The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-01-23
HEzEKIAH
A.zea.s..oc6ntinnad.1

hour, smoking a cigar over an article
on English politics. and while read a
big log placidly burned itself to ashes.
I found the switch and snapped out
the library lights. When I had gained
the second floor turned of the lights
In the half below. and, as I looked
down 1.-The well to make sure I had
turned the right key the third floor
lights suddenly died and l was left in
darkness. This was the least bit dis
concerning. 1 was quite sure that the
upper lights had remained burning
brightly after the darkening of the
lower hall, 50 that IL XasS hardly pos
sible that the one switch had cut off
both lights.
Standing by the rail that guarded the
well, peered upward, thinking that
some one above me was manipulating
another switch, but the silence was as
complete as the blackn.ess. I was
about TO turn from the rai1 to the wall
to find the switch, but at this moment,
as my face was still lifted in the In
tentness with which was listening,
something brushed my cheek-some
thing seft Of touch and swift of move
ment AS I gripped the rail I felt this
touch onceg twice, thrice. Then my
hand sought the wall madly, and with
ute sbeforesL found the switch plate
ana snapped all the keys. The stair
and the halls above and below me
sprang into being again. and stood
blinking stupidity upward
Though I was in a modern house
thoroughly lighted by electricity can
not deny that this incident, following
SO quielSIx upon the buffers story, oc-
casio& Cd & aoih6ntsa aci1te hair raising,
accompanied by an uncomfortable
tremor. of the legs. As already limited
1 lay no claim to great valor- As for
ghosts 1 am half persuaded of their
existence. and, after Witnessing pres
entatfon 1of Hamlet, always feel that
Shakespeare is as safe guide IN such
matters as the destructive scientific
critics
There were various plausible expla-
nations OF the failure of the lights.
Some switch that did not know of.
perhaps In the third floor hall, might
have been turned, or the power house
In the village might have been shift
Ing dynamos. Either saIuti0I Of the
riddle was credible. But the ghostIy
touch on my face could not be ac-
counted for SO readily. Leaving the
lights on, I continued to the third
floor and examined the switch and
sought in other ways to explain these
phenomena My composure returned
more slowly than 1 care to confess,
and think it was probably in my
mind that the ghost of King Georges
dead soldier might be lying in wait for
me, but saw and heard nothing. The
doors of the unused chambers on the
third floor were closed, and did not
feel justified in trying them The
servants were housed on this floor at
the rear Of the house, and door that
cut on their quarters proved on ex-
animation 10 be tightly locked.
The fourth floor was only half sto-
~, used for storage purposes. The
roof was gained, recalled, by an iron
ladder and a hatchway in a trunk
room. ran down to my room and
found candle, to be armed against
any further fickleness of the lights,
and set out for the fourth floor. had
changed my coat and with a couple OF
cand1eS and q box Of matches started
for the roof MY courage had risen
now, and was ready for any further
adventure that the night might hold
for me- Miss Hollister and Cecilia
were both In their rooms, presumably
asleep. The servants doubtless had
their doors barred against ghostly Wis
itors, and the house was mine to ex-
plore as I pleased.
think was humming slightly as
mounted the stair, which, In keeping
with the general righteousness that
characterized the furnishing of the
house. was thick1y carpeted even to
the fourth floor. / was slipping my
hand along the rail and mounting,
dare say, little sjauntiIy as screwed
my courage to an unfamiliar notch
when suddenly, midway Of the first
half and just before I reached the
turn where the stair broke, the lights
failed again with startling abruptness.
This was carrying the joke pretty far,
and Instantly I clapped my hand to
my pocket for the box of safety
matches. dug it out and then in my
haste dropped the lid essential to igni-
lion and stopped to find it.
The stair had narrowed on this
sight, and as I sought with futile
eagerness to regain the box lid could
i. havesSwoFn that some one passed me.
Still half STOPPING, stretched out my
arms and elasped empty air, and so
suddenly had I thrown myself for
ward that I lost my balance and roll
ed downward the space of half
dozen treais before recovered my
self I was badly scared and hardly
less angry at. having missed through
my own clumsiness the joy of Crap
ping with the ghost of one OF King
Georges soldiers. But the matches
having been lost in the pitch darkness
Of the stair. could get my bearings