The Arm Chair Library No. 79: The Haunted Homestead — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

| : en ee $2 THE HAGNTED HOMES BEAD. ~ SO EE OE CR A gy em inne — o -_—— ~ —-? thing twenty times.” said Mr. Legare. re thirty munutes, more or less, it will J indorse your declarations, y open.” sir: sin) a right; There was no de- “Exactly; that is what I am about ception—there is none. It isa purely to explain, said I rank Howard, tak- mechanical phenomenon! But, listen? }ing up a flat, smooth eae of board Spiritual powers reside in mechanical | and laying it upon the table; and then forces. Every vear we live elucidates | he took the lock, laid it on the board, this mystery, though none but the screwed it tightly, turned the key, and deepest thinkers see this truth in all sald: . iis importance. Look you! a savage} “It is not the circumstance of this savage thinks that there is a diabolism | lock being attached to the door that in the self-action of a watch—in the] has caused it to act in this manner; reflection of a looking-glass. We think | for I will prove to you that if the same both mysteries to be simple mechan-| lock be screwed tightly to any other ical combinations! Pray look at the resisting object—as, for instance, this lock before us. I observe that it is} board—it will act in the same irregu- Harmon’s patent. Poor Harmon, a lar many 3. Watch it now, and you demented machinist, scarcely knew | will see.” j what ha would be at, and so under- We did so, and inf a few minutes we took to make an invaluable improve-| saw the catch fly back as before. ment ia the common doorlock. This] “TI will tel] you the reason,” said Mr. is one of his; its intricate machinery | Howard, unscrewing the lock from has got out of order, and hence ‘the| the board, and inviting us to look on, fantastie tricks before high heaven’ “Now, though there seems to be no that these rooms have witnessed! I] defect whatever in this lock, yet in am about to take off the lock to prove| truth the whole inside machinery has what I have stated, as well as to rem-| started slightlyoutward. This does not edy the eyil.” affect its rightraction while detached, “Oh, sir, that has been tried—1I| but when attached the continued pres- have seen it done—hope nothing from] sure of the board to which it is fas- that!” exclaimed Mr. Legare. tened gradually acts upon the spring, “Patience, my dear sir!” said Frank| and causes the catch in a given time Howard, taking up the tools with so| to fly back and unlock, and the force much the air of a man accustomed to} with which this occurs opens the door. the handling of them that old Mr.|I can well imagine that such unex- Legare winced and fidgetted. plained movements, occurring in the But Frank speedily took off the| middle of the night, should have lock, and brought it to us for inspec- | rather a supernatural effect. But the evil can be remedied in a few minutes. ‘10n. “Here! you notice that nothing seems amiss,” he said. “Nothing in the world—I told you that before,” replied Mr. Legare. “Furthermore, if now I were to turn the key it would remain turned.” “Certainly, while the lock is off the door it looks exactly right, and be- haves exactly right; but just put it on the door and lock it, and in from ten with astonishment, Frank Howard took up his tools, went to work, and in about twenty minutes fixed the in- door. of my triumph. And now, friends, x xa comicbooks 7 And then, while we were all dumb : side of the lock and replaced it on the a “Now,” said he, “if ever this door — comes open again without hands, I — will consent to forfeit the fair reward a