The times., 1901-04-14

when my father descended there one even
ing that, although il was only dusk out
side, he was obliged to carry light. This
light was blown out, he said, as soon as
he reached the bottom of the steep steps.
IT was an unusually still summer evening
and it could not possibly have been the
wind. ! do not know whether he felt or
heard or saw anything else, but | do
know that, although he was q very fear
less man. he was thoroughly frightened
when he came into the room where was
sitting with my mother, and he had al
ready recited the experiences / have Just
described. before a warning look from my
mother and a significant glance at me, told
him to deSiSt.
After that we often heard bells ringing
at all times of the day and night In the
storeroom. This apartment is situated on
the second floor at the stair landing, ana
we never found any bells there. There is
a .ery odd feature by the way, in the
plan OF the third floor There is no pas
sageway, and the stairs lead directly into
a central room, surmounted by a dome,
and having doors leading into the front
and back apartments.
"One day my father was standing in
the store when a woman dressed in deep
mourning passed through the hall and up
the stairs. Mother was out, and / was
in the little room in the rear OF the store
making out some accounts. Ny father
was therefore not a little surprised TO see
a person. evidently complete stranger,
enter without any announcement and
walk upstairs into our private rooms. he
ascended to the second story but she was
nowhere to be seen. He examined every
nook and corner in which person could
have hidden, but without avail. He could
find no trace Of her. He then mounted
10 the third floor, with the same result
the woman had disappeared-but where?
Wei, you may easily suppose that aft
er these things my father suspected that
something was wrong. Moreover, the
woman in mourning appeared again, and
this time TO our colOred servant girl. My
mother had scarcely left the house one
day when someone was heard passing
through the hall and going upstairs. !
heard the sound, but could not see the
person from where | stood Just then
the girl came running IN rather excitedly
1--WE had not told her anything about faith
ers eXpeTience), and said: oh, Miss,
your mothers come back again, ana
then she paused and whispered in q voice
in which there was an indescrlbable
dread. But she seems, miss. to be dress
ed different from what she was when she
went out and she looked, miss-Ohi i
can't say how Here the girl hid her
face in her hands and trembled visibly.
l laughed and tried to reassure her and
went upstairs, / must confess, sorely
against my inclination, but, as indeed
suspected, there was no trace or the
woman. When ] came down again /
found the girl out on the front Of the
steps and nothing could induce her to en-
ter the door of that house again.
But the crowning experience, and the
one which induced my father to Vacate
the place without any necessary delay
happened to myself Every incident of
that fearful ordeal Is stamped on my
mind today as plainly as though it occur
red yesterday My parents were both
out and ! sat in the little room, ! have
mentioned, at the rear OF the store, and
commanding a view of the latter through
a small glass window. | relied upon my
sharp hearing to detect anyone in COM
ing along the passage-way. l even re-
member the gay pattern of the morning
wrapper / wore as / bent over the wooden
desk which was the only piece of furni-
ture in the room. Suddenly ! was attack
ed with a numbness for which ! could not
account, a feeling of indefnable dread
came over me gradually until my senses
seemed paralyzed, / could not cry out or
move and then-I know IL can scarcely
be believed-f felt myself losing my
shapei Yes, and as ] seemed to shrink,
and become very small. and to change
form ] lost the dread which had at first
over TpoWered me, and only thought of the
ridiculous figure / must cut in my Grim
son and white wrapper as, regaining the
power of motion, l scampered round and
round the room much as a small dog
might have done. Then / lost conscious
ness completely, and when | was found
by some workmen who had come to re-
pair the house. ] was lying insensible in
the middle Of the foc< my head in a pool
of blood. The blood came from a wound
right across the bridge Of my nose When
this wound healed II took the form of the
figure T. and, indeed, it is plainly visible
TODAY.