Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-02-04

another switch. but the silence was as
complete as the blackness. | was
about to turn from the rail to the wall
to find the switch. but at this moment,
as my face was still lifted in the in
t~entness with which | was listening.
something brushed my e~heek-some-
thing soft of touch and swift of move
ment As | gripped the rail | felt this
touch once. twice. thrice. Then my
hand sought the wall madly. and with
SO bad an aim that 1t was quite u min
ute before | found the switch plate
and snapped all the keys. The stair
and the halls above and below me
sprang into being again. and I stood
blinking stupidity upward.
Though | was In a modern house
thoroughly lighted by electricity | can
not deny that this incident. following
so quickly upon the buffers story, oc.
cnsioned n moments acute hair raising,
accompanied by an uncomfortable
tremor of the legs. AS already limited
| lay no claim to great valor. As for
ghosts l am half persuaded Of their
existence. and. after witnessing q pres
entatiou OF Hamlet. always feel that
Shakespeare is as safe a guide In such
matters as the destructive scientific
critics.
There were various plausible expiA-
nations OF the failure Of the lights.
Some switch that | did not know of.
perhaps in the third floor hail. might
have been turned. Or the power house.
in the village might have beer shift
ing dynamos. Either solution Of the
riddle was credible. But the gbostly
touch on my face could not be ac-
counted for so readily. Leaving tho
lights on. l continued to the third
floor and examined the switch and
sought In other Ways to explain these
phenomena. My composure returned
more slowly than ] care to confess.
and | think 1t was probably In my
mind that the ghost of King Georges
dead soldier might be lying in wait for
me. but / saw aud heard nothing. The
doors OF the unused chambers on tho
third floor were closed, and l did not
feel justified In trying them. The
servants were housed on this foor at
the rear of IL house, and a door that
cut of their quarters proved on ex-
animation to be tightly locked.
The fourth floor was only a half sto-
ny. used for storage purposes. The
roof was gained. | recalled. by an iron
ladder and a hatchway In a trunk
room. l ran down to my aud
found a candle. to be armed against
any further ickleness of the lights,
and set cut for the fourth nooIl bad
changed my coat aud with a couple OF
candles and a box Of matches started
for the roof. My courage had risen
now. and ! was ready for any further
adventure tina. the nigh. might hold
for me. Miss Hoilister and CeciiiA
were both In their rooms. presumab bly,
asleep. The servants doubtless had
their doors barred against shostly WIS.,
itors, and the house was mine to ex-
piore as l pleased.
think ] was hummfnE slightly an I
motNted the stair. which. In keeping
with the general luxuriousness that
characterized the furnishing Of the
house. was thickly carpcted even to
the fourth door. l was slipping my
hand along the rail- and mounting. I
dare say. a little jauntfly as ! screwed
my courage to IN unfamiliar notch
| when suddenly, midway of the hrst
half and just before I reached b
turn where the stair broke. the lights
failed again with startling abrlptness.
This was carrying the Joke pretty far.
and instantly l ciapped my hand to
my pocket for the box or safety
matches. dug 1t out and then In my
haste dropped the lid essential to iEni-
ton and stopped to find it.
The stair had narrowed IN this
flight, and as l sought with futile
eagerness to regain the box lid l could
ha I've sworn that some one passed me.
; Still half STOPPING. | stretched out my
arms and clasped empty air. and 10
suddenly had l thrown myself for
ward that ! lost my balance and roll
ed downward the space Of half q
dozen treads before | recovered my
self. l 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. l could get my behring's
again only by ciinging to the stair rail
until ! found the second floor switch.
| should say that twe full minute had
passed between the loss of the matches
and my flashing on of the lamps.
From top to bottom the lights shone
brightly. But no ono was visible. and
heard no sound In any part OF the
house. ..
AS | began to nnalyse my sensations
| during the temporary eclipse OF the
| lights l was conscious of two things.
The being. human or other. that had
passed me had been light Of step and
feet of motion. There had been some.
thing uncanny In the ease and speed
Of hat passing. l was without con-
yiction as to Its direction. whether up
or down. though l inclined to the for
mer notion for the reason that the EN-
ployment Of a concealed switch above
seemed the more reasonable argument
And q faint. an almost t~mpercepible
scent, ns of a flower. had seemed to
be a part of the passing. Mine h =
sensitive n~ostril. and | was confdent
that 1t did not betrny me in this.
ITO Ra C~OntIauedl