Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1905-11-03
A NIGHT EXPERIENCE

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house. And it occurred to me for the
first time in my lite what a curious.
creepy, mysterious, inexplicably alive
sort of thing a human house really
was.
had come to spend a couple of nights
hnder the austere roof of my Aunt Su-
san. | respected her, and rather liked,
after years of London, to be back again
amid the social customs of my obscure
origiI-where one dined at 1880 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 (my
cousin) had just been successfully born
IN the next town and would my Aunt Su-
san care to go over at once? 1t was a
hard struggle, in my aunt's mind, be-
tween that baby and me; of course, the
baby won.
When the clock had finished striking
ten, l decided to go to bed. l 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 (ughi the shadows), entered
my bedroom and retired to rest.
But l was unaccountably restless. l
heard noise that startled me at first.
but which | finally decided was the
clock striking II. 1T will keep me
awake all night" l thought, and de-
termined to stop it. SO l 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 l was
1erked into a perfect and excruciating
waketulness by a most distinct knock
knock-knOck, a long way off.
The front door My aunt returnedi
This idea seized ne suddenly, as in a
vice, and then | knew that | should he
compelled to rise and go TO the front
door Having donned some clothes.
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 a bar
rister A policeman and young WON
an stood on the white step; the police
man was supporting the woman.
Shes III a fainting condition." the
policeman said. Can you give her some
brandy"
In moment he had pushed the young
woman into the hall.
Come in" l 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 and
piqued my curiosity. l 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 glass and some water. " said.
and ran into the kitchen.
When ! 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 I'D
and down the street hut there was no
sign OF her. Presently a heavy tread
on the opposite side of the DARK road in
dicated a policeman.
Where's that girl you brought in just
now l cried in The night
What girl?' came the reply-then
pause. and, better go to bed, sir"
The mystifying affair occupied all
my thoughts for the remainder of the
night. and | had no sleep whatever |
was 35 and staid and not TOO fanciful.
but the young woman was really so very
pretty and the circumstances of her ap-
pearance and disappearance were SO ro-
mantle that-wel!
| told my aunt the next morning. told
her before she had even been able to get
in a word about the baby.
She jumped up and opened the clock
ease
GRACIOUS powers above, she cried
IT'S gone"
WhereupOn she swOoned all in heap
on the floor
What's gomez" | asked, when | had
restored her.
The weight"
Not in the least, " said The weight
Is here" and l produced 1t from behind
the hassock.
She took the heavy thing teverishly
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 |
q perfect miseri"
She was, in fact, a miser, my Aunt |
Susan, and her poverty was simply a le- |