The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-31

IN ordsr to heightsn the eject. blew out
my candles and allowed the pretty room
to be lit BY the flicker OF the freight
alone. The wind. which had caimed down
for little. now rose with redoubled fury.
IT shrieked and sighed around the slen-
der house. and It seemed to ms that the
house itself shook with the fury Of the
gala s. ss
The little clock ON the inantelpiscs tick
cd away the minutes. I looked up and
saw. that It was between II and II o'clock.
"Oh. come" said to myself. II must
get into bed: shall be good for nothing
tomorrow. and want to do great
DEAL"
/ had started gardening ana the care OF
poultry on q small scale, and wanted to
get up early the following morning to
see after my pets. I took OF my dress
and hung It up In the wardrobe. I put on
a. warm flannel dressing gown and sat
down again by the fre. Raising my
hand, took down my thick. dark hair,
and began slowly to brush II. prepara-
tory to getting into bed. As did so
heard distinctly and very quietly In my
ear the following words:
Patricia. / want you at once"
turned round.
why, what in the world Is the mat
the roomf The door II locked" cried.
My heart beat fast. Josephine was not In
the room; there was no one there, and
yet had heard the words. "Patricia,
want you at once" I must have dreamt
them: Of course had dreamt them.
walked az far a. the door. unlocked
It. and looked down into the dark pass
age. ! could Just see . shadow Of the
hall window and the shadow Of the stairs
q 49, 49, 49, AaAs -
drawing room landing, whore Josephine
slept. There was not q sound Of any sort.
I reiocked the door. and went back again
to my place by the firs.
1T am getting nervous" said to my
self. II understand now why people
could not stand more than a year in the
house. OF COURSE Josephine did not speak
to me-"
This thought had scarcely passed through
my mind before again heard the quietly
spoken and yet intensely earnest words,
Patricia. i want you at once"
''Ohi" cried. what II wrongf" I stood
up and clasped my hands. What 10 wrong
with Josephine"
In my anxiety about her almost forgot
my own nervous troubles. fiew across the
room. unlocked the door, and rushed down.
stairs. had got about half way when
saw Josephine coming up to meet me. Her
that had ever seen.
Her eyes were wide open and staring; che
clasped my hand.
''What IL II, what is TT" said, what Is
the matter, Josief Tell me, tell me-"
what Ii the matter with your was her
reply. ''you called me just now"
II did not answered.
you did you came into my room, aS
least your voice came. for the door was
locked. You said. Josephine want you
at once"
"No, no. It was you said that" replied.
''You said, Patricia, want you at once"
''Then We were both called" said jose
phine She staggered back against the
wall. her hands were locked tightly to-
gether.
This Is very awfulr she said.
''Oh. never mind, darling" I said. ut
must have been fancy on both our parts"
FANCY" she said with shudder. mo.
Patricia, It was no fancy. You heard the
voice, you cannot deny It,"
II certainly did. We were both called,
but not by one another. Who wants us,
Josephine?"
"God only knows" replied Josephine.
I'VE must get out Of this house." said.
ut Is too awful"
mo, we canno. leave she replied. She
turned to go back to her room.
Josephine must sleep with you tonight,
you cannot be alone"
IT cannet have YOU" she said. II must
sleep by myself. 1t does not matter. It Is
only a continuation Of what I have long
endured, Of what"
ssOf what interests your said "Jose-
phine, you must not sleep alone in that
ROOM s
II shall not be Alone" she said. The
expression on her face was quite awful
She closed the door quietly. and heard
the key turn in the lock.
For moment 1 had wild desire to
batter. that door. in. but restrained my
self. What was the matter with my sis
ter? Was she losing her senses? But. o
God in heaven. who had called us? Who
wanted me at once? Who was the awful
being who also wanted Josephine at once?
What was wrong? Wha. was wrong?
! 1t Is little to say that I did not sleep
that night I crept back to my room, got
into bed and lay there trembling. No one
repeated the call, nothing happened to dis
turb me. The storm went down in the
night. In the morning the sun was shin
ing brightly. 1t was summers day in
the midst of/winter.
/ got up, felt old, as II quite ten years
had gone over my head. got into my
clothes and went languidly downstairs.
The sunshine and the waves outside, and
the garden with some late autumn flowers
still in bloom afforded me little or no COM
fort The house was haunted. we must
leave 1t Immediately. determined to take
Josephine away by main force. in my
rude physical health was surely strong
enough to effect this removal"
She seldom got up to breakfast. and
did not expect to find her. in the breakfast
room that morning. But she was there,
neatly dressed as usual. with just her old
dignity about her. She was standing by
the table, She turned as soon as ever
came in. / began to speak, but she held
UP her hand.
I'VE will not mention It," she said; II
would rather not We must drop cur
tain between last night and today"
But cannot. must speak of It,"
said.
mo" was her answer. ''you must not.
But, Patricia, want to talk Of something
else."
What, dear? Oh, darling. how Ill you
look! What do you want to talk off"
II wish to move into another bedroom"
"Ah," said, that is a good sign, but
~ Oh