The Princeton union., 1900-07-05

tendant irritations. threatening to di-
vide the resources of my mind and
body which / desired concentrated to
one end, filled me with impatience.
Then, too. the certainty that Horace
Jackson seemed to feel that Florence
would be compelled to fulfill her prom
Use, weighed heavily upon me. Why
had Jackson changed his opinion re-
garding my innocence? What devel-
| opments had arisen which would throw
new light on the case, and make an in
nocent man bear the consequences of a
crime he knew nothing of?
Just before retiring it occurred to me
that the lights of Mr.. Morley's house
might be seen from the attic window.
1t seemed as though sleep would be
sweeter after glimpse of those lights.
some of which were casting radiance
over Florence's loved form.
1 left my room and quietly assembled
the stairs. Arrived at the attic, l
grouped my way to the small window
through which I had gazed that morn
ing. I stood for a few minutes con-
templating the lights of the Morley res
idence on the hill opposite.
A brisk breeze was piping down the
valley. Through cracks and crevices
it crept into the old attic with soft wall
ing and moaning. There was homesick-
ness in the mournful tones, and sad
ness, as though the spirits of the de-
parted were signing for a return to old
familiar scenes.
What was there about my old place
that produced such depressing effect
upon my spirits?
The happiest moments of life have
slight shadow to them, as though to
warn us that all Joy is feeting. Per-
haps it was only this shadow which
caused the undefnable feeling of in
security. But there was quality, also,
which breathed of events to come of
dire import. I seemed like the mariner
on dark sea, conscious of breakers
ahead, and knowing not which way to
steer. Even my dreams in the restless
slumber of the past night seemed pre-
monitions.
That vague forebodings should come
when my mind was filed with thoughts
of the beloved one who had given me
her heart, was most strange. I could
not shake off the depression. The dark
ness of the attic deepened it.
I was about to retrace my steps to
the stairway, when sounds reached my
ear which caused, me to pause and listen
"a series of raps, alternating with a
rasping noise, but so feeble and indis-
tinct that was unable to form an opin-
ion of the cause. All could determine
was that they seemed to come from
above
a loose shingle or piece of timber,
rattling in the wind, would have made
dull, heavy sound, while the gentle
raps heard had clear, mellow ring,
like that produced by the vibrations of
tuning fork.
After lighting all the matches I had
with me and making as thorough an
examination of the roof as the brief
Pickering lights would allow, I CROPPED
toward the stairs.
Probably half the distance to the
landing was passed when upon my ear
fell the voice, the unearthly voice, the
weird tones of which I had first heard
in my room downstairs.
It could not possibly be heard up in
the attic, when speaking in my cham
Der. So then it must have the faculty
of being able to change from one apart
ment to another just as the whim seized
it.
Like the voice which had sounded
downstairs, the tones were intermit-
tent; in the present instance they al
ternated with the rappings.
After standing motionless, with hear
ing strained to the utmost, I noticed
that at no time did the voice and the
rappings sound together.
The few detached words l distin-
guished had no possible reference to
myself; nevertheless the voice seemed
to follow me. I was unwilling to at
tribute the sounds to supernatural
causes, for I was not a believer in the
supernatural. It might be that the par
ties who hadwalled up the cellar found
some of their plans, whatever they
may have been, upset by my advent,
and had taken this way to frighten me
and cause my departure.
On second thought the idea did not
appear tenable. For if the purpose was
to frighten me, fercer and more ter
rifying demonstration would be used
Was there only one voice which in
some way sounded both in my room and
in the attic, or were there various voices
all over the place, each independent of
the other?
I fastened downstairs, but when l
reached my room no sounds were heard
| there.
While in my bedroom, I had no way
of knowing if the voice in the attic was
still sounding.
The remainder of the evening I spent
in rushing from my room to the attic
and back again, and quietly stealing
through the vacant rooms, in the hope
of laying hold of some explanation of
the strange voice. I did hear it again
in the attic, but there was no sound in
my room, though had Immediately
fastened there.
Finally I gave up the quest for the
time, and, thoroughly fatigued, un-