The evening times., 1895-08-23
One Cent 1s', 1s',
A Curious Dream.
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Mr. Grosvenor had asked Howard, who
was the son of an old friend, and myself
to stay at Cullingham for few weeks and
pursue our literary avocation, in which we
collaborated.
He made no favor Of it. "Oniy too glad
to see you," he said. I'VE are very lonely
and there is little to do M birds in the COW
ers, for can't afford a gamekeeper, but
IL you want to work the place is quiet
enough. shall not be at home for a day or
two, as ] am going to town. and shall
pick up my daughter from a friends house
on my way back, but William knows the
place and can show you all there is to see."
Howard conducted ME to my bedroom the
first night.
~ say" he said, There lis a curious
point aboutyour room-of course you don't
know this rambling old place yet-you can
walk around your bedroom."
"Of course 1 can, you crock" returned.
"I can walk around any ro,m"
"Ah. but mean on the outside. You
see, this room is in the middle of the house,
between four intersecting corridors, SO
that you can walk right around the four
walls
There was nothing else remar kable
about my room. 1t was comfortably fur
nished- Against the wall, opposite my bed.
and nearly under the skyiight, stood q
large sofa, which seemed an unusual piece
of furniture for my bedroom. 1t was too
big to go through the door, and 1 was in
clined to think that it must have beenlowered
into the room by a derrick before the roof
was put on.
1 turned into bed, but found it impossible
to sleep. A strange bed always means sew
eral wakeful hours to ME, and Iiay with my
eyes closed, listening to the old stable clock
as it savagely changed out its quarters and
practiced every effort OF mechanical repeti-
tion that seemed likely to sOothe my restless
bra in.
At length I gave up the attempt at sleep
in despair and lay on my back wide wake.
1 began TO picture too myself the most
horrible phaDtonas / could imagine, to see if
/ could make myself nervous or frightened.
i thought OF Figures with rolling eyes and
gibbering lips. phantoms that carried their
heads under their arms; shadowy formless
objects OF mist, but all to no purpose. My
ghosts were feeble frauds. / could not in-
vest them with the Dameless dread, and l
laughed at them.
i must have fallen asleep as l was thus
meditatiDg for when next tawoke themoon
was h Ugh in the heavens and shone brightly
through the skylight into my room. My eyes
at once fell on the face of q beautiful young
woman, who was arranging her hair at
mirror that stood on a table, which seemed
TO me to have not been in the room when
retired. 1 was about to utter an exclamation
when look OF terror came into her face, a
terror so intense as to freeze ne into an
upspeakable silence. She seemed to be list
eni ing to noise without. Inthenextstrained In
moment the figure vanished.
AS l was turning over To sleep again l
heard a light footstep in the corridor at
the head of my bed. 1t passed along the
wall and was followed By heavier, though
yet steaithy tread. By this time my facul-
ties were fully aroused, and, sitting up, l
listened intensely.
Suddenly the first footsteps broke into
a rapid pattering, as though in flight, and
the pursuer's heavy tread was cores
pondingly accelerated. Twice they sped
around my chamber and as they passed
along the corridor nearest to my bed 1
thought that 1 could hear their painting
breathS-
At the third round my bedroom door
flew open and the young lady 1 had seen
before dashed in and dropped exhausted
upon the sofa She was followed by man
dressed in black, who carried a murderous
looking knife in his hand. She looked at
him imploringly as be stood over her for
an instant, but spoke never word
In that moment OF time could see their
faces with great clearness in the moonlight
and have never forg them. The girl
was fair, with long hair streaming down
her shoulders, and her lovely face was con-
tracted with mortal terror. The man
was of medium height, with low forehead,
a dark mustache, and an expression that
reminded me, grotesquely enough, of the
trademark upon the Demon" tenRiA
racquetS-
was summoning up courage to spring
out of bed when the man raised the hand