Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1881 — UNCLE BOB'S HAUNTED BOOM [ARTICLE]

UNCLE BOB'S HAUNTED BOOM

BY K. W. P.

“Whatever are you girl* taking •bQat?’ , I inquired one afternoon, ae entering the patlor, I found my two •inter* Conversing exaitedly. “IPs all Unde ’Bob," replied my younger stater; !if any one likee to make another uncom ortable. it is be." ‘‘What is the matter now?" I laughed, throwing jnrself upon a couch. “He is a good fellow enough in his way." “And has one of the nretfiwd and moat amiable of daughter eh. Ned?" Bald my sister Kate with a roguish *‘Tou are right, there," f answered boolly. though fteliofc thy cheeks tin''Then yon find some interest in the Contents of her letter, Just arrived," proceeded L cie, with equal slyne a. . , “A letter irons Maud!" I- ejaculated, spring log; Jo my feet. “What teases you glrjs are not to tell me before. Where is It?" a ‘•Where is it, indeed!” pouted Lnde. “It is sent to me, and is strictly confidential." “Nonsense. Maud would not ray anything,the did not wish me to know." “Yes," laughed Kate—“that 6he loves you." “Bah! she told me that months ago, when I confided to her a similar secret.” “Still you call Uncle Bob ‘good la bis way,’ although be will not burry to give his permission to your marriage! But there, doh’t fret Here la good eiWa &a Well as bad. Maud Writes that □de Bob has at JaJt given hi* Consent, one condition." “He baa really consented!" I cried, ft rapture. “What is the condition? That I turn a Swedsnborglsu?" , “No; btit this. You remember) a year ago, having bad an argtlmept with him respecting, the existence of shosts.5 hosts. He maintained the power of eparted spirit to return to earth was K robable. Yon. somewhat irritated him y treating the idea-with scorn, and not only declared your wiiiiugtiess to sleep in tbembet haunted chamber to be found* i»ut made a very rash assertion that you would 'lay the ghost’—in othor words discover the trick. You nettjed Uncle Bob much, to which, I fancy, you may attribute bis lingering couseut; for, although he does not believe in ghosts in toe vulgar sense, be does in the theory tLat the air is full of the spirits of the departed, who, tti ding a mortal en rapport, can at times make themselves visible." u '.‘ljodfW dqL Rite; but What has this.in reference to the coudlion?" “Just this. In the house Uncle Bcb now inhabits, you are aware, is, according to his statement, a haunted room, where no one is able to remaiu an eriUremlght.”, . h A . . l . alone." “Exactly. You have often desired to test its‘ghostly renown, oat uncfe Bob has ever denied, declaring he would not be answerable for frightening you out of the little brains you possess, “True; Uncle Bjb wa9 ever complimentary*”; te But;‘good !d ■his'Wa£,’ " Interrupted Lucie, maliciously. “Well, he saysifynn now slrep in the room and‘lav the troubhd spirit,' as you declared you could do. you may have Maud directly her trousseau is ready." “Never!" “It is true. Here la the letter.” Eagerly I read it, kissed it once, twice, and was so elated that I em--braced Kate, and waltzed with Lucie around the apartment. I hat 1 loved tny Cousin Maud some time, and now there was a possibility of soon calling her my wl/e. Only a haunted room—a shadowy presence—divided us! Uncle Bob, ip must be owned, was a strange -character. Cynical and sarcastic, he eatmed to take pleasure in annoylDg *>lß©rs, while he bated bis opinions to -he thwarted. By the way, there he was not singular; I have met many With the same antipathies. 8ti)l I was not wrong In averring that he bad bis * ood ,P a^ tß > his attacks Werte usually levelled at mjSelh Perhaps my kinder appreciation ol him arose from his being Maud’s father. At any rate, I’m certain that she was the oause why I deemed a visit to my ■Dele’s one es the most blissful events In Christendom. , Aa Kate had remarked. Unde B, b had lately inherited Merlon Abb )ts. ah old, rambling oountry*hou»e. standing in its own grounds, and eutfounded by almost a, forest of trees, witch gave ft truly a somewhat supernatural appearanoa. By invitation, my sisters and 1 wore to spend a fortnight there, and, °?*£ 6 kjternoon following the receipt of Maud’s letter, we started. ‘‘Weil, Ned," said Unde Bob, his "right eyes twinkling and gleaming -Eta'Ll his shaggy brows as he -raised them from his dinner-plate, ‘ I hear from Maud—yßu needn’ti blush, that you arejon the qui vive to aboept my cohdltions." “lam, sir." *!** mel ” broke out LUde, backed bv Maud. ' it isu't compulsory,” V, Dcle 806 • “He can refuse, if he hkes." “But be doesn't,” said t. !|Good! Now we propose that w ; evening m telling ghost protest, Uucle Bob ‘be most fufh ll? kn « w ; told of corpse Ughta and candies horning dim, and capped off oy reading the most thrill• Rnli?rT drol i® Btor y extant—••will J??’and Haunted." b«* chuckled, glancing prepared to pep&r&t* night, th * Ve 1 fhftkeo your stibJcbly. WhU ’ '‘ ir ’” 1 “ Q * Weml '**l l be ghost'you take Maud with my Wearing— he cackled, going UPS'**-., , <fi y Jbe way. should thesnintt oome it too strong, Ned, I’ve bad the oom opposite prepared, to which you Okn beat a retreat" be has concocted some rx W ,» i, ? ereJ Lucie. -It’s like HuTm 1 ? U *“ ay “*• « ho3t himself but I’ll keep a watch on his door." a* the idea, though I really - ttoug by no means Improbable. And, as composed as ever I had been iV ™y li;e i I entered the haunted Cham tier. Now, most haunted chamcers are large, antiquated, wain>cj(ed, Rrk > w ith four posted* bedsteads aud luucrcai hangiuga. Tbi*. on tjs ™? r £’i„ w “ L cheerfu.ly pa* P*"’ l >* nil a bright, French hetistead. * nothing gbdhtly about it. I. lle Peking me? ’I il c 80 exao,lj that ii oouid not

amineta the wails; andalso the Window, which waa of double glare, like those in law chgmbefi, to exclude the .noise fro*, withoot. It, was .ki'wlll; fao 000 eoQld gain aeqess by that menus, tor lUooked upon a drad wail, and was top human ooulp take ms pyaurprise, anq Utterly 1 discrediting the supernatural, I undressed, lighted the night-lamp, and went to bed. . “J fancy I see it all," t thought, as I laid, down. “He imagined be would frighten me.Wito displaying the white feather, and I’d cry. peccavi. Not if I hnow it, when Maud is the prise to be won." • Thinking of Mand, and Maud alone, I fell asleep. 1 dd Dot know now long I slept, but suddenly I awakened with the eenSe of a fearful oppression on asy brain, the air felt heavy about me, aad though "axiom So move, tp break, as it were, the spell, seemed to lack all strength to do It. « ? ' “Whatoanltbs? Am i ill?" ‘I reflected ; then, abruptly recognising the room, I remembered why I was there. “Is it the ghost?" I murmured, trying to smile as I turned toward the lamp. Was It the fault of my eyes, or did it burn blue and dim? BSpst certainly it did; its flame was pale and sickly. I was watching It in surprise, when, giving a flicker, it went out, leaving me in darkness. Scarcely had. It done

Ed than h Violent trembling seized me, kebbmpanted by infereased difficulty of respiration. JJid spirits really, exist? Was the room hidnted? Was I beiDg tric&ed? No: I was assured not the latter; tor noJiuuian powef could make Ee feel as I did: while during the mp’s burning I had seen the room Just as I had first beheld it. I laid a pioment, considering. I. would have given .worlds to move K yet could pot. My faculties appeared gone. IfeitUke One slowly dying from congestion of the braih, produced by fliino&tion. It was just the sensatton Unde Bob had described all felt who had tried to sleep in that room. * . The pain in my hedd and chest grew at last so intense that I entertained serious thoughts of retiring to the other room, until I recollected Maud. “What!" I reflected, “beat an ignominious retreat, to be the eternal butt of Uncle Bob, and lose Maud? Never! I’ll remain here until morning.though I die I” Resolutely shutting my eyes, 1 had recourse to the many modes to court sleep, and for a space become unconsious. Ooly for a space. With ji 'Violent throe of thfe body I again opeiled my eyes—oh,Jbeaven! to what horror! The darkness around me was lid longer a voifl: it wns peopled by myriads of forms, sothe iUmluous. oihefs ad'fUl, hideous. Wherever 1 turned they oonfnlnted me, gibbering, wriggling, dsshiDg themselves into my face. I writhed and groa. ed aa, I strove to force them „-l*i»exeiare gnosta,!" Tcuicd, ard this room Is the abode of,the cursed I" ■ “At the sound of my. voice all vanished, all was darkness. Then, far off, appeared a spot of ligbt. As it approached, it increased in magnitude until it grew into a fade. But merciful heaven! what a face! As long as I live I shall never forget it. Its color was one risen from the dead. The hue was blue, stony, livid; lips, hair, eyes were all of the same tint. But the most terrible yet was the fearful luminosity It potSetSed, Wnich, radiating from jt. sent peculiar lights around. Slowly, slowly,. It advanced, my, eyeballs dilating painfully as it did so, though.llay p>wprless with horror. It reached my bedside, paused, and raised two long b»ny hards of the same nature as its face. With a bound it was lippnme, ins bpny fingers clutched my tnrotst) its Bneee du6 into npy chest, its face pressed close uoon mine. It was too awful to bear. Uttering a cry, and making k Violent euuri 1 seized my dressing gowb, pulled open the door, and darted| into the other room, where I fell on the bed, panting and almost insensible. With daylight tbe visions of the nightuost power, aud*f felt eqmewhat afftiamed of< my retreat, and experienced; much nervousness in facing my Uncle, though own to a defeat I deter rained I would ndt. When . I at last ventured into the breakfast rooth, Uncle Bob hailed my pale face with a loud burst of merriment. “By George, he has seen the ghost!" he cried. The girls, especially Maud, were full of compassion and questions. “It iarnothing," I said, “except that I slept 111, having had nightmare; but" —aud I looked at my uncle—“l shall sleep there again to-night.” “You will?" he asked seriouriy. “You’d better hot, {Ted." "With yottr permission, I will." - “Oh, certainly, but I should advise 'yon not" 1 would not admit having seen anything) nor listen to the girls’ entreaties for me to abandon the idea of another trial, and that night was outb more shut and bolted in the haunted room. I had,.however,bo intention to sleep bbt to tfatcb until dawn. Lighting hiy lamp. I sat dowu at the table; and opened the book I had managed to procure from the drawing room. I had taken the ffret at hand, and it proved not very infereeiing. Nevertheless, I resilutelv set to work. Oae, two o’clock struck, when finding the light bad, I looked up; the lamp bfiti oegun to burn as it bad the previous night. The involuntary start I give al-o told me that the opprte-ive f. eling had possession ofme. O Heaven ! was that awful spectre again lo appear, those bony hands to be again about my throat? Had I courage to wail? Yesi to win Maud. Strengthening myself thus J waited. My brain increased in dizziness. les, it was just the same; I could hardly breathe. In a few seconds I knew the light-would go put, and I should be In darkdeesi Going to the window I drew back the heavy cilrtains. Tbe moon shone brightly. All without was bright, cool fresh. Ah, if I could but breathe it fora space! Why not open the window? Mounting a chair, for the catch was high up, I tried, but the fastening, from rust i>r otlrtr cause, would not move. My brain ewam ae I got down. and,, reeliug, I feu, coming in such violent oontaot with the glass, that my elbow smashed not only*an Inner but an out. r panrtoo. Myflrst eaUpg was rearet at the accident, my next rapture, for, kneeling I Mterally drank tbe pure, cool night air that rushed in. * “It is like Wine,” I cried. “Nov can I meet tbe ghost!" I rose up. Why. what was the meaning or this? The lamp was burning as brightly as ever. The oppression had gone from my chest; the room was as uoghoeriike as it had ever been. I stood bewildered- until my eyee reeUing upon the “Discourse on Mines an idea flashed across my mind. I pondered, rejecting this explanation of my vieions, accepting that,'until, with a cry of rapture, I exclaimed: - . “By Jove, I have it! it’s a trick, after all—* clever one, aud does credit to the knowledge and inventor of the per* . petrator. But Maud—Maud Is mine!" . , Having made one or two little altera(lons In life apartment, I weßTumd, aad 'never.slept better in' my. nr©. When I entered the brea&fk&t-rooin next (homing, Uncle Bob erki : • HiMo! f say, you haven’t seen the gboet.’. •‘Kxw** me, sir, I have; and have—laid it!" a “By what means, I pray?” “By breaking the window and foreSESBrn*

all eesae# with something vary like asphyxia which, by producing aaßTocauon soft { you're a brick, I lure vebdlated it, there will be no mere ghosts in Uncle Bob’s haunted __