The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-08-16

last two years the reputation of be-
Ing haunted. 1t is large and state
ly residence, surrounded by what was
once garden. The house is very
! spacious. A hall of noble size leads
TO a large spiral staircase, winding
through its centre, while the various
apartments are of imposing dimen-
sions.
1t was built by a well-known New
York merchant, who threw the COM
mercial world into conyulsions by
stupendous bank fraud. He escaped
to Europe, and died of a broken
heart. Almost Immediately the re-
port spread that the house was haunt
ed. A caretaker and his wife de-
| clared that they were troubled with
unnatural noises. Doors were opened
without visible agency. Remnants of
furniture were, during the night.
piled one upon the other by unknown
hands. Invisible feet passed up and
down the stairs in broad daylight,
| accompanied by the rustic of unseen
silk dresses, and the gliding of
viewless hands along the massive
balusters.
The caretakers declared they would
live there no longer. The house agent
laughed and put others in their place.
The noises and supernatural manifes-
tations continued. The house re-
mained untenanted for three years.
1t was then that our landlady, who
wishes to remove further uptown.
conceived the bold idea of renting
this house. Happening to have rath-
er plucky set of boarders, she laid
her scheme before us. With the ex-
ception OF two timid persons, all of
Mrs. Moffat's guests declared they
would accompany her into the abode
of spirits.
OF course we had no sooner estab-
lished ourselves than we began to
expect the ghosts. We absolutely
awaited their advent with eagerness.
Things were in this state when
an incident took place so awful and
inexplicable that my reason fairly
reels at the bare memory. 1t was the
10th Of July. After dinner was over
] repaired, with my friend, DR.. Ham
mond, TO my rooms, to take our even
Ing pipe. Independent of certain
mental sympathies, the doctor and
myself were linked together by a
vice-we both smoked opium. We
enjoy together that wonderful expan-
sion of thought, that marvellous in
tensifying of the perceptive faculties
which | would not surrender for a
throne, and which l hope you, read
er, Will never, never taste.
These hours of opium happiness
which the doctor and ] spent together
in secret were regulated with a SCI
entific accuracy. While smoking, we
| carefully steered our conversation
through the brightest and calmest
channels of thought. If we talked OF
Shakespeare's Tempest" we lin
gered over Ariel and avoided Cali
ban.
This skillful coloring of our train
OF thought produced in our subse-
quent visions a corresponding tone
The splendors of Arabian fairyland
dyed our dreams.
On the evening in question, the
10th OF July, the doctor and myself
dritted into an unusually metaphys-
ical mood. lnsensibly we yielded TO
the occult force that swayed us, and
J INDUCED in gloomy speculation. We
had talked some time upon mysti-
cism, and the almost universal love OF
the terrible, when Hammond sudden
ly said TO me: What do you con-
| slider TO be the greatest element OF
terror"
The question puzzled me. That
many things were terrible, I knew.
Stumbling over corpse in the dark;
beholding, as | once did, a woman
floating down a deep and rapid riv-
er, with wildly lifted arms, and aw-
full upturned face, uttering shrieks
that rent ones heart, while we, the
spectators, stood at a window, unable
to save her.
Il confess, Hammond" replied 70
my friend, II never considered the
subject before. But there must be
one. Something more terrible than
any other thing, feel. cannot at
tempt, however, even the most vague
definition"
II am somewhat like you, Harry"
he answered. IL feel my capacity 10
experience a terror greater than any
thing yet conceived by the human
mind"
Look here, Hammond I re-
Joined. "let us drop this kind OF talk,
for heavens sake. We shall suffer
for 1t, depend upon it."
We parted, and | undressed quick
ly and got into bed.
The room was in total darkness.
The atom Of gas that still remained
allght did not illuminate a distance
Of three inches around the burner.
drew my arm across my eyes, as II
TO shut out even the darkness, and
tried to think OF nothing. IL was in
vain. The themes touched on by
Hammond kept obtruding themselves
on my brain.