The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-02
philadelphia Ledger.)

1t is lucky for us that Poe. Hoffman,
Anderson n other chroniclers Of the
great unknown lived years ago. For
mystery and romance have suffered
and inventions. Electricity is the
worst offender in hat respect. as it
has killed more COLLINS than all the
grandmotherS ever created.
Think how much richer in unearth-
ly beings the world was in the day of
the tallow candle, the oil lamp and the
fint-lock. Imagine your great-great-
grandfather coming homo at, say. l in
the morning: the house he returned to
was n OF those immense. gaunt man.
sions, built piece by piece. wing by
wing. Of wood that creaked and moan.
ed when the night wind rosc or when
the worms were milling slowly. stub
bornly. the heart Of the beams into
impalpable. yellow -four. Your great
Observation-Disclosures conscience ma.
have troubled him a little. for he may
have partaken of a trifie too much OF
the cheering claret.
When the street doors lock had
clicked behind him he stood enshroud.
ed in the hostile darkness of the end
less corridors: echoes magnified the
noise of every motion. his breath
sounded like a cyclone. 4 match fin
ally consented TO burn. and its flicker
only helped him to realize the thick.
ness of the velvety pail.
The lamp was located: it's chimney
struck. but finally yielded just before
all that was left of the match was a
short. win!sing enlhcr. Another match
was struck and this time the wick
with much spluttering. emitted a lit
tie light: back went h chimney to its
socket. and the shade that surrounded
1t divided this mystic world of dark
ness into two regtons-thc table and a
part Of the floor were immersed in a
soft yellow glcam. Above the shade,
however. ghosts and COLLINS. Brighten
ed an instant by mans intrusion. re-
sumed their play. r. '
Back Of the heavy arm chairs they
disported themselves. On the ceiling
they must have been pursuing .eaci,
other. for circular waves of soft shad-
ows seemed to be revolving.
=. And, oh! the strange. pallid faces
that appeared in the mirrors and dis:
appeared suddenly when one started
at them.
The heavy. sticky. leaky oil lamps OF
our grandfathers were such m%agicians!
marvellous of all. for. II l remember
rightly. the raven. although perched
on Pallas's bust far above the lamp,
managed to cast its shadow. on the
floor.
Now YOU come home from the club
at any time of night: a phalanx of hall
boys greets you at the entrance Of the
apartment house: no squeaky stairs
no endless corridors cramned with vel
vety darkness.
A glaringly light elevator whisk.
you to your door. a switch 1t pressed,
q savage. tactless. pitilessly even
cataract Of light fails from the ceiling,
spurts from the corners. flooding the
room. the table. the chairs. drowning
all the unknown things hat must have
been lowering over your books, your
I papers and YOU bed.
Try to read then ''The Mystery OF
the Haunted House." Oh. piffle!"
hear you say. Maybe YOU would NO,
say ''piftle'' IL you could turn of a
dozen Of those pitiless founts of ligh,
| and. halfWaking. half DOING. stretch
your legs before s%noldering logs or
which danced leapinK tongues of blue
and yellow fiame. The senil Of the
hearth WOULD by. and. by. accustonl
Themselves to your presence. tumble
/ about In the ashes. or even pelt YOU
! jestingly with handfuls OF tiny sparks
You would mt ."- ''D's'-'"