Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1920-08-19

Jed in the hall. He was not sober, and
he hnd preposterous request to make.
When he has spent such an evening
with Mr.. Sidney, he resents being q
servant in the family. He wants to
be accepted as q member OF the fam
ily."
II have had something to do with
that" l suggested.
"No doubt 1t has inf1amed his ego
tism to have you enter the family. The
situation with him is difficult. His
pride was hurting him last night. He
had lost all sense of proportion. He
was like child. He demonstrated with
me: he was too important rs Mr.. Sid
ney's crony to be merely our servant!
1t was only drunken mood, but he
forgot himself and grasped me by the
wrist. had been trying to control
him and restore his common sense
Then l became indignant. and you
heard my voice. l am afraid it was
shrill, but ! was not alarmed. l was
merely indignant"
"You speak of Jed. Mrs. Sidney"
said. "as If he were merely an annoy
ing alcoholic. tolerated when he is an
noying. because of his general useful
ness but that does not explain why he
tries to lock me in my room while he
is sober and before these disturbances
begin. That shows design and intent
to have free hand when he makes
the disturbance. do not like being
locked in my ROOM"
ut is outrageous" said the lady ner-
vously. II did not know that 1t was
done, l shall see that 1t Is not re-
peated."
81 am not so sure you can" I said
land wish you would not try. l have
protected myself against it, and I'd
rather Jed did not give me any more
thought than he thinks is necessary
now"
Il am sure. DOCTOR" said Mrs. Sid.
ney. that you will understand Jed and
the situation better when you have
been here longer. It may be annoying
TO you now. but we all here live for
the pleasure and comfort of Mr.. Sid.
ney. who is worthy Of all we can do
for him. He did everything he could:
for US while he was active, and II
thoughts would benefit US, he would
be working for us now"
Mrs. Sidney was determined to pro-
tect the secret Of the situation. and ]
had no right to cross examine her. The
next time went to town bought my
self forty-five caliber pistol.
.
Although I was prepared for recur-
rent disturbances. there were none.
Within a week had found my way
into q pleasant routine. Jed seemed
to be conscious that he had over
stepped his bounds. He was not a.,-
parently contrite, but he was cautious.
A week was without incident. Then
Miss Sidney went away to make visit.
Her absence was spiritual disaster.
Ecstatic and morose youth! The beau
ty of Hartley house became hollow
and dark melancholy. making sad
sounds. Vibrant life had gone from it.
Its perfume was lost.
I cannot now tell quite what 1t was
that made Hartley. house, a place so
comfortable and genial. at the same
time "a place so threatened. The threat
could not be ignored: it was there. The
story of the ghost at the haunted pool
could have nothing to do with it. The.
threat had tangible aspects. Mrs. Sid.
ney's worry. ulspoken but craven in
her .resolutely Roman face, was one
evidence. The extraordinary behavior
of Jed was another. The atmosphere,
Of the place was one of mystery.
During the pleasant, peaceful, odor-
GUS summer months. when our life was;
one of undisturbed routine, l never es-
capped the sense of dread. hoped the
intangible would take shape; surely
something intangible that would be en-
bodied, hung over the house.
/ may not be able to make this GER
tainty appear SO wildly to you as 1t
did to me. 1t permeated; it was in the
atmosphere; it hung over the woods;
it filled the house. It came with the
oNoAS VI oioSooAAS ~ was CApl CSScu
the summer winds; 1t was threatened
in the lightning which flashed over the
river. I could not reconcile this effect
to such cause as that feeble ghost
story Of the pool. could not dread
that ghost or feel it's presence. It
was benevolent ghost needed for
decoration.
asked the people of the house, the
servants, and found that for them it
was largely superstition. They all
had been brought from the city, and
only a few, such as Jed. a gardener the
housekeeper and the cook had been
long enough in the house really to be
associated with it.
Jed was the only one that willingly
would be in the vicinity of the pool at
night. The others, might laugh at the
suggestion Of terror, but they would
not willingly test their superiority to
superstition. If they had been really
frightened, they could not have been
kept in service. They were not. The