Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-10-14
A NIGHT EXPERIENCE

rnalized that never before during my
varied bachelors existence Of IS years
had ] spent night entirely alone in a
house And it occurred to me for the
first time in my life what a curious,
creepy, mysterious, inexplicably alive
sort of thing a human house really
was.
had come to spend couple OF nights
under the austere roof of my Aunt SUI
san. / respected her, and rather liked,
after years of London, to be back again
amid the social customs of my obscure
origin-where one dined at 1890 and
had high-tea at six and snack Of bread
and cheese at nine and removed ones
boots in the parlor and didn't converse
unless one had something to say
And then at $3.50 had come the mes
sage that the first child of my Aunt Su-
sans eldest niece by marriage Tiny
cousin) had just been successfully born
in the next town and would my Aunt SUI
san care to go over at once? 1t was
hard struggle. in my aunts mind, be-
tween that baby and me; of course, the
baby won.
When the clock had finished striking
ten, decided to go to bed. ! gathered
up my briefs extinguished the gas in
the parlor, went out shut the room door,
bolted the front door, lit candle, ex-
tinguished the gas in the hall, climbed
the stairs (ugh! the shadows), entered
my bedroom and retired to rest.
But / was unaecountably restless. /
heard noise that startled me at first,
but which | finally decided was the
clock striking IL. 1t will keep me
awake all night" / thought, and de-
termined to stop il. SO | dressed and
went downstairs. But ! could not stop
the striking by taking off the weight,
which | did, depositing it behind my
aunt's hassock. Then / went back to
bed.
But could not sleep At least could
only doze, unpleasantly. And when the
doze was merging into a sleep ! was
jerked into perfect and excruciating
wakefulness by most distinct knock
knock-knock, a long way off.
'The front door! My aunt returned,
This idea seized me suddenly, as in
vice, and then | knew that | should be
compelled to rise and go TO the front
door. Having donned some clothes,
did go to the front door and the knock
ing went on with gentle regularity as |
descended the stairs. and set the candle
on the hall table and opened the front
door with the courage worthy of bar
rister. A policeman and young wom-
an stood on the white step; the police
man was supporting the woman.
She's in a fainting condition" the
policeman said. Can you give her some
brandy?"
In a moment he had pushed the young
woman into the hall
Come in" | said, lamely. and |
helped her into the parlor. taking the
candle. The front door closed, leaving
the policeman outside.
The presence of the pretty young
woman interested me enormously ana
piqued my curiosity. | felt that my
night, after being fearsome had become
picturesquely strange.
In these parts they often keep the
spirits in the clock case"
Ii was the young woman who spoke
or rather breathed out the words in a
charming fatigued whisper
Now a glass and some water" said,
and ran into the kitchen.
When l returned TO the parlor the
pretty young woman had vanished ut
terly. Can she be insane? | wondered
And / searched the house. but in vain
! opened the front door and looked up
and down the street. but there was no
sign of her. Presently a heavy tread
on the opposite side OF the dark road in
dieated a policeman.
where's that girl you brought in just
nOw?" I cried in the night
What girl?' came the reply-then a
pause. and, better go to bed. SIR"
The mystifying affair occupied all
my thoughts fer the remainder OF the
night, and I had no sleep whatever. I
was 35 and staid and not too fanciful
but the young woman was really SO very
pretty and The circumstances Of her APP
pearance and disappearance were so ro-
mantle that-Weli
l told my aunt The next morning. told
her before she had even been able to ger
in a word about the baby.
She jumped up and opened the clock
case.
Gracious powers above" she cried
TITS gone"
Whereupon she swooned all in a heap
on the floor
What gomez" / asked when l had
restored her.
"The weight"
Not in The least said. THE weight
is here" and produced it from behind
the hassOck.
She took the heavy thing feyerishly
from my hand, pulled out plug from
the under side and drew forth from the
cavity bank notes to the tune of more
than thousand pounds, and then she
wept gently in her JOY and relief.
You wicked aunt" | said. You're
perfect miser!"
She was, in fact, a miser my Aunt
Susan and her pOvprty was eimnIv q L.