Year: 1874

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other two minutes it was again repeated;
but although we sat still on the props
for quarter of an hour longer, the
door opened no more. Poor Jenny
was in feerfhlly nervous state by this
time, and myself did not feel alto
gether composed. The dead, OPP ressi7e
silence-tomb-like silence-of the place
we were in ''the darkness visible I"
which surrounded us for few yards !;
the darkness unfathomable which
closed in around us beyond that area !;
the feeling of isolation, too, and the
intent waiting to see whether the mys-
terious occurrence would be repeated,
all helped, with the puzaling over the
thing itself, to upset ones eduanimitY.
AS / say, we waited quarter, of an
hour longer, and the "sign," as Jenny
persisted in considering it, did not
come again; ne rather wished it would,
I believe, for the number three was
fatal one in his dictionary of
omens and say what I would,
nothing could make him shake off his
fixed idea that it was "death- warrant"
for him. "Now for good look at the
sign worker" said I. A careful ex-
animation I made of the door, side
posts, Intel, brickwork, surrounding
walls, roof and floor; but nothing
could I discover at all capable of ex-
planning the apparent self-action. A
quick subsistence of roof, or upheaped
floor, as frequently happens in the
passages of mine, might explain the
opening; but no such movement of
the surrounding strata had taken place
while we were there and, besides,
though such disturbance might open
the door, it would be hardly likely to
close it again, especially in such slow
and steady way. [ was puzzled, and
more than puzzled, will confess. I
did not believe that anything but O
natural force could move that door /;
but what natural force did move it d?
My reader may ask why should feel
more nervous and strange at seeing this
door move unexplainedly, than should
at seeing tree fall Unexpectedly, or at
hearing voice from an apparently
empty room? It would be, I think,
because, in the case of the tree and the
voice, the mind would almost directly
fix on sufficient natural cause for the
occurrence and fear would hardly have
time to make itself felt. Prolong the
interval before you fix upon O sufficient
cause, and fear has time to assert it
self. In the case of the door, the in
terval of suspense was prolonged in
definitely, for could find no sufficient
reason at all. left the mine, as I say,
puzzled, more than puzzled. +


That evening, however, I thought I
had found an explanation, and, of
course, instantly all nervousness left
my mind, and laughed heartily at the
matter. I hunted up Jenny from the
public-house, where he was relating to
spelllbound circle Of fellow-workmen
his experience of the last two days.
"Jemmy," said, GIVE found it out. !"
Fun it aight, han ye, Master Thomas {?
What is't, and what makes it three
times ?" "Why, don't you see," said
I triumphantly and perhaps little
contemptuously, "it is an air-door, and
the pressure of the air increasing a
little now and then, it gets strong
enough to blow the door openl' But
alas for my theory-in two minutes it
was demolished by Jenny, whose face
again lost its momentary cheerfulness.
"Cannot be that, cas- ye see tn door
opens agin the air, be it much or be it
little, is Always pressin' it to-" I had
to give in to Jemmys practical reason
ing; what he said was true the pres
sure of air could not explain it, for
how could the door open of itself
against the current, whether strong
or weak? .....


For several days I perplexed myself
about the dreadful door and it's opening
and shutting, till wished it at Jericho.
I found that several of the men went,
also two or three together, to see the
phenomenon, which was daily repeated;
and it was further noted that it always
occurred at or near one o'clock that
the door always opened and shut three
times, no more, no less, and at about
the first observed intervals. They could
none of them explain it. While theories
were started by the your ger and three
R'd men, such as, that air possessed
certain powers of suction, as we'll as of
pressure, and that, when it wanted to
pass through door, it was equal on a
pinch to opening it for itself But the
older men shook their heads and pro-
nounced it uncanny, something to do
with the next world, genuine omen.
They were unanimous also in the opin-
ion that the warning was intended only
for its first Witness moor Jenny! The
fame OF this opening door even got SO
far as the neighboring town, becoming,
of course magnifed on the journey ;
and was written to by some friends
there to say they had heard there was a
door at the colliery which raped out
answers like O mediums table The
enterprising editor of that town even
proposed to me that he should send
down special to interview the case
but I declined, not wishing any facti-
tious interest to be given to the matter.


It will seem strange to my readers,
but it is q fact that the door-mystery
repeated itself every day for three
weeks, and was Witnessed during that
time by dozens of workmen, without
any feasible or probable suggestion be.
ing made as to the cause. Many night
I lay awake thinking over it, going
carefully over all principles of me


chanics was acquainted with, to see
if there lurkedin any of them posi-


BILE explanation but without result.


I discovered the natural cause il
time but cannot claim that I rea


soned it out. A simple coincidence


gave me clue tolerably easy to follow


Before publishing the rationale of thu


matter, however, I took it into my heat


to give Jenny and others convincing


proof that I had discovered the secret


1 gave it out, that on certain day thu


phenomenon would take place half 81


hour earlier. and would be repeatet