The Arm Chair Library No. 79: The Haunted Homestead — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

A ie Ce eS ee a ee, a p ie ~~ will go to work and mend the other.” | that the res And, inviting us to precede him, he passed out, locked the door, gave the key to Mr. Legare, and begged him to take notice that the door would re- main fast until he (Mr. Legare) might — to open it, or to give up the ey. We reached the other chamber door, where twenty minutes’ work served to rectify the error. Then locking that, as he had done the other, he called me to witness that it should remain fast until I should use, or give up, the key that he placed in my charge. . We then went downstairs, Mr. Le- gare having one key safe in his pocket — having the other secure in mine. It was the last day of the old year, and company were expected in the evening—not to dance, but to watch it out. Mrs. Legare went to attend to her extra housekeeping duties, and the young ladies retired to their chambers to arrange their dresses for the next day. Nir. Legare, Frank Howard, my brother, John, and the other gentle- men took their guns and gamebags, ealled their dogs, and started off “birding.” YHE HAUNTED HOMESTE4». 38 me —-a, a | emblance between my vis- lonary woman and the portrait of Madeleine Van Der Vaughan might have been a mere fancy. But the spot of blood on the floor? Who should explain that? , From time to time during that day I slipped upstairs to examine the state of the doors, They remained fast. The gentlemen dined out, but joined us at an early tea. Nothing was said of the event of the morning, until, as we arose from the table, lit- tle Phlit sidled wp to his master and asked for the keys so that he might make the fires in the bedrooms, “for de ladies an’ gemlen to dress for eben- ge “The deuce! You tell me that the doors remain fast?” demanded Mr. Le- gare, turning around upon us all. I assured him that they did. He was too polite to doubt my statement but he wished to see for himself, We followed him, and found him in a state of admiration before Mr. How- ard’s door. When he had gazed some time. at that, and tried it in various ways, he turned about and went to mine, which he proved in the same manner. And having found that both remained fast locked without mistake, b I went into the parlor, where Ra-!ne excended his hand to Frank, and chel Noales still lay upon the sofa in the state of exhaustion that had suc- ceeded her fright in the morning, and told her that the mystery of the locks was discovered, and explained, as far as [ could, the process of demonstra- tion. And Rachel rallied from that hour, [ had reassured her, but who should reassure me? I was still very deeply disturbed. True, the mystery of the opening doors was satisfactorily ex- plained. True, that my midnight vis- itor might have been an optical illu- . sion, produced by the mysterious sur- roundings acting upon my highly sus- eeptible temperament, And true, also, said: “Candidly, Mr. Howard, I did not believe in your success until this mo- ment. You have fairly vanquished the ghosts!” Frank Howard took the offered hand, and bowed gravely and silently as he again resigned it. The doors were then opened, and Phlit admitted to do his duties. And we separated to prepare for the evening watch party. It was eight oclock when our friends from the neighborhood came in, and, after partaking of a bowl of egg-nog in the dining-room, we ad- journed to the parlor, where he passed Gomicbook (CO)