The record-union., 1894-03-15
AN UNOOLVED MYSTERY.
written for the REcoRpUNIoN.


1t stood alone in the midst of deserted
garden, an old-fashioned red brick house.
Its long French windows were covered
with green blinds not in the best OF re-
pair. Around the lower portion of the
house was a wide piazza, while short
flight of steps led to neglected garden.
There were grass and weeds and flowers
mingled together in wild profuslon; IN
the center of it all stood silent fountain
supported by broken-winged Cupid.
Such was the house when it was first
seen on a gloomy November day by
Edith Beck. There must have been some
peculiar fascination about the solitary old
place, for she stopped her horse before
the tottering gate and looked long and
earnestly at the scene within. Alter
few moments spent in close inspection
she turned her horse cityward. and soon
disappeared from view.
Edith Beck was an orphan, with no
relative save her brother, young ply
sician of some prominence. DR.. Beck
had spent the greater portion OF mis- life
in the country, but thinking there was
larger field and better chances of success
in large city, they had sold out their
modest effects and turned their steps
toward that Mecca of so many blighted
hopes, sickening doubts and bitter de-
teats. And now her brother had estab-
Iished himself in an office, and his
shingle was hanging before the door,
hunting. The gloomy old mansion
seemed to strike her more favorably than
any of the others, and 1t was not long be-
fore she had SO skillfully engineered her
plans that a lease was taken of the house,
which the landlord let at ridiculously
low figure. Then commenced extensive
Improvements; the house received fresh
coating of paint, the silent fountain was
removed, the grass was cut and the
broken fence repaired.
The old place seemed to put on differ
ent appearance altogether, which was not
pleasing to the young lady, who was
endowed with a strong spice of romance,
and the old house in its dilapidated con-
dition appealed strongly to this romantic
faint in her character. When they were
finally settled in their new home,
the neighbors came to call upon the
Young lady, but they acted so strangely
while in the house that Edith's curiosity
was aroused, and she resolved to solve
the mystery. Acting upon this impulse,
she went to the owner of the house, but
he only laughed at her fears. and told her
to go home and pay no attention to lot
of gabbling old women. This advice
failed to comfort Edith. On the contrary
it only aroused her suspicious, but she
kept quiet and awaited developments. AS
the house was quite distance from the
city, the doctor was often late In getting
home, and on this account told his sister
not to wait up for him; that if she left a
light burning in the hall. that would be
sufficient.
One evening upon approaching the
house he was surprised to see light
burning in the front room. 1t would
burn steadily in one spot for few mo-
ments, then seemed to move from one
end of the room to the other, as though
some one were carrying it; then again it
would disappear altogether, and it seemed
as though it had been taken away, when
it would spring up suddenly in another
part of the room. The young man
watched the light for some minutes, then
softly opened the door, ran quickly up
stairs and into the front room. The place
was in utter darkness. He thought it
somewhat strange that the light should so
quickly disappear; but, thinking he
would ask his sister about it in the
morning, dismissed the subject from his
mind and went to bed.
You were up late last night, Sis" said
the doctor the next morning at breakfast.
81 am afraid if | don't keep a more
brotherly eye upon you you will grow
dissipated. l saw your light moving
about in the front room last night as late
as II O'clock"
But Edith declared vehemently that
she had retired at 10 o'clock, and knew
nothing whatever of the light. The old
housek eeper, their only servant, who
was cook and general utility woman as
well, also disclaimed all knowledge of
the mysterious light, and between the
two women, the doctor was almost per-
suaded that he had been dreaming or
drinking, though he vowed most solemn
thing stronger than water
Some time passed and the light in the
window had almost been forgotten, when
it was again brought wildly before the
DOCTORS mind upon his return late one
night from sick call. Upon nearing the
house he again saw the wavering light,
and disappearing just as he
had seen it before.
He crossed the street and watched it,
then he made a reconnoiter around the
block to see If it could not be reflection
from one Of the Street-lamps, but after
careful survey he found that the light in
the room was not reflection, but a real
ity. He crossed the street again, all the
time keeping his eyes upon the light,
which seemed to burn brighter as he
softly opened the door. AS soon as he
found himself inside he took off his
shoes, so as not to make any noise, and
ran lightly upstairs in his stocking feet.
The door of the room was wide open, and,
as usual, the place was in darkness, save
for few Struggling moonbeams. The
doctor stood in the middle of the floor
and rubbed his head in astonishment.
For once in his life he was completely
batfled. He crossed the hall to his sisters
room; the door was unlocked, and enter
ing softly he saw that Edith was in
deep sleep. The sound of good, strong.
healthy snore from the old housekeep-
er's room attested to the fact that she,
too, was locked in the arms of Morpheus.
Then the doctor lit candle and made
search of the house, but he
found nothing but few mice, who sour
ried across the floor to their holes, squeak
ing with fright Opening the front door
he again locked up and saw the light
which seemed to burn with defiant air,
as though challenging him to come up
and solve its mystery.
The next morning Edith was surprised
to receive orders from her brother to
move his things into the front room. No
excuse was given for this sudden change,
and though the young lady made few
feeble remonstrances they fell upon deaf
ears, and the doctor had his way. When
ever the doctor was out late after that he
used to watch for the light, which seemed
to cheer him as he came up the quiet, de-
serted street. Things went quietly for a
a pIo6 Hicha est r.