Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-10-04
THE HAUNTED CASTLE.

was travelling in France, and
one night was overtaken by a
storm, and / could find no place
of refuge excepting deserted cha
teau that had the reputation OF be-
ing haunted. | cared nothing for
ghosts, so into the chateau | went,
stabbed my horse in the parlor, and
then. with the help of a box of
matches and newspaper | happen
ed to have in my pocket, set to
work at the half burned logs on the
hearth, got up a. feeble fire, lit my
pipe, and drawing one of the chairs
up in front of the fireplace, under
the combined soothing influence of
the fire and the "baccy," fell into
reverie, and finally, | suspect a
sleep. How long it lasted | don't
the least know, but ! suddenly be-
came aware that the fire had died
out, and that thick darkness was
all around. The thunder and rain
appeared to have ceased, for not a
sound broke the complete silence,
which came to feel SO oppressive
that at last got up and CROPPED my
way into the passage to look out
on the night. Feeling my way by
the wall, ! slowly progressed along
till | reached the hall door, but it
was shut. Shut? How odd. /
had certainly left it open. Perhaps
l was at the wrong door. But soon,
| convinced myself that this was
not the case, by striking a match
my last, | was sorry to perceive.
Very odd" | said to myself;
"the door was so firmly driven back
by the passage Of the horse it
couldn't have been shut without
considerable force and noise. |
wonder | didn't hear it clap, but at
all events I'll 60 out for bit"
That was easier said than done.
| put out my right hand, as mat
ter of course, but it was very strange,
l couldn't grasp the handle. l saw
well enough where it was, by the
match, yet somehow my fingers
couldn't take hold of it.
"What nonsense" l said to my
self, as | perforce dropped the burn
ing end of the match on the floor;
"what can have come over mep"
and l put out my hand. A strange
twinge ran through it the moment
it touched the handle, and 1t drop
ped numb and powerless by my side;
| felt | couldn't raise it, couldn't
move a muscle of it.
A slight hooking Taught sounded
suddenly behind me, and | am
afraid / lost my temper.
"Confound your / involuntarily
burst out, what do you mean by
that idiotic litter? Open the door"
Dead silence-perfect unbroken
silence. Had the darkness wrapped
round me, and enveloped me in a
thick fog? There was an oppres-
sion, a weight in the atmosphere,
and | felt an indescribable some
thing that seemed at the same time
strained to an unnatural degree of
expectation; felt as if my hearing,
for example, had become unnatural
ly acute; and yet ! knew there was
nothing to hear. Utter, complete
silence-silence indeed that "could
be felt"
With a strong effort | raised my
self from the wall against which /
had been leaning, and determined
to make my way back to the sofa.
Instantly l felt had gained power
over my arms, and made dash at
the door. Quite in vain. Again
my hands trembled and fell power
less to my side; and again that ag-
gravating Taught was heard as if
hooking my puny efforts. Re
straining my anger, | got up a
Taught myself, not to be out of the
fashion, but / could not help know
ing that it sounded forced and
strange.
"How charmingly hospitable you
are~ | exclaimed, in French.
Really, your affection for my COM
pany is quite touching; what pity
| can't reciprocate it,"
l thought, involuntarily, as a
gibbering litter again sounded close
to my ear, IF | had but a light"
The thought had hardly crossed
my mind before felt curious con-
viction that there was light in
the room had not long since left.
BY some irresistible impulse l
felt myself attracted thither. |
turned round. Why, could see a
| light shining through the doorway