The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-29
THAT STRANGE OLD HOUSE,
a TALE OF OLD ABERDEEN.
BY JANET a. mocULLocH.

den ar the back and had Two windows
-e- Der c14F =n-e--e l- painting while Liz
aHrtl TOOK the large room over the din
5ls-ro1r-- Jean and Bella had an attic
tt--F9--1 also looking % the garden. 50
~ were al accc11nodated 20 our salts
The nrst few days we were all so busy
mat |e could talk of nothing but how
we were % arrange the several rooms
and where certain articles OF our hand
. some oll-fashicued furniture were 10
stand Blt by the end OF the week I be
. came aware Of 4 certain strange feeling
. or aversion 70 nay bedroom. and a dislike
4 20 going 10 bed al niEnt. for which
co-l4 lot u the least account thought
l-at as my bed stood right opposite the
window DO might be the eerie look Of the
white blind. 50 7 told Elizabeth ! wanted
dark one. and Bella put up one Of a
very cark green calico But il was no
8oQ4, ] Sun had that terribly uncomfOrt-
aple, Shrinking feeling, and now ] decided
vel INSTEAD OF standing out from il. I
was quite sure il was this that kept me
from Sleeping myself turned u with
Us heac 10 the wall and its end toward
the window. But that night ! felt worse
tnan ever, not a wink Of sleep could I
ger; Just lay with my eyes fixed upon
lAe Q&ra WINDOW. only outlined by faint
band or greTlsh dimness round the blind.
liilkln5- tnluEluE al night long. and
wishing for morning. When morning did
come rose IN hour earlier than usual,
ana u11ing II was a clear. cold. crisp one.
resQlFe1 20 have run ia the garden
with Randy Passing the breakfast room
a
-e-l nl4 se-I, ] thought she looked very
laie ell4 ilreoy TOO. Are you well, Bel
%. asked. You are very pale"
cont ieel very wei. Miss Agnes"
she answered suddenly flushing red; but
! snal Dc an right by and by I did not
I thought this very odG. for the SER
wants had both worked So hard these
-asL leW days they ought 20 have slept
like stones But / made no other remark.
only asked where Randy was.
lies IN the garden. Miss Agnes" Bella
s1il, 'pul really can't say where. He did
AeL s-tep IN the house last night"
lIe must not be allowed To lie out as
there is no kennel for him. ] replied
rather sharply. but as al that very mo-
Wenl ne ran up to me. I took him out into
The lane between our house and the next
Tor T. good scamper, ! forgot to say that
we nad nelgnbors on both sides, and not
very Laf on Iue right hand house, "a
larger one than ours, belonged TO two
bachelor brothers called Webster whom
] had never seen: the LEFT hand one was
smaller one. and q Mrs. Gibson, a widow
with two children, lived In in. ! felt all
rGht aIter my morning run with Randy.
and returned 70 breakfast thinking / had
Deen a perfect FOOL 70 let my nerves get
the better or me. But neither Elizabeth
nor Christina looked well: the former took
hardly any breakfast. the latter was dull
and quiet. Neither spoke Of feeling iH
however, so ! took no notice. as both
seemed 10 wish f..
After Elizabeth had gone on her usual
morning business with cook. Christina
looked at me hesitated a moment then
spoke hurriedly. do you mind going into
the High street with me. AgnesI / want
70 get some stamps as well as something
from the chemists"
IAN right" / replied, jumping up, II
am ready so DOMINIC our hats, we set
or at once. ] was very fond Of a walk
down the High street, on through College
Bounds. into the Spittal, and over St
Margarets Brae as far as Mounthooly
The quaint, old-world look Of houses and
ancient walls, the SAVIOR of monkish sane
uty and romance that seemed to linger
round them, gave them an ineXpressible
charm 10 me. We bought our stamps,
and, as we came out OF the little postof-
fee two gentlemen passed, going down
the street Christina bowed slightly to
them, remarking when they had passed
out Of earshot;
These are the websters: met them
at Mr.. MunrO's yesterday (Mr. Munro was
our lawyer; they seemed nice men. Now
l wish TO go on to the chemists for
something. VIII you come, Agnes2" This
was said in a Hurried sort Of way, very
"Of course, / will" / answered, and we
went on to the shop Of MCunthOOly To
my surprise and dismay she asked for
sleeping draught, explaining that she had
had such bad nights since we came to
live In town she was quite III from want
OF sleep. The chemist, pleasant young
fellow. told her he would not advise any
sort OF artificial means to procure sleep,
that plenty Of eXercie was much better
and sure to induce II IN healthy young
person. ut.Christina insisted, and at last
got what she wanted. AS we turned to
retrace our steps she said, with a faint
sad smile, and a swift look al me:
agnes, don't mention 1t to Elizabeth:
but / am either going to be III or else /
am bewitched with another little smile)
for not wink Of sleep have / got since
we settled down. Just lie awake all
night, and tremble and fancy things"
! did not hesitate now. / told her ALI
my terrible sufferings for the past few
nights-they were just the same as hers
We agreed to sleep together that night TO
see II we Jared any better, but resolved to
say nothing to Elizabeth about our cow
ardlce, IN case she might think us silly.
We were much refreshed by our walk.
and went back with lighter hearts to the
pretty house we were beginning to hate
already, and during the rest Of the dav
we We're so busy that we almost forgot
our terTors in the afternoon Mrs. Glib
son called, and was, / thought, rather in
qgisitive, asking many questions as 10
how we liked our house. But as Eliza
BETH assured her We were charmed she
dropped the subject with the remark that
II was lovely house, and was built she
believed on the site of an older house
one Of the Canon's residences | did not
care for Mrs. Gibson, as she talked a deal
about the neighbors, especially of the Web
StefS, whom she seemed to dislike She
asked us 10 call, and Elizabeth gave
civil answer and thanked her, but made
no definite promise. / saw that Elizabeth
did not like her either, and l was glad
of it.
night, servants and all. Suddenly I re-
membered Randy. and called up to lean
to ask If she had put him into the back
Kitchen, as l had told her She came
halfway down the attic 10 answer Bella
behind her.
80, Miss Agnes. he is not in" she
said. Il have never been able to induce
him to enter the house after dark He
just sits beside the well and wags his taiI.
and when ! try to pull him in he runs off
down the garden, and I can't catch him
l think he feels the place strange vet
CHRISTINA eyes met mine. 1t was not
merely the strange place that kept Randy
Quit was the strange house, we knew
The dogs refusal to enter the house al
night gave me a thrill of such fear as I
had never felt before. / touched Christi
mas hand-it was cold and trembling.
Agnes, she whispered, the dog
knows something; he won't come into This
horrible house at night"
Hush, dear" I whispered back. don't
let Elizabeth or the maids hear YOU" But
my own limbs were shaking: / could hard
ly speak. and l looked after my eldest
sister with a wild yearning to call her
back that we might all be together. II
seemed so selfish of Christina and me to
let her face the unknown danger alone
We shut our door, and heard Elizabetb
close hers then the mad terror in nv
heart found expression.
Christina" l cried. almost sobbina in
my intense fear and anguish. 'let us eith-
az can Elizabeth here or else 20 10 her
She must feel the same a we do rea1