The daily Alaskan., 1904-07-09
The OCtasOn House
Ioriginal.l


 One evening after had been out | week I was riding on a beach, looking for a house in which to put up for the night On point of land standing out into the ocean saw an Octagon shaped | building and rode toward it. When reached the place I was disappointed to find 1t deserted. l cast my eye northward along the beach for an In hablted dwelling, but could see none ! As 1t was growing dark, l determined i to dismOunt and see if could effect an 1 entrance and spend the night there. found the house securely locked. Aft. CT examining every door and window on the ground floor went down to the waters edge to look again for another habitatlon. While there l noticed a stone built opening that had evidently | been used for a sewer, Bending, l en- tered 1t and walked till I came to a trapdoor, which I removed and came out in what had been the kitchen.
 To my surprise, found house that had evidently been shut up for many IeAIH- uGAt NNAN AAtAAANANAAA eA1N AAAsA hogany chairs and sofas and four post bedsteads. Pictures, all old fashioned one was an engraving of General Win. field Scott, labeled "Our Next Presi. dent-hung on the walls. Some of them were oir portraits, one of fine looking old gentleman who might have been the owner of the place
 In the kitchen pantry was food that had crumbled to dust. found candle on the shelf which appropriated and took with me Into the principal bed room. Opening the curtains, l saw that the bed was made up, though the bedding was yellow and had a musty smell. But I was tired and concluded to cover 1t with a blanket I carried with me and sleep there. Before doing so. amused myself for a few minutes examining the furniture and the pic lures. That of the old gentleman in terested me most It seemed to be in excellent condition except Its old fash toned design frame noticed the eyes particularly, for they were very eN- pressive.
 A deserted house Is not a slumber winning place, and after a futile effort to get to sleep I opened my eyes, glancing from one article in the room to another till they fell on the old mans portrait. Great heavens! The right eye was not painted at all! It was real; not only real, but 1t was looking straight at me. sat up fin bed and stared at 1t, as 1t was staring at me. The other eye was still a painted eye, with the same expression 1 had noticed in both before l went to bed. glanced from one eye to the other in a vain endeavor to detect the cause of the difference. Then l re membered that l was travelling to benefit overstraiped nerves, and cov- ering my face with my blanket l tried to quiet myself.
 No effort of self control could keep me from looking again. It seemed to me five or ten minutes at least-it was doubtless the fraction of a minute when I threw of 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 a quick side glance and return to the same position as before.
 This was too much for my already overstrung nerves. I gave q cry of agony and buried my face again under my blanket.
 It occurred to me that there was but one chance of my retaining my reason that was to occupy my mind till morn- ing. I had often put myself to sleep by repeating the multiplication table, and after many intellectual efforts to repeat the multiples of 2 I succeeded in fixing my mind on the table and went through with it to the end. AS soon as I had finished went over 1t 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 l was no sooner awake than I remembered my experience of the night before and turned to the DOT trait Both eyes were painted and har- monious us the night before. l got up and stood directly beneath the picture. | There was something like O line cir cling the pupil of the right eye. Draw ing the table to a position where l could stand on 1t and face the picture, I mounted and put my finger against the pupil of the uncertain orb. To my surprise. my finger went through 1t without resistance. I withdrew the finger, and the pupil was again in place, Then I saw that 1t had been cut so that it swung from the upper edge by a few threads of the canvas. Some one had used 1t for a peephole.
 There has never been a moment in my life of such exquisite mingled Joy and relief as the discovery that I was not on the verge of insanity. So inter ested was l that l resolved to probe the matter till 1 had discovered a com plete explanation. In the adjoining room l found a hole in the wall Cov- cred by a picture and under 1t stand on which l mounted and, lifting the pupil of the old mans portrait, looked down upon the bed in which I had slept. Then I explored the house and | In the cellar fOund under n pile of rub bish an entrance to a subCellar in which were stored boxes and bales | without number. It was plain that the