The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-09
THE HAUNTED ROOM.

] THE HAUNTED ROOM.
This is an authenticated experience.
| related to me by the wife of an officer
1 IN a West Indian regiment. I shall tell
IL as near as 1 can in her own words:
| we were Quartered once in Demer-
4 ara, and had a good deal of trouble in
| nndIng house we liked, or in any
way suitable. However, one at last
was offered to US at a ridiculously
| small rental, considering it's size, fur
| nlture, ETC., and we f1guratiVely
Jumped at it. I went over it with my
husband, and inspection only proved
what a lucky find it was.
The landlord, a colored man, made
only one stipulation in the agre enent
VIZ, that on a certain date, every
third month, we should not occupy the
dining room after sunset. Naturally
we asked for an explanation; none was
forthcoming It was take or leave as
we Hkeds but the clause could not be
Altered Woman-like, I fancied there
was some sentimental reason attached
to the prohibition; man-like, my hus-
pand pronounced it. a ridiculous fad
that could make no possible difference
TO u.s. So we signed and sealed and
entered into our most roorr1y. pleasant
quarters, and all thought of the cur
lous restriction faded from our minds,
| even the date 1 really don't think
the matter was ever alluded to among
my husbands fellow officers.
we Went into possession the begin
nlng OF January. and it was about three
months later that one evening eve had
been dining out, and returned home
about ten), sitting in the drawing room
Just above the dining room, we heard
distinct movement of chairs drawn as
TO a table, down below, and a confused
sound. We looked at each other. The
servants had all gone to their quarters
IN the yard, with the exception of my
maid, who slept in the house. We lis
tened, doors and windows all wide OPP
ened, but could distinguish nothing but
this mUrmur. My husband threw
down the. paper in his hand.
What can't 1t be, Emmie?" he quer-
US both.
"'I do believe, jack whispered,
and know I was trembling all over,
that today is the day we are forbidden
to use the dining ROOM
" Rubbish he said, but, all the same,
he went to his bureau. which happened
to be upstairs, and drew out the agree
ment- It was the 10th of April and
there stood the same date on the paper,
10th of April, 10th of July, and so on.
" wonder what would happen if we
did go imp he queried. A less super
stitious man never breathed. 1T is all
such rot, there must be some explana-
ton of the sounds
of course said, quite bravely,
and we went to bed and heard no more.
1.-The next morning I questioned the
maid and the other servants, but no
one had noticed anything, or, if they
had, in a land where the Obeah man
and a dozen other supernatural beliefs
are rife, they would not say. Well, I
confess began to have a. creepy feel
ing, which I tried to hide as well as
could, but after that evening I never
was fond of being in the dining room
at any time, and as the next date drew
near I made up my mind to be away on
the inauspicious evening.
But either my husband had again
forgotten, or was so utterly an unbe
lever, that he actually arranged to
have some friends TO dinner on the 10Th
of July.
g Impossible, Jack I assured him;
you remember the date, don't your
Yes he said. carelessly, and we
will all see the fun together
But we pledged ourselves I re-
monstrated.
declared He meant to find out the
secret and be done with it. Very like
~ it was all imagination, moonshine,
Nothing would deter him. 1 could
have backed out, of course, but what
he wished, I would also. We agreed
that nothing was to be said to our
quartet of friends invited.
You can imagine the state of fear
was in; 1 had neither belief in, nor
was skeptical of. the supernatural.
Well, the eVeninb came. and, to my
horror, four more We're added to our
party.
In those days in the West Indies
dinner was much earlier than it is
now, and had hoped we might fix 5
O'Clock, which would, calculated, |
bring US to its finish soon after sun
set. My husband overruled this, so it |
was settled for half past 5. In truth, /
it was nearly before we sat down. |
Darkness follows sunset very quickly |
in these chimes, as you know. We had |
no gas then, only the light of many
candles.
1.-The table looked very pretty. with |
its wealth of fruit and flowers. never /
see one laid now without a tremor of !
CHASTITY recollection. Our party was a /
merry one; at least, our guests were in |
their happy ignorance. For myself. 1 I.
held my breath in dread of what might |
happen, and my husband has since con- /
fessed that, despite his GOODNESS, he was /
not quite comfortable. The bravest, the |
most skeptical, have still a shadowy, |
unacknowledged fear of the unseen.
THE meal progressed, all were chat /
ting and laughing,w without a mo- |
ment's warning, felt my chair pushed /
on one side, heard another drawn up /
between myself and my neighbor on |
man, an indistinct shape on each was
plainly visible.
ITO say the blood curdled in my veins
is not figurative. How I controlled nv
self know not, nor how found cour-
age to look around the table and into
the faces Of those present. The merri-
ment had died away with a rigid sill
ence. while a glance at each frozen.
frightened countenance told that each
of the other nine had also a Visitant |
alongside of him or her Then follow
ed whisperfngs, unearthly murmurs.
with oaths and curses.
e-s-