The Arm Chair Library No. 79: The Haunted Homestead — page 29: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

OS Oe LLL LLL EOL My brother had not seen the super- natural visitant to his room, who, go where she might, appeared only to me. While turning these things over in my mind, again | heard John’s lock turn and his door swing open, and al- most simultaneously his voice called out: “What the demon does this mean! Who are you, then?” as he jumped out of bed, relocked the door, struck a light and proceeded once more vain- ly to examine the room. “Well, this is certainly the most in- explicable thing I ever knew in my life!” exclaimed John, with an in- tonation between astonishment and indignation, “Oh! I really suppose you did not lock the door properly,” replied How- ard, getting up and going to ascertain the state of the case. And I heard him unlock and lock the door several times, and finally locking it fast, he said: | “There! now I will guarantee that his couch. | do not think that more than fif- teen minutes had passed before | heard, for the third time, their lock fly back and their door swing open. “By Jupiter, this is past belief!” ex- claimed Mr. Howard, while my brother, without speaking, jumped out of bed and struck a light. They searched the room. ‘They came out thence and searched the hall. They went up into the garret and searched the rooms over our heads. And, finding no one, they returned, wondering and conjecturing, to their ehamber, and for the third time that night fast locked their door. “Take the key out, John,” said Mr. Howard, And John withdrew key and took it to bed with him. About fifteen minutes more passed, and then—“click!” flew the lock, open THR HAUNTED HOMESTRAD. swung jumped John, in a state of mind be- tween affright and rage. : it will stay shut!” and went back to the eee me ee eee oe et ee ee 0 re te: and out of bed the door, ‘John, never mind; it is clear that the door will not remain closed; leave it open. ‘To-morrow I will look at the lock and see what is amiss,” said Mr. Howard. And for the fourth time that mght I heard my brother, muttering like distant thunder, go back to his bed. But I do not think that he slept {hat night, and I am sure that I did not, In the morning I felt weary, ill and certain that if this mysterious visita- {ion continued | should go mad, As | was dressing before the toilet mirror the reflection of my own face in the glass startled and terrified me, it looked so pale, wild and haggard, and not unlike the awful face of the mid- night spectre. When Rachel and my- self were dressed and ready to go down, I opened the door. And just at that moment my brother and Mr. Howard came out of their chamber and bade us “Good-morning.” “Were you at our door last night, Agnes?” John asked me. “At your door, John? not.” “Wasn't you, though?” “Assuredly not. What should have brought me there?” “Well, somebody was, that’s all!” said my brother,. while Mr. Howard silently looked what he did not say. We all went down together to the parlor, where a fine fire was burning, and Mathilde, in her fresh morning beauty, waited to welcome us. Anc soon our host and hostess en- tered, and in a few moments the breakfast was announced, and we all adjourned to the table. Breakfast was seryed long before the usual hour, that the gentlemen of our party might make an early start Certainly EORMICLOXCC)