The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-12-29
AFRAID IN THE DARK.
Remarkable Story of a Young
Mems Strange Power.

NJ name is Edward HouFhton; I am
tW'-nty- eight years old, am unmarried, enjoy
the best of health and spirits hold govern
mont inspectorship with good salary,
entailing plenty of travelling, and have only
one care in the world anAafraid of the
dark. Indeed, it is something more than
fcar-it is q terror which has haunted me
IrOI my childhood to the present day.
Only three people in the world besides
myself have my secret: my mother, Sir
George Gillingham, of Gillngham Towers,
with whom l lived for five years as private
tutor to his sons, and who got me my ap-
pointment, and Mr.. Pallatti
When | left the Towers twelvemonth
csc, my nervous dread of the nights should
have to pass in strange bedrooms of strange
inns, when travelling on inspection duty, be-
came so acute and overwhelming that
determined to consult leading physician
about myself.
Sir Alfred Smith listened to my story at
tentively, askedme multitude of questions
about my health and habits and especially
whether any thing ever occurred in very
carly childhood to give me shock, although
] might have been too young at the time to
remember it now. Ny catechism over he
said
Mr. Houghton, 1 must tell you frankly
that l can do nothing for you. The symp-
toms you have described are distressing
but can not tell you as a physician how
they originate or suggest any way of ale
waiting them. | have a friend, however
WAC is a profound believer in animal mag
ncJism, and although | am very skeptical
about many of his theories, he is one of the
ciovorest and most agreeable men ! know
1t can do no harm for you to see him, and
am quite certain he will perfectly svmpa-
thize with you, if he can do nothing else
His name is Pallatti, and l have wri ten
down his address for you. Call upon him at
three O'Clock tomorrow and ! will write to
tell him that he may expect you"
J found Mr.. Pallatti the next afternoon
longing over book in large luxuriously-
furnished room crowded with pictures,
curios, and 'pretty thingsn-a handsome
young gentleman, perfectly dressed, with Il
pair of eyes which, if they could not see
through milestone looked as if they could
pierce human being through and through.
A fter little Indifferent conversation l
began to tell him my tale, but / was SO
nervous that bunged wofuly, and inter
spersed my narrative with diolic CYCLES.
"Wait bit, Mr.. Houghton, there's no
hurry" said Mr.. Pallatti, bringing me n
glass OF wine from a side-table; "you arc
my patient, you know, aud must drink this
before beginning long story"
I expect he must have put something into
M draught, for in a few minutes found
myself talking as calmly and impIssively as
IL | were speaking Of some other person.
J. told him how, If l left my bed III the
dark and took two steps away from it, was
utterly lost; how my Cutstretched hands
would touch window where l expected to
find a door, and all the furniture seemed to
inlay puss in the corner as | moved about
until ut last would sink on the ground Mt
terly unncrved and trembling to wait
through long hours for daylight.
told him (and as l went on, Mr.. Pallat-
It's face grew eagerly attentivcl how, when
| was boy OF sixteen, my mother had de-
scribed to me the circumstances of my eldest
brothers death by drowning when was an
infant; how the same night my lamp went
out, and | saw through luminous haze
room with ladies aud a gentleman in it,
servant coming in at the door, followed by a
boatlnan carrying boy in his arms with
dead face and water dripping from his long
hair; how, when | told my mother what
had seen, she said that had described to
the minutest detail-the pattern of the wall
paper, the flowers on the chimney pece-the
bic morning at Brighton.
ANY other experience like that2" asked
Bir. PallattL II can't tell you how deeply
you have Interested me, Mr.. Houghtou."
"Only ono other" l replied, "and that
occurred at Gilhugham Towers. where
lived for 1--WE years as private tutor 20 Sir
George Gillingham's sons. He had been
telling me one evening curious story of a
tragedy that occurred il, his family more
than n century ago and had pointed out to
me the portraits hanging in tho great draw
ingroom of the three principal actors. Some
papers of the utmost Importance were alb
stracted in the confusion at the time, and
Slr George said that his inability to produce
thcm If ever called upon to do so might be
most disastrous. The danger, of course de
creased as the years rolled by, but tho
sword still hung over the house Of Gilling-
nam, though the hair by which it was origi-