The Arm Chair Library No. 79: The Haunted Homestead — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

39 THE HAUNTED HOMESTEAD. our rest has beén somewhat dis- turbed—” “Somewhat distubed! It has been altogether broken up!” interrupted my brother. “Be silent, John,’ I whispered, pinching him. Mr. Howard went on. “By an inexplicable circumstance— namely, the flying open of the doors after we had carefully and securely locked them.” “We haven’t slept a wink since we have been in the house. We have spent the nights in jumping up and out of bed to lock the doors, and only to have them unlock and fly open in our faces,” said John. “I thank you, gentlemen, for the information you have given me. Agnes, my dear, have you been dis- turbed ?” ey es, Sr “How?” “In the same manner, sir, by the unaccountable flying open of the door after I had locked it,” said I, sup- pressing the fact, or fancy, of the mys- terious midnight visitant. “My dear, you never complained of this before.” “No, sir.” “Why?” “Because it was more an affair of interest than of complaint. I wished first to investigate alone.” “And have you done so?” “As far as possible.” “With what result, Agnes?” “With no satisfactory one, sir.” “Friends,” said the old gentleman, turning toward the assembled guests, “it is vain to deny that a mystery does exist, and for the whole term of my residence here, if not before, has ex- isted in this house, that has, hereto- fore, defied all investigation. Many ef you have heard the circumstances my dear a ae oa 4 “st gry. ecg rae tat eh GES VN under which the transfer of propé was made. You have heard that Made leine Van Der Vaughan, the last heritrix of this estate, was a spirited, haughty, self-willed wom ic | with one idea—the regeneration ¢ her patrimonial estate; that evety. thing—money, health, peace, con science, life itself, was sacrificed t her monomiania; that at last she die a victim to her own ruling passion; that her husband married again, sol the estate, even unto the very grave yard where her body lay, and left the neighborhood; that I became the ptr chaser; and, finally, that since I have lived in the hotse not one chambe door has been secure from a seenting- ly supernatural opening. Bere “The superstitious among my serv ants and poor, ignorant neighbor ascribe these mysteries to the presence of Madeleine Van Der Va hat’s t 28 less ghost, still haunting the scene her toils, ambitions and disappoiti ments. Modern spiritualists wot without doubt, ascribe it to the agen of spirits. I believe in none of thes absurdities. But the annoying mys tery remains unexplained, and I wo give ‘the half of my kingdom’ to hit who should elucidate it.’ = The old gentleman, at the cone sion of his speech, looked around f an answer among his audience. “Do you not think that there m be a defect in the locks, sir?” inquitt Howard. | eee “Oh, ‘I ery you, mercy,’ sir! St a possibility did not in the very fi instance escape us. The locks hat been taken off and examined, atid perceptible defect could be discover ‘The half—the half of my kingdoi to the knight who shall rid me of t mysterious key-bearer.” = I saw by the twinkle of Mr. Ho ard’s eyes that he possessed a clue the mystery. I saw him exehas . v; See ts 2S = ; uy re - . : + aw [ee en m 4 | 3 ; nal a es CSS « eee aS - Au 2 om 2 ~ A (eo) | | | .