The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-10-06

y ER O GAMBLE co. CINCINNATI
! wagon 6oards, ana the farmer, without
regard for the sadness of my thoughts,
kept up an inccsSant gossip, part OF
which l can recall like this:
"Wcll, sir. the first | knew o it twas
about midnight, when | was aroused out
O sleep hy Ii big explosion, which set the
wirders rattl;n an dishes tumblin about
i'll the cupboard, an SIGH Il trcmblin o
the house as thought it would sure fall
about our ears. reckon, sir, it pretty
nearly scared people hereubouts out o
their wits with the thought o the world
comm to an end, besides breakin every
/ windcr light an land knows how many
dishes an fancy things within ten miles
O. it.
81 was talkin with Squire Seaton in
the village, an he says there was such
carryin on there as he hadn't seen since
the last president was 'pinted. Every
body was out O. bed, an some O. 'em with
nothin in the world about 'em but quilt,
an some old sinners who had never been
known to pray in all their born days were
down on their knees in the middle O. the
street cryin out for mercy"
About this time we came upon the
| hump of declivity ard saw lying before
us, like an umber picture, the valley of
| the Missouri And after little journey
! down the rough slope and along under
| the winter trees we came to the island
| itself and the river hard by shining in
| the sun.
l found the island, as Nelson had writ
| ten, quiet, isolated spot, with the river
on one side and the sloughs, now covered
| with 4 skim of ice, cutting it off from the
| mainland, on the other. Vines and brush
| and scrubby trees had evidently at one
| time covered its entire surface, but over
| its whole length and breadth there was
| nothing standing ROW but two tall trees.
| One of these was almost shorn of limbs,
| and the other stood ut an angle of 43 de-
| gnccs, the roots at its base sticking
| straight up into the air. Rocks and
| chunks of earth and bits of wood were
! strcwn everywhere, and right in the CEN
| ter of the island was great hole acre
| or more in extent. Here the doctors lab
| oratory had stood
walked along the edge of the eXcava-
ton and looked down into its depths,
| and, the sun shining right l was able TO
| make out at its bottom Il few rocks and
hand mirror glittering in the light, the
| only thing found intact upon the prem
| Uses. Not a sign of Nelson's remains
were seen, and, with heart heavy with
| in me, 1 rode back with the farmer the
/ way we had come.
Each anniversary of that January eve
on which Nelson had made known to me
| his fatal intentions barring two during
| the last ten years he has visited me. The
first time he came L was terribly shocked
| and startled by his presence and the IN
1 of
| bewildered and unsteadied was my mind
| that | have no right conception Of what
| took place on that occasion. This much,
| however, l recall well and good:
| lie walked in through the door without
| SO much as opening it and, coming to the
| fire, held his hands for moment to the
! warmth then, leaning up against the
mantel in his old familiar way, lit a cigar
[ and began to smoke.
While he was doing this l was trying,
as best knew how, to get back into my
own way and to check little the terror
| that was upon me.
After he had regarded me for a bit and
| had brought my eyes to bear upon his
| face with some degree Of comp0sure he
said:
| "Well, old boy. I'm back, you see, to
| have a chat with you. 1t has been Il
| whole year since l was here, and yet it
seems but n little while, but time flies
fast when one is busy, and l have been
| full of work.
And all the while he was speaking l
| did not see his lips move once, save as he
| puffed at his cigar, keeping n little flag
| of smoke rising up to the ceiling, and his
| voice, while | thought it q bit hollow and
thin, was still quite clear and natural.
| How am l getting on with the eXper-
| iment? Oh, very well. Encountering
some difficulties, as 1 expected, but in
the main everything is moving along
first rate"
In this way he kept on talking for q
matter Of an hour, should think, an
swering feigned questions and nodding
and smiling the meanwhile as pleasantly
| as could be.
When he had finished the cigar, he
threw the stub into the fire and waving
me gentle goodby went in the same
strange manner that he had come, leav-
| ing me quite out Of my wits, my body all
| over in q cold sweat.
/ have grown accustomed to these WIS.,
| its since then, however, and now look
| forward to them with O sort of friendly
satisfaction. Each recurring year he has
| very much the same thing to tell me, and
he comes and goes in very much the Same
way. I notice, too, that he changes lit
tie each year, as men of this world do,
until now he Is an old man, with a gray
beard and stopped shoulders.
| Once only and that some two years aft
er poor Nelson's death have I visited
the island. The same gossiping old man
took me to the place, and of him inquir-
| ed if the island was occupied.
| occupied? Bless your soul, no. No
man in this part O. the country could be
induced to set foot on it, at least not aft.
er nightfall. Why! The place is haunt.
! cd, sir"
"Haunted!' calculated.
Eyes, sir, and in the worst sort O. man
ner possible, if may judge in that way,
sir. That doctor friend O. yours still con-
tinues to work theer o. nights. You can
see him any night, sir, movin about
among his pots and mortars until nigh
onto 4 in the mornin. At that hour there
is terrible explosion mot SO loud as the
real one, sir), an everything goes up In
puff of smoke. Here we are at the place
itself. Go over and have q look at 1t?
No, sir. I'm just as near as ever care
to get to it, IN il you'll take my advice
you'll remain on this side O. the slough
yourself, sir"
And this is that other reason why the
place has remained all these years undis-
turbed and nhabited.-Chicago News.