Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-02-04

they went stump. stump, stump dawn
the stairs, and TO the street door as it
shut to with bang.
"Iwas alone in the house Of evil repute.
"'Stay a Bit l said TO myself; this
is perhaps a joke, a trick, and it viii bs
with the living Germans that Imay have
to deal. Well, the pistol will give an
account Of them; but Twill make myself
a. safe as can
$50 l took from my pocket screw.
driver and q paper Of big screws, and
with quiet smile at my own cunning
for of these screws l had said nothing
toany one-proceeded forthwith to screw
up the door.
"The door made fast, walked round
the room and carefully took stock OF it.
There was a small corner cupboard. |
opened this; nothing there but spiders,
their webs and tine carcasses of their
victims.
"0n the other side of the fireplace was
q very low door, about the height of my
shoulder. Another cupboard, thought,
and endeavored, for long time without
success, to pry it open. When at last it
yielded, 1 discovered, with some sur
prise, a step and another low door, evi-
IDENTIFY strongly nailed up, and which,
from its appearance, had been for ages
in the same condition.
"This discovery gave me for the mo-
ment what the ladies describe as "a turn
What strange thing 1 said to myself,
"a passage leading to somewhere; just
like these haunted chambers usually
have. However, 1 will take good care
that no one makes use of this passage to-
night, at any rate
"And so closing the low door pro-
ceeded to make it fast with some more
of my great screws. As l did so and
was driving the screws home felt q
queer sensation from my right hand to
my elbow, something like faint cleo
trio shock; pressed on the nerve some
how 1 said, and continued my work.
"This done, l had my supper, lit my
pipe and drank the half Of my wine.
The chimes of st. Christopher's tower
startled me sounding the hour of eleven.
was, however, in a peaceful frame of
mind, without the least fear of anything
human or supernatural, and 1 gazed
placidly at the red smoldering logs and
puffed my pipe in peace.
Suddenly, however, the fact that the
hour of midnight would soon approach
gave me just little shiver. 1 quickly
quenched the feeling with drop of my
eau de vie.
Nevertheless, thought, there is no
use in sitting up thus. 1 may as we'll go
to bed, then 1 shall, without doubt, fall
asleep, know nothing till tomorrow
morning and be able to go home with
flying colors.
Accordingly l prepared for rest, and
as / can never sleep well with my clothes
on pulled off all my attire with the ex-
ception of my shirt, took final drink OF
the eau de vie, laid ready my pistol and
lay down upon my mattress, drawing a
single blanket over me.
81 lay with my feet turned toward the
glowing embers, which diffused grateful
heat and gave sufficient light to enable
me to discern the objects, such as they
were, in the chamber after had extin-
guished my candle. The feeling of Sc
curity, born of the fact that had securely
screwed up the only two doors which
opened into the room, did its work, and
in very little time l fell asleep.
81 cannot tell how long Islept. All
know is that seemed to wake up from
a feeling of cold, as if some one were
blowing upon me with pair of bellows
| rubbed my eyes, remembered where ]
was, and experienced slight feeling OF
unhappiness to find that the night had
not passed over and that I was still in
the haunted chamber.
"The fire was all but dead, the moon
as could see through the uncurtained
window, seemed to be plunging her way
among great banks and masses of cloud
the room was ftfplly lighted here and
there with a strange twilight of moon
and fire.
Somehow my eyes fixed themselves
on the low door by the side of the
hearth. Could it be possible? Was that
door opening? No; impossible! 1 had
screwed it up far too tight for that.
"Yet something strange was taking
place. Whether the door was opening
or something was coming through it
could not tell; but I felt that change
was taking place, and sat up in my bed
in silent terror, with that peculiar sensa
ton in my body which persons of an i'm
aginative disposition are pleased to call
'goosefesh.' at
Fixing my gaze firmly upon thai
mysterious door, I sat and watched it,
Little by little the aspect of the dool
changed. 1t became white, bleached as
it were, and then, to my intense horror
a something seemed to pass through il
and to stand in front of it. Yes; that
something gradually assumed shape and
proportion. could see the head, the
body, the arms, the form was that of a
man. Then, while my hair stood up.
right upon my head with terror, no.
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