The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1897-11-06

| from the ulnlnR-rOoIn. n 1lfusty QUOT as
sailed my nostrils.
1t is peculiar how the sense Of smell
brings back to one old associations and
memories. recollected that musty
odor perfectly. and it brought back the
days of boyhood more ~i$idly than any
thing else had done.
We descended the stairway. and
found the cellar bare and empty.
peered into every dark nook and cor
ner. but there was nothing which could
have caused the noise.
Nothing to be seen here, Sarah"
said. "Maybe we can find something
of interest in the old storeroom."
My grandfather, in his latter days
had kept the village store and post
Office.
The house was built on the side of q
small hill, so that it was three STOKES
high on the street side and two in the
rear.
The cellar was divided into two apart.
ments by a thick wall of stone. One
apartment was used for the house sup.
plies. The other section was in turn
divided in two, the front facing on the
street serving as the store and post
Office, the rear, deep, cavernous, un'
foreground room, having been used for
the storage of barrels of vinegar, mo
lasses, tobacco and dried fruit,
We descended the open stairway lead
ing down to the storeroom from the
main hall. The door was at the bot
tom, and at first l thought it was
locked. Upon closer examination, l dis.
covered that it had only become tightly
jammed by slight settling of the sur
rounding timbers. A few vigorous kicks
soon caused it to open, and we stepped
down into the room.
The shutters to the windows were
leading to the street a small transom
Through the dust and moisture be.
grimed glass few rays of light pene
trated, producing a twilight gloom in
the apartment, but not so deep that we
were unable to see.
One of the old counters still remained
and scattered over the floor were a
few empty boxes and barrels. Thought
of the white-haired Old man whose form
had been so Familiarity associated with
the room, and l glanced over to the
corner with fancy that he was here
still, seated behind the desk.
"Vhy, where's de door gomez" Sarah
cried out, in tones of excitement.
what door, Sarah?"
"Nel, you know, you remember. Del
used to be door to de store cellar
and now dere ain'tany."
Sarah was right. There had been a
doorway, through which had stolen
many times for the purpose of filling
my pockets with raisins and dried fruit
There was none now. The wall of solid
masonry confronted us.
1t really seemed a matter of very
little Importance, but Sarah kept up
excited EXPLANATIONS about it, until
finally stopped her.
why, Sarah, | don't see anything very
strange in the walling up Of cellar
doorway. No doubt Mr.. Sonntag, my
lawyer, had it done. l remember the
place was dark, damp and unhealthy
He thought it best to have it CLOSED
up, perhaps. There was another door
from that cellar leading outside, was
there not?
| Eyes, right unter your bedroom vim
dow" Sarah answered.
well, that can be easily broken dowr
If you want to get in the place. But
what would be the use of all that
trouble? l don't want to use the eel
lar"
But then / remembered the noise
which had seemed to come from be
meath my bedroom, and the cause o.
which I was unable to discover through
out the rest of the house.
1--WE might take look at the othe,
door," finally said. refectively.
| We assembled the stairway and wen
around the house. Thick vines, reach
ing to my bedroom window, completely
hid the outside cellar door.
! I parted the vines. and found agar
the solid foundation wall. Thia door
way had also been walled up.
Sarah was SO greatly impressed BY
this new discovery that her excited ex
CARNATIONS broke out anew, and sh,
again began to plead with me to leav'
the place.
Again sought to quiet her fears b.
laughing at her, although it did seen
trife strange that my agent shoulc
have walled up the doorways. Twas sat
isfied he had had it done, and won
dered what his reasons could have been
Perhaps, after all, Mrs. Snyder wa
right in affirming that there were mys
terles about the old house. Perhap
this walled-up cellar was the seat o
supernatural demon strations, and m
agent had sealed it up for that reason
II do not intend to lose any slee
over it," said, lightly. "Sonntag mus
have had good reasons for doing THU
and can easily find out what they were
by driving over and seeing him. lwant
to have talk with him, anyhow"
Here the rumble of wheels reached
my ear. AS l glanced down the road
way and saw the approaching turnout
why did my heart beat faster and 6
dimness cloud my sight?
. Mrs. Snyder had also glanced in that
direction. well, now look, Mr.. Mel
she began, excitedly. you can SCI
Yourself how dey look. Dey is coming
Dat is de Morleys."
. NV heart had giyen me the informa