The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1889-01-03

All. genius burns like blazing star,
And Fame has an honeyed urn to flll;
But the good deed done for love, not fame,
Like the watel.cup in the Masters name,
II something moro precious still
Susan CoOlidgs, IN ST. Nicholas.
AFRAID IN THE DARK.
Remarkable Story OF a Young
Mans Strange Power.
Ny name Is Edward Houghton; I am
twenty eight years old. am unmarried, enjoy
the best Of health and spirits, hold q govern
ment inspectorship with a good salary.
entailing plenty of travelling, and have only
ono care In the world-I am afraid of the
dark. Indeed, it Is something more than
1ear-it 10 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 Gillingham, Of Gillingham Towers,
with whom 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
ago, my nervous dread Of the nights should
have to pass In strange bedrooms of strange
inns, when travelling on inspection duty, be-
came 80 acute and overwhelming that !
determined to consult leading physician
about myself
Sir Alfred Smith listened to my story at
fentively, asked me multitude of questions
about my health and habits, and especially
whether uny thing ever occurred in very
early childhood to give me shock, although
might have been too young at the time to
remember 1t now. My catechism over. he
said:
"Mr. Houghton, must tell you frankly
that 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 allie
Waiting them. have a friend, however.
who is profound believer In animal mag
netism, and although am very skeptical
about many Of his theories, he is one of the
cleverest and most agreeable men know.
1t can do no harm for you to see him. and I
am quite certain he will perfectly sympa-
hize with you, If he can do nothing else
His name is Pallatti, and I have written
down his address for you. Call upon him at
three O'Clock Tomorrow, and will write to
tell him that he may expect you"
found Mr.. Pallatti the next afternoon
1ounging over book in large luxuriously-
furnished room crowded with pictures.
curios, and "pretty things'-a handsome
young gentleman, perfectly dressed, with a
pair OF eyes which, IL they could not see
through milestone, looked as if they could
pierce human being through and through.
After little Indifferent conversation I
began to tell him my tale, but 1 was 80
nervous that bungled wofully, and inter-
spersed my narrative with idiotic gigglea.
swat bit, Mr.. Houghton, there's no
hurry" said Mr.. Pallatti, bringing me a
glass of wine from q side-table; "you are
my patient, you know, and must drink this
before beginning long story"
expect he must have put something into
my draught, for In q few minutes found
myself talking as calmly and impassively as
II were speaking Of some other person.
told him how, If l left my bed in the
dark and took two steps away from it, was
utterly lost; how my outstretched hands
would touch window where expected to
lind door, and all the furniture seemed to
play puss In the corner as moved about
until at last would sink on the ground ut
terly unnerved and trembling to wait
through long hours for daylight. 81
told him land as went on, Mr.. Pallat-
tis face grew eagerly attentive) how, when
I 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 I saw through luminous haze a
room with ladies and q gentleman in it. a
servant coming in at the door, followed by q
boatman carrying boy in his arms with
dead face and water dripping from his long
hair; how, when told my mother what I
had seen, she said that had described to
the minutest detail-the pattern of the wall
paper, the flowers on the chimney-piece
identical scene as it occurred on that terri
bic morning at Brighton.
ANY other experience like that?' asked
Mr.. Pallatti. II can't tell you how deeply
You have interested me, Mr.. Houghton.'
''Only one other" I replied, land that
occurred at 9illingham Towers, where I
lived for five years ~ private tutor to Sir
George Giilingham's sons. He had been
telling me one evening curious story of q
tragedy that occurred in his family more
than century ago, and had pointed out to
me the portraits hanging in the great draw
ing-room Of the three principal actors. Some
papers Of the utmost importance were alb
stracted In the confusion at the time, and
Sir George said that his inability to produce
them 1t ever called upon to do so might be
most disastrous. The danger, of course. de-
creased q the years rolled by, but the
sword sttlf hung over the house of Gilling-
ham, though the hair by which it was oriei-
nally, Suspended might have thickened to q
cord.
'That night great storm of wind and
rain broke over the Towers; my window
was burst open, my light extinguished, and
tho mQkHhQQ Q1vUova - hn,,
wet and useless. For the second time In nv
life the luminous haze rolled out before me.
and through it there appeared q very small
room with one narrow window the lower
sash of'which was thrown up-a lumber
room apparently, with one bare table In the
center. 2 lew broken chairs piled up in the
corners. some dirty looking prints In black
frames on the walls and q great glass case
1ul OF stuffed birds, some tumblinR and
some tumbled from their perches, and all
In the last stage of dilapidation and decay.
When all this was clearly developed the
shadowy forms Of . man and woman M.
deared dimly, and could see that their out
lines agreed with those Of two of the family
Portraits Sir George had pointed out to me.
But. happening at that moment to turn my
nead, saw . thin stream of light shining
through . chink In the door, reached it at
z bound, and, catching up lamp some one
had LETT burning on the stairs, returned to
ny room to find every thing as usual told
sir George and we thoroughly explored tho
deserted wing OF the Towers, but could find
% room IN the least resembling tho one OF
NY vision.''
A ] concluded, . pase-boy brought in
conoe, and when had drunk mine the cur
1 - 1seling Of eonstraint under which had