St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-17
WHO CAN EXPLAIN IT?

| ol edrtn HE. seeking 10 influence others
to wickedness.
Last summer |. in company with sew
eral others, too possession of an old
manor house dramatically situated OH
high point of the Maryland side Of the
Chesapeake bay.
The party consisted of thirteen, but
this was not noted until after our arrival
There. There were my father and moth
er, the hentS (pere and mere) Roger and
his sister Hope, who was my promised
wife; my cousins, Rose and Haydn Up
ton, and two young married couples
named jackson and Cairns. These, with
myself, made up the party, and YOU
might search the world over and not
| hnd Such another happy one as that
when the steamer deposited it at the
foot OF the bluff that lovely July day.
! we ali lived OH the same street at
home and had been friends and neigh
borS all our lives. Father and Mr.. Kent
| hau Oeen partners i'll business for thirty
years. Each knew the other to be a
man of the strictest integrity, and moth
ing had ever come between them.
worShiped Hope Kent, and she seemed
to return my love. Roger was very
much in love with Cousin Rose, and her
brother was very plainly smitten with
! my sweetheart, though this last gave
me not one pang of jealousy. such con-
fidence had | in her. The two other
couples were models of cOnnubial hap.
plnesS. never quite content when out of
each others sight.
Everybody was pleased with their
| new quarters, and predicted a most en-
| jOyable summer. 1t was huge. ram
| bling old house, full of crooked passages
and winding stairs, and upon our ar
| rival we scattered over it, each select
ing the room that took his fancy. There
were half a dozen parlOrs and sitting
| rooms, but the one that pleased us most
| for general place of assembly fronted
on the bay, as we never tired Of watch
| ing the blue, sparkling water. On the
| south heavily draped archway led into
! the library, rather gloomy apartment.
| but it soon came to be much frequented
| because Of the row of old, old books still
| upon its shelves. | am thus particular
| in describing this part of the house be-
cause of what followed. For time all
went well.
| The first sign of the presence of the
| serpent in our Eden was on returning
| from an excursion | found my father
! and Mr. Kent engaged in heated argu-
ment. Both men were angry, but on
ashamed that anything so trivial Shonld
have made them quarrel. That same
| day a little later we were gathered in
| the east room. 1t was dusk, but the
lamps had not yet been brought in, and
we sat about in reStful attitudes dis
cuSsing the events of the day. d
Directly across from where | was
! lounging at Hope Kent's side. and near
! one of the windows, sat Mr.. Jackson,
! engaged in animated but lOW-tOned con-
verSation with pretty little Mrs. Cairns.
| Not far away, yet out of earShOt, sat
Mrs. jackson. | could see she was
watching her husband Intently. and the
peculiar expression her face Wore in
! SANITY riveted my attention. Suddenly
! she turned her head as if listening. and
as | gaZed the dim outline of a pale face
! seemed to shape itself beside hers-a
| mans face. with demoniacal. glittering
ewes. With an amazed exclamation |
started up and crossed to her side. but
there was no one there, Of course, and
| returned to my place beside my be-
throthed, feeling decidedly silly.
Everybody had glanced up at my
hasty movement. but made no comment,
so | subsidized into my chair, answering
Hopes remarks at random and feeling
most dreadfully puzzled. When !
glanced again at Mrs. Jackson she was
looking out of the window with pale,
sad face. Good gracious" thought !,
lean that woman be jealous of that
noble husband of hers?" Then L
searched the rooms for Cairns, and was
Mortified to find the same dreadful look
on his face. And-waS l mad, or did |
again see that diabolical face bent, as
if whispering in his ear?
Cairns" | called, without an in
stant's pause. "ring for lights"
He started violently at sound of my
voice, and his face resumed Its usual
amiabIe look as he sprsn up to do my
bidding. After the lights came | saw
no more visionary faces, and should
have thought it all fancy on my part
had not Cousin Rose found an Opportu-
nity to whisper, Ibid you see that hor-
ribIe face b de Mrs. JacksOn's?" and
she became very angry when l laughed
at her and told her she must have been
dreaming. In the end | convinced her
of the folly of such an idea. but | have
many times been sorry we did not tell
the others instead of hushing it up.
Well. after that night things were
never quite the same. A spirit of dis
cord was ever in our midst. We got a
habit of looking over our shoulders,
though don't think any one remarked
it but myself, a if conscious, some one
OF something was ever beside us. A
malign influence seemed to have taken
possession of the place and to have got
into all our hearts. Roger and Rose
had uuarreled. Haydn became offens-
ively attentive to my fiancee and
evinced such growing antipathy to-
ward myself that all intercourse be-
tween us became uncomfortable.
MANY times in the dark | thought l
saw that devilish face. and the lips
seemed ever whispering diabolical
wickedness into the heart of some one.
1t pervaded the whole house, and the
only persons undisturbed were mother
and Mrs. Kent.
.Oh, dear" sighed Rose one day after
tormenting Roger until he had gone |
away with white face and woful eyes, |
81 don't know what possesses me now |
adays. | seem to delight in wickedness, |
and L never was so before. what can |
it be, Royce?"
II believe some evil spirit haunts this |
house," was my reply. LET us try to |
induce the rest to go somewhere else for
the remainder of the summer"
For a moment Rose seemed seriously |
considering the subject; then l saw that
half turning of the head | so dreaded
and she laughed. mockingly.
Leave this delightful place? Why,
Royce. you must be mad. l don't want
to go. / rather enjoy being wicked.
It's a new sensation, you KNOW" and
she ran off, seemingly much amused at
my disappointed face.
/ tried to induce Hope Kent to pro
pose change, but all TO no purpose;
and so time ran OH. One evening was
walking with her on the terrace, and
her manner was so kind, so like the
dear old days before we went to that
accursed place, that | was emboldened
to ask her to set day for our marriage.
At my words she turned such a
flushed, appy.looking face to me that
for moment her answer would be all
desired. But all at once her expression
changed and | saw, or imagined | saw,
for one horrible Instant that diabolical
face beside hers, the malicious eyes
fastened upon mine, while the lips
moved beside her ear.
Grasping her arm l cried excitedly,