The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-03-29

beside the door.
"If I'd known the queer tricks Of this
room then as do now, I'd never have
locked the boy In
What happened during that night ]
got straight from Jack myself. 1t seems
he went straight to sleep and never woke
till the faintest bit of daylight was steal
ing into his window. Then he was
aroused, poor chap, by a low murmur Of
voices, and, sitting up, he saw on the
hearth two figures talking together-one
a girl with long black hair and the other
q young man who held her hands and
was bending his face down to hers.
Both Of 'em was dripping wet, and he
could hear the triekle of the water as it
fell on the big stone hearth they were
standing on Their faces were turned
from him. but In the girls hair was tan
gled q quantity Of seaweed.
"Did l tell you Jack was plucky lit
tie fellow? He was, to the backbone.
He said to himself that what he saw
called 1t, that there was nobody but him
self N the Foom-thare couldn't be be-
cause the door was locked. What do
with that he jumped out Of bed and
GuAAG btIuAkA4 oW0Eu knO L"O hBulCbs
As hs advanced they retreated toward
the window, and when he reached the
window there wasn't anything there,
though the window was shut except for q
little space at the top.
"Wen, Jack went to bed and lay think
Ing II over for an hour, then fell asleep
again. He was perfectly healthy, Jack
was, and hadn't much idea Of the super
natural
"But now comes the strange part Of It,
for as he was dressing the next morning
what did the boy find but pool Of salt
water on the stone hearth In that little
hollow you can see from here that has
been worn In Il and lying In Il a bit of
fresh seaweed In which was tangled a
long black hair. Then, as Jack told me.
his own hair began to rise In good ear
nest, and he was scared.
so that morning after breakfast he
takes the bit of seaweed to his uncle
and asks him II he'd ever seen any
like 1t.
1.-THE professor looked at the piece of
wet weed, and his color went like the 60
ing out Of q lighted taper. It's an IN
common variety he said, as it's never
found except on the bodies Of drowned
people. Where did you get It, JackT
And he looked ct the boy wildlike, for l
was a-watchins OF 'em from the passage
way.
"T found II In my ROOM blurted out
the boy. There was a couple of people In
there last night, uncle. dripping wet
What do You meant gasped his I'M
Gle, looking at him strangely.
"'Come and I'll show you,' he says, in
spite Of the fact that I was shaking my
fist at him from the hallway. So together
they went up to the seaweed room, fol-
lowing to explain why I'd taken the Hber-
ty to lodge Jack there. But the professor
never noticed me. He followed Jack into
the room, white to the lips, and kneeling
down examined the little pool of water on
the hearth. It's sea water he whisper
ed, after a moment. What did you see,
boy1 Tell me everything
There's nothing much to tell, uncle
went on Jack, In his STRAIGHTFORWARD
way. The girls hair was down her back
all wet, and full Of seaweed. And see!
Here's q long black hair In the seaweed
/ found
'The professor looked, then gave a cry
such as L hope never to hear again and
fell back on the door unconscious. He
came back to life, but never was well
after, and he died six weeks afterward.
Before he went he became communica-
tive, and the secret Of his wife's death
came out. He and his wife were In a
small boat, the last two to leave the sink
ing vessel, together with a few other pas
sengers and one sailor. The professor,
being q man Of authority and a well
known seaman, was In charge Of the
boat. Just as they were pushing off they
saw a figure clinging to the mast just
above the water. It was Mrs. Lnwood's
cousin and former lover. At this she cried
to her husband to put back to the ship
and rescue him and took on 80 at his dan
ger that the demon Of jealousy entered
her husbands soul, and he swore 1t would
be impossible to 60 back and that to take
another person into the boat would sink
Il. At that moment the mast disappear
ed, and a. It did 20 the young man
sprang into the sea waving q farewell to
his cousin. Then, with one look at the
professor that he never forgot to his dy-
ing day, Mrs. Linwood jumped overheard
and probably sank immediately-at least
the body could not be recovered.
eyes, It was q strange thing, those two
coming back-if 1t was they-to this
room. Those who have book learning can
make 1t clear. perhaps. but I'm only an
ignorant old woman and don't under
stand these deep things. / can only tell
It to you just as 1t happened. Chicago
Times-Herald.