The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-17

table there were a large book and al
inkstand, the shape of both softenet
| by George" I said: there's an cas-,
chair, with what looks like skin upoi
Look, dear, Look cried my wife. fl
hoarse whisper full of horror
| hat is tia rat?'
| sake. come away
| She made for the door candle I'm hand
| but | stood as If nailed to the spot TO,
some seconds. before walking slowly for
| ward as If drawn by some force along tn.
| eFer-widentng track of light emana.iu
| from the dark lanthorn. the widest u, r
| ton of the rays throwing UP a something
| extended upon the couch. whose outlines
could only be those of sleeping figure
| or "a corpse.
wild. agonizing cry brought me to
| myself. and uttering a gasp / sprang
| BACK, Just in time to catch my wife in
| my arms and save her from falling
| Il cannot bear It'll cannot bear it,
she moaned. Take me away"
BE woman | said. in an awe-strick-
en- tone. and passing my arm round her
waist Now try and walk / said, "and
| wen get out of this dreadful place"
she tottered along by my side as we
passed out into the hall to the foot of
NJ,
piteous groan came from the room we
had Quilted, sending an icy chill down my
nack, and making me almost drag my
poor wife to the head OF the celiar-stairs
IN my cowardly fear. as in magma ton
saw the dreadful figure rising from the
sofa where it lay, and holding out its
hands.
But the strange cry ended with soft
tap as of metal against metal. and a
Keeling of shame brought me to my
senses, realizing as l did that the old
door had swung to again on it's creitking
hinges, and the catch of the lock had
Jamb.
Come, come. my dear" 1 said. conf
gently; there's nothing to fear-Mind the
Steps.-Ilold tight.-That's the way.
but she stepped forward and made her
way through the opening quickly enough,
and followed with the light and had
to lead her again through the cellar and
uD into the dining room, where as soon
as had helped her into the easy-chair
| iiew to the cellarette and brought out
the port wine and a glass.
confess that we filled and emptled that
glass twice before my wife exclaimed: -
Oh, my dear, my dear, Why did we
take this dreadful house2"
The next morning, with the frightful
heddache from which she suffered. my
wife was all for leaving the place at
once, and that night and the six follow
ing We slept at Brighton. where the tonic
sea air, added to my wifes common
quite willing to see the folly of her
dread. and we agreed to return home to
run TIE mystery to an end.
BY O'Clock in the evening we reached
home, which looked delightfully."- cOzy and
we made show of smiling at one anoth-
er over the pleasant table with it's simple
weil-cooked dinner.
The servants were In bed by II, and
cara ftr
my wife being firm as rock: and | COM
piirheEted her on the way in which she
was behaving
For after we had descended to our own
cellar with the dark lanthorn, and locked
ourselves in, she followed me bravely
through the hole and up into the mys-
FERROUS house
We both of us shuddered slightly as we
entered the drawing room, the light-of the
bull S-eye showing Realistically upon the
wall: but | opened the lanthorn directly
and lit the candle we had left amidst the
dust upon the table.
/ closed the bull's-eye again with n cu-
rious. half-fascinated idea that il would
be safer to secure it from being blown out
in case
That was as far as got. for my thought
seemed to stop there. Then / took up the
What ar. you going to do, dear" wills
pered my wife.
BE brave, and you'll see"
She followed me close up, and the next
minute we were looking down at skel-
eton, thickly covered with dust and some
traces of the garments that had been
worn. So deeply was II covered that TIE
rather CHASTITY cGnfiguration of the skull
was softened and robbed of much of its
sD-called horror. while, plainly seen be-
meath the soft, grey, impalpabie powder:
there were signs of an abundant beard
ard long flowing hair on either side of a |
bald crown.
There was no sign of violence. for the /
IL nod To
full length, and the bones of the hands I
stood out upon its chest, clasped togeth- !
er Everything, in short-not to dwell 4
upon gruesome subject-suggested that
to sleep perfectly calmly. and in that !
sleep had died.
| said so in a whisper, but my wife de-
to my theory.
Il am right, / think / replied If he !
had been laid out those who attended /
" ould have placed his arms by his side;
If he had been murdered he could not /
have had his hands clasped like that lie
must as / said have died in his sleep. /
and for all one could say to the contrary /
i may have been hundred years ago
Yes" said my wife, softly, and there
was a trembe in her voice as she clasped
Il am not afraid now. dear
,nly pitiful,. How sad to have died like
Perhaps / said. Let s see If we can
cad his story
Read his story?'
Yes. by his surroundings" and tread
ng softly, as it generally falls to human
nature to do in the presence of the sacred
lead, | began to look about the room. Ny
irst steps were to the table where the
hair the dead might have used stIll
food. There were dust-coveret glasses,
and retorts, and what seemed
o be a roughly-made object which L
associated with electricity; but
What took my attention most was a large
METAL inkstand with quill pens stuck in
t. and beside ii the big ledger-like tome.
Here we are" | said, as | set down
he candlesticlI at the end of the table.
lose to the window, and carefully swept
which opened. and saw that it was fun
# manuscript entries on one page. the
opposite thick yellowish paper being
ank. for the book had fallen open where
quill pen had been laid in after its
wner had been writing and had closed
hastily for some reason which | could
ot for the moment divine.
Look here" | whispered. and I read |
he clearly written characters. beginning
t the last paragraph. whose final words
;ere written in a hand which grew trem-
lous to the end and words seemed To
ave dropped out of she writer's mind.
The last were.
And to this lest any trouble should
after my = l herewith sign
~ II
That name had not been signed. There
ERE a few scratches, and burning
lark, a blotch as if the pen had fallen
n the leaf. and then the book must have
cen hastily closed.
"Ha!" | exclaimed. here is the key TO
le whole mystery and l closed the book
gain and was in the act of placing 1t I'M
er my arm, when my wife uttered cry :
t horror and a thrill ran through my
anne.
For suddenly there was peculiar soft. !
Istling sound from the window, AMI : :
,mething came down like black cloud :
yer the end of the table right upon the 4;