The Argosy — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

AO On the Supernatural. When the housemaid brought the hot water in the morning, I enquired who had sleptin the next room. ‘‘ No one, ma’am,” was the reply. ‘It is to be the spare room, but it is not yet furnished.” ‘Who occupies the next house ?” I said again. ‘Tt is unoccupied,” was the girl’s answer: “it is to be let.” “Does anyone sleep in the room over this ?” I next continued. ‘“ No, ma’am, not yet,” said the maid. ‘‘ We are all at sixes and sevens, you see, just for a day or two, but the rooms will soon be in order.” I made no further remark to her. But on going down to breakfast and being asked how I had slept, I related the foregoing circum- stances. ‘Oh! a haunted chamber,” said my host, laughing, “ without doubt, a haunted chamber.” ‘Haunted or not haunted,” I replied, “‘ you will not find me sleep- ing there again ; therefore you must pardon me if I leave you this evening instead of on Saturday.” ‘They thought I was joking: but I assured them I was in earnest. “What,” said the Doctor, a merry twinkle in his eye, ‘‘ do you mean to confess you are going to be frightened away from us by ghosts and goblins ?” “¢ ‘Yes—but I am very sorry for it.” ‘* Nonsense,” he continued. ‘‘ The noises you heard must have ; y proceeded from M.” (his little daughter). ‘‘ Children do make queer noises sometimes, and scream frightfully if awakened suddenly from sleep.” I shook my head. ‘‘T assure you when M. is not well she does make a most un- earthly noise—and I thought her feverish last night. Why, you surely would never leave us for such a bagatelle as that! If you hear any- thing to-night, just come and knock at my door.” All this sounded plausible, if not convincing. Still it did seem rather an insufficient reason for leaving. Moreover, I must be pre- pared to be laughed at by my friends at Carlton Road, to whom I was going next; so I said I would remain. As to the chamber, in the day time it seemed as quiet a room as could be. The second night I thought it best to retire in good time, so as to be, if possible, asleep before the Doctor and his wife went to their room; and I did so, making fatigue my excuse. I undressed without any interruption, and not only lay down in bed without any repetition of the breathing or other noises of the previous night, but was actually asleep by half-past ten o’clock. I was not destined to remain long in peace. At midnight the same dreadful breathing close to my ear aroused me, not only from - my comfortable and much-needed sleep, but also to a consciousness of my folly in having allowed myself to be talked into venturing to spend another night in that room. ECORNIECLOOKS. EO) m