Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-26
The Room Of Fear.

S.r Richard Gaunt was accustomed to
spend his evenings In the library. which
he had managed to turn into a fairly
comfortable room by despoiling the other
apartments of their best furniture. The
time which elapsed between dinner and
bed was the happiest part Of his dreary
day. His troubles were forgotten in the
drowsy stupor which clouded his brain,
and. ensconced full length on a huge
Chesterfield divan. he smoked and drank
until his eyes closed in sleep.
It was one of Hinton's duties to enter
the library at IL o'clock wake his master
from his drunken sleep and see him safely
upstairs into his bedroom.
On this particular night, however. Hin
ton had obtained leave OF absence to visit
a dying father, and the duty was rele-
gated to the butler. who received minute
instructions as to the proper way OF
a difficult task.
Unfortunately the butler was accus-
toned to spend his evenings in very much
the same way as his master. and was also
accustomed to go to bed at 10 o'clock,
when all the other servants retired for
the night, and the extra hour proved too
much for him. He spent 1t in drinking
still more whisky. and when IL o'clock
came he was sound asleep In the big easy
chair. which stood before the IRE in the
servants hall.
And so it came to pass that when the
clock struck eleven Sir Richard Gaupt still
slept peacefully in the library.
Hour after hour passed. and the fire
sank to a heap OF gray ashes. and the
n. ,ofS Lat nd 0tt
Sir Richard Gaunt slept. Then at last
the candles went out one by one and the
room was in darkness. and there was no
sound but the ticking of a clock and the
heavy breathing of the drunken man.
Then the moon rose above the hills. and
the blinds of the windows resolved them.
selves into white squares. crossed with
dark black lines. and the things IN the
room itself became dinaly visible. And
a shaft Of white light stole through 9
upon box thrust carelessly In corner
And still Sir Richard Gaunt slept. but
he stirred uneaSily In his sleep.
A few minutes later Sir Richard Gaunt
turned over on his side. shivered
eyes. At first he was barely conscious OF
being in a strange sleeping place. The
fumes of alcohol. which a good night Z
rest generally dispersed. were still strong
enough to slightly cloud his perception
Then by degrees he began to understand
that he was not in his bedroom. and he
wondered what had happened to him. He
raised himself up on one elbow and stared
at the white shaft Of moonlight which
pierced the dim uncertainty Of the room
like a sword. His eyes followed it to III
final resting place in the corner Of the
room. The polished surface of the Caken
box glittered like q pool Of ink.
Then he realized where he was, and
gradually. as his senses grew clearer. he
understood what had happened. The but.
Ter had forgotten to wake him and he
was still in the library
He did not move. His eyes were riveted
on the box. and the sight OF It, standing
out there in vivid contrast TO the rest Of
the room. brought back that sense of feal
which he could only >dispel by the Aid OF
brandy. He felt that there was some one
with him in the room. some one who
He listened attenttvely. az though he
ment or even the sound OF voice. But
he could hear nothing save the ticking OF
clock and the rapid beating Of his own
heart.
His drst impulS-, Aas to rise and make
his way up to hl bedroom. to strike q
light and get out 81 the room az soon a
possible. But he waited, as though hs
expected something to happen. and ~ Il
the sofa was a safe island Of refuge
among dangers which he could not define
but which certainly iurked somewhere IL
the gloom.
And then the thoughts which az q ruiz
only troubled him In the early morning
returned to him with pitiless clearness