The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-12-26

comfort ana oEtSItds
Dinner was OOH served. and l ate
with a relish, my appetite whetted by
the long drive and the crisp buoyant
October mountain air. After dinner
was over little silver basins filed with
rose water were handed to wash our
hands. We then left the dining room
to axe our coffee and smoke IN the
salon. A tabournet Of lakewood was
placed near us, and upon 1t smoked
two cups OF delicious Mocha, black
and thick as mud. Gordon then touch
ed a bell and a ervant brought IN
the hookah or Turkish pipe. and filed
il with tobacco, blended with hash
isch, n when it was lighted | took
one mouthpiece. and Gordon inhaled
from the other.
The mind stimulated and at the
same time soothed under such NOR
rhean influences is able to accept the
widest stories Of the Arabia Nights
as mere commonplace, everyday oc-
currences-the atmosphere itself Is
unreal, and you are translated to tue
realms Of the chiInerical.
Gordon became yoluble-conversa-
ton drif.ed back to our school days,
to his mission in the Orient, and
finally upon his luxurious
ings: LET me tell you" said he, "of
2 most curious circumstance connect
ed with this house, which for three
long months COMPOUNDED h most ex-
pert detectives and threatened to
wreck both my mind and body. ]
had not long returned home from
the East before I became aware that
within these deep walls was concealed
some dark and awful mystery You
remember, no doubt, Maupassanis
famous definition of the world horror.
In order that we should experience
horror something more is needed than
mere emotion: there must be a shud-
Cerlng sense Of mystery, or a Sensa-
ton Of abnormal terror more than is
natural" AS l have already said, /
became aware that some horrible OBJ
session was taking hold of me-, which
! carefully concealed, thinking each
night would clear up the mystery.
Exactly at half past eleven Il al
a retire at e~leven}, l would be
awakened suddenly by a dragging
scuffing sound in the attic just over
my head, which would pass down in
SIDE h walls, and sometimes out on
h top of the house, and before ]
could raise UP, Or jump out Of bed it
vanished entirely, to return no more
until some other night at exactly that
sam hour; and no matter in which
room I slept, it wouId invariably seem
to start directly over my head. and
vanish in a few seconds inside the
walls.
Without saying a word to my ser
wants, I made a thorough ~investiga-
ton each morning Of every room and
corner in the house; I ever sounded
the walls for secret chambers, and
inside stair cases, but I could gather
nothing. At first I consoled myself
that it was only a rat, but sometimes
~ - 49,
others it was like the sudden dash Of
some huge animal like a panther or
wildcat from it's lair. At night my
imagination gave it all sorts Of fam
ciful forms and shapes, finally I was
thoroughly convinced it was a ghost.
You know there is a very ancient
| Saxon superstition that some one ID ust
be immured within the foundations Of
| every edifice to fast it against light
ming and tempest. and very often
beautiful maidenS were buried alive
within stone walls, and now that old
rhyme comes running through my
brain. continued Gordon eloquently:
TASTED thrice with souls Of men,
Stands the tower Of Walverden,
Pasted thrice with maidens' blood.
thousand years Of fire and food
Shall see it stand as erst 1t stood"
I recall also those blood-curdlinp
stories Of human monsters who walled
up their wives within their castles to
die OF slow starvation. There Is said
to be an awful something entombed
in the walls OF CLAIMS Castle, which
Tor several centuries has bafhed the
Investigations OF the curious and
whose secret is known only to the in
cumbent proprietor, who dares not re-
veal It Many are the contectures and
wonderful stories concerning 1t, and
how upon Halloween night. when the
spirits of darkness are abroad. tina,
strange noises are heard in the walls
and sometimes windows II the castle
are blown open as IL by a violent ex.
plosion. All these and a Thousand
| other diabolical and ineeofousf,
wrought stories a vivid pro.