Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-04-06
DAILY SHORT STORY
The Octagon House.
IOriginal.l


My nerves khaving given out. con-
Guided for u u1nic to ride on horseback
FROM Boston ITO Nova Scotia, keeping
the coast aG the way. 1t was in July,
and the weather was delightful.
One evening after L had been out
week l was, riding on beach, looking
for house dn which to put up for the
night. On al point of land standing out
into the ocean l saNv an octagOn shaped
building ami rode toward it. When ]
reached the place l was disappointed
to find it ydeserted. l cast my eye
nTthward along the beach for an in
harOited dwelling. but could see none
AS it was growing dark, l determined
to GlSmount and see if l could effect an
entrance and spend the night there. /
found the house securely locked. Aft
er examining every door and window
on the ground floor Invent down to- the
waters edge to look again for another
habitaNion. While there 1 noticed Il
stone built opening that had evidently
been used for Il sewer. Bending, 1 Ell
tered it and walked tin l came 10 a
trapdoor. which l removed and came
out in what hiOd been tlSc kitchen.
To my surprise found Il house that
had evidently been shut up for many
years. 1Terelwere hai1cloth and ma
hogany Chairs and sofas and four post
bedsteads. Pictures. all old fashioned
oneVwas antengraving of General Win
field Scott. labeled 'Our Next Presi-
denr'-hung on the walls. Some of
them We're oil portraits. one of Il fine
looking old gentleman who might have
been ule OMIIar of the Race
In the kitchen pantry was food that
had cr1Imbled 10 dust. I'found candle
on the shelf which 1 appropriated and
took with met into the principal bed
room. Openingtthe curtains, saw that
the bed was. made up, though the
bedding was yellow and had a musty
smell. But. l was tired and concluded
to cover it with a blanket 1 carried
with me and sleep there. Before doing
so. 1 amused myself for q few minutes
examining the furniture and the pic
lures. That of the old gentleman in
terested me most. 1t seemed TO be in
excellent condition except its old fash
toned design, frame. noticed the eyes
particularly. for they were very ex-
pressivc.
\ deserted house is notIa slumber
winning place, and after u futile effort
TO get to sleep l opened my eyes,
CHANGING from one article lin the room
TO another till they fell ON the old
mans portrait. Great heavens! The
right eye was not painted. at all, 1t
was real; not only real, but it was
looking straight at me i sat up in
bed and stared at it. as it was staring
at me. The other eye was still q
painted eye. with the same expression
l had noticed IN boSh before l went TO
bed. l glanced from one eye 10 the
other in Il vain endeavor to detect the
cause of the diffenance. Then 1 re
membered that / was Travelling to
benefit overstrained nerves, and COW
erng my face with my blanket
tried TO quiet myself.
No effort of self control could keep
me from looking again. 1t seemed to
me i've or ten minutes at least-it was
doubtless the fraction of minute
when threw off the blanket. There
were the two eyes, the one of paint,
the other of reality, forming a gro
tesque contrast, the right eye looking
straight at me. Then suddenly there
was Il quick side glance and return TO
Inc same DOSlIlOn rs DclcTe.
This was too much for my already
overstrung nerves. gave u cry of
agony and buried my face again under
my blanket.
1t occurred TO me that there was but
one chance of my retaining my reason
that was to occupy my mind till morn
ing. l had often put myself to sleep
by repeating the multiplication table. |
and after many Intellectual efforts to
repeat the multipleS of 1 succeeded |
in fixing my mind on the table and |
went through with it to the end. AS
soon as l had finished 1 went over it |
again and continued the process till l |
began TO feel drowsy. and at last fell |
asleep.
The sun rising out of the ocean cast |
his first beams upon me and awakened |
me. He was very beautiful to look |
upon, but / was no sooner awake than |
l remembered my experience Of the |
night before and turned to the por- |
trait Both eyes were painted and har- |
moniOuS as the night before. l got up |
and stood directly beneath the picture |
There was something like a line cir
cling the pupil of the right eye. Draw
ing the table to a position where l |
could stand on it and face the picture,
1 mounted and put my finger against |
the pupil of the uncertain orb. To my
surprise. my finger went through it
without resistance. I withdrew the |
finger. and the pupil was again in place.
Then l saw that it had been cut so that
ii swung from the upper edge by few
threads of the canvas. Some one had
used IL for a DepDlOle
There has never been a moment in
my life of such exquisite mingled joy
and relief as the discovery that was
not on the verge of insanity. So inter