TIE preczgIi1u - locElag Il lea hoars
prev so.-sly. 81 It's laz.de.
/ seooL Ter moment 10 a. utter touxless
tevllslarlaeag. ana Iaen burst into a I1agA.
shich soan6sd esea - M self foroed aud ~
n2raral
-rshsr exclaimed. 4 uasl have bssa
dreaming
Ttls words bsi scarcely PISSED my Eps
when solnsfhing the hke a. which J had
never heard bsfore-sarlething between =
laugh and a weii-sn lndescribable nineling
of pain and mockery--s close al mg
elbow Turning sharp round Z see whsaae
II came, lest my halsnce and fell FACE for
ward GA the bed, dragging the sheet, az
which | clstched q save myself. 70 The
ground As ! cld -, something fell on the
floor with thud II was my watch. which
failing It's accustomed receptacle / had
slowed away under my pillow, but II this
did not satisfy myself until the morning,
when, upon finding and picking Il Up dis
covered that Il had stopped ~ a quarter
70 O'Clock. OF the rest Of that night have
no remembrance, save confused one OF
scramblng into bed with, THINK, the most
fsrvsnf PRAYER 70 be delivered from evil 1
had ever uttered on nay lips.
And CA expsct me 70 believe that Won
were IN your sober SENSES when you saw or
imagined you saw, this-what shall call iti
--d0ubie of myselfT said Mf Van Decker
mann when l had related as briefly as |
could my experience Of the night before.
Il have told you already, sir that was
wide awake Put IL 20 yourself whether |
should he likely 10 be such fool as 10 let
ANYTHING which could possibly account for
90 myself as a bad dream or a mere optical
delusion stand IA the way Of my acceptance
OF SO substantial benefit "a that YOU offer
mel | could no more subject my wife
''PshH he broke IN, sc0rnfully, don't
talk about your wife. Be honest and say
frankly that you are not prepared 70 face Il
yourself
Il had said as much already, Mr. Van
Deckermann. Nothing would induce me,
after what ! went through last night, 10 be-
come your tenant.
"And yet YOU don't believe in the super
natural"
II did not / replied. Il should have
said no 10 anybody who might have put the
question 10 ne yesterday IN all good faith.
To-day / should decline 20 answer II, don't
know what q believe
The old man puckered up his brows and
regarded me thoughtfully.
"Well 1t is your own look out he said.
al suppose | was mistaken in my man. Ii
would have been better for both OF Us II your
nerves had been stronger. | told You last
night | had been too candid with YOU. l
should have hit upon some other expedent,
but | was over scrupuious. Il is my own
fault and | must pay the penalty OF II IN my
disappointment. | am sorry for your wife;
you must explain matters to her IN your own
way. Between you and me there need be no
more said about II. You viii find your room
here ready for the night, and tae longer you
can stay the better"
lie shook me warmly by the hand as he
spoke.
Believe me, began, 81 shall never for
GET
mot word about it, be said, ''as you
value my friendship. The time may come
when | shall myself reopen the subject,
though think mott think not. Until then
let ii. | beg Of You. drop"
| am afraid | took 70 my work that day a
very divided attention did not regret my
candor, though there were moments--when
was discussing my mutton chop, for ex-
ample, in my own special snug corner, not
unaccOmpanied by good tankard Of stout
in which | felt more courageous il not more
skeptical. Granted the existence OF a ghostly
visitant. might one not in time become nc-
custoned 10 i'll What positive harm could
anything of the kind do onei But across
even these faint efforts at reasoning came
the vision Of the wife and children scared
into sickness or something worse, and l folt
that, in any case, bad acted for the best.
found my host sven more cheerful and
loquacious than was his won't that evening
He ordered the old Dutchman, who COM
,,rDl- eA.~ l,rf. - -
bring up some champagne and tossed it
off, while he Hospitality pressed IL upon
me, with a freedom which surprised me Il
was this, imagined, which led him to talk,
in Dragging and boastful tone not habitual
70 him. of the wealth which had rewarded
the labor of his earlier years, and Of sundry
past achievements Of industry and applica-
ton of which he had never before made men,
ton. The moro he drank the faster he
talked, and | was not surprised when his
self laudation took another and more Of
fensive form, and he began TO enlarge upon
his own strength of mind and purpose as
opposed to the weakness and mental deficiency
Of those with whom he came IN contact. II
would have been the easiest thOg in the
world 70 pick quarrel with him, but was
sincerely grateful to him for one thing. and
for another was satisfied he had taken more
than was good for him / was not sorry.
however, when as 10 o'clock struck--ths
LUe
long monologue TO which be had treated me
bad left time, coming 20 an end Imultane-
ously-he suggested that should retire early
and make long night Of IL.
You look az IL Won had not slept for a
week he added complimentary. "and ny
pipe is good enough company for Ine-hester
than most You'll find everything ready FOR
you upstairs
heard and obeved. and that night slept
like top, so soundly, indeed. that when the
old servant came 70 call me ia the morning
/ was only awakened 70 the fact Of his
presence by an egitated appeal 70 me 20
arouse myself The scared EXPRESSION Of the
mans face, and the concern and trepidati7n
e. which il bore evidence. effectually 10
called my scattered senses. ond / sprang Up
in bel eagerly demanding what was amiss
The master" he gasped out what has
come 20 the uasteri he Is not IN his room
be has not slept ia it. He is nowhere in the
house-nowhere about the place v bat can
have come 10 himf
His wife was close at his heels. ecboi1c TIE
inquiry with = look 10 Der face not less
anxious and perturf,ed than his own but n
which there mingled a strange suspicious
ness, which even IN the shock ~ th> m
nouncemeut which han Just been made "a
M ] could not but mark and resent Il -
ia heavens name should ! knowT | Or
nlanded sugrliy. How long "a II since you
missed hiIn. and where have you looked for
him. he was having a pipe m the dining
room when came up last night
You must have soen hin later than that &c
went round with y0u last thing. ! suppose,
a. be did the night before-ss ] understand
him he always dor
No; slvaTs II h gets any sleep in ths
dsysne worth speaking q. be won't 70 W
81 his ususl tsn7e Hell 20 round ~ himself
then later on. bat d my duty By TIE house
snd By him y1st the same. did = last
night / saw q the doors ard shutters &c
usual. and ] PIT AZ TIE cham and hoited and
hsrT-d tbe ball door-I could nst have sleps