The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-01-22
PORTRAIT WITH
4 LIVING EYE
Weird Experience In a De-
serted House.
V6I6U UVu06s

My nerves having given out, I
concluded for q tonic to ride on horse
back from Boston to Nova &c.,. keep
ing the coast all the way. IL &As in
July, and the weather was delightful.
One evening after l had been out a
week l was riding on a beach, los8lDg
for a house in which to put up for the
night. On a point of land standing out
into the ocean I saw an octagon shaped
building and rode toward 1t. When l
reached the place l was disappointed
to find it deserted. I cast my eye
northward along the beach for an in
habited dwelling, but could e none.
AS it was growing dark. l determined
to dismount and see If l could effect an
entrance and spend the night there. I
found the house securely locked. Aft
er examining every door and window
on the ground floor l went down to the
waters edge to look again for another
h%abitation. While there l noticed a
| stone built opening that had evidently
been used for a eve Bending. | en-
tered it and walked till l came to a
trapdoor. which l removed, and came
out into what had been the kitchen.
To my surprise. l found q house that
had evidently been shut up for many
years. There were haircloth and ma
hogany chairs and sofas and four post
bedsteads. Pictures. all old: fashioned
One was an engraving Of General
| Winfield Scott. labeled "Our Next Pres
ident"-hung on the walls. Some of
them were oil portraits, one of a fine
looking old gentleman who might have
been the owner of the place.
In the kitchen pantry was food that
had crumbled to dust. I found a candle
OH the shelf. which l appropriated and
took with me into the principal bed
room. Opening the curtains. l saw that
the bed was made up, though the bed
ding was yellow and had a musty
smell. But l was tired and concluded
to cover 1t with a blanket ] carried
with me and sleep there. Before doing
so l amused myself for a few minutes
examining the furniture and the pic.
lures. That Of the old gentleman in
terested ME most.
A deserted house is not a slumber
winning place. and after a futile effort
to get to sleep l opened my eyes. glanc-
ing from one article in the room to an
other till they fell on the old mans
portrait. Great heavens! The right
eye was not painted ut all! 1t was
real: not only real. but 1t was looking
straight at me. I sat up in bed and
stared ut it. as it was staring at me.
The other eye was still a painted eye.
with the same expression I had noticed
in both before I went to bed. l glanced
from one eye to the other in a vain en-
deavor to detect the cause Of the diff
ference.
No effort of self control could keep
me from looking again. 1t seemed to
me five or ten minutes at least-it was
doubtless the fraction Of u minute
when l threw of the blanket. There
were the two eyes. the one Of paint.
the other of reality. forming a gro
tesque contrast. the right eye, looking
straight ut me. Then suddenly there
was a quick side glance and return to
the same position us before.
This was too much for my already
overstrung nerves. gave a cry Of
agony and buried my face again under
my blanket. !
1t occurred to me that there was but
one chance of my retaining my reason
that was to occupy my mind Still
morning. had often put myself to
sleep By repeating the multiplication
table. and. after many i%neffeotual eff
forts to repeat the multiples of 2.
succeeded iii fixing my, mind on the
table and went through with it to the
end. AS soon as l had finished l went
over it again and continued the process
till / at last fell asleep. T
The rising out Of the ocean cast
his first beams upon me and awakened
me. He was very beautiful to look
upon. but l was no sooner awake than
remembered my experience of the
night before and turned to the por-
trait. Both eyes were painted and har-
monious MS the night before. l got up
and stood directly beneath the picture.
There was something like a line cir
cling the pupil Of the right eye. Draw
ing the table to a position where I
could stand on It and face the picture,
I mounted and put my finger against
the pupil Of the. uncertain orb. To my
surprise. my finger went through It
without assistance. l withdrew the
finger. and the pupil was again in place.
Then I saw that 1t had been cut SO that
It swung from the upper edge by a few
threads Of the. canvas. Some one had
used It for a peephole.
There has never been a moment In
my life Of such exquisite mingled Joy
and relief as the discovery that l was
not IN the verge Of insanity. So inter
ested was l that ! resolved to probe
the matter till l had discovered a CON-
plete explanation. In the adjoining
SOON ] found a hole in the wall COW
cred BY q picture and under It q stand
on which I mounted and. lifting the
pupil Of the old mans portrait. looked
down upon the bed In which l had
slept. Then l explored the house and
Ii the cellar found. under. a pile Of rub.
bish. an entrance to a snlbcellar N