The Empty House.

certain houses like certain persons manage somehow to Proclaim at once their character for evil in the case of the latter no particular feature need betray them they may boast an open countenance and an ingenuous smile and yet a little of their company leaves the unalterable conviction that there is something radically am Miss with their being that they are evil willy-nilly they seem to communicate an atmosphere of secret and wicked thoughts which makes those in their immediate neighborhood shrink from them as from a thing diseased and perhaps with houses the same principle is operative and it

is the aroma of evil Deeds committed under a particular roof long after the actual doers have passed away that makes the goose flesh come and the hair rise something of the original Passion of the evildoer and of the horror felt by his victim enters the heart of the innocent Watcher and he becomes suddenly conscious of tingling nerves creeping skin and a chilling of the blood he is Terror stricken without apparent cause there was manifestly nothing in the external appearance of this particular particular house to Bear out the tales of the horror that was said to

rain within it was neither lonely nor unkempt it stood crowded into a corner of the square and looked exactly like the houses on either side of it it had the same number of Windows as its neighbors the same balcony overlooking the gardens the same white steps leading up to the heavy black front door and in the rear there was the same narrow strip of green with neat box borders running up to the wall that divided it from the backs of the adjoining houses apparently too the number of Chimney pots on the roof was the same

the breadth and angle of the eaves and even the height of the dirty area railings and yet this house in the Square that seemed precisely similar to its 50 ugly neighbors was as a matter of fact entire L different horribly different wherein lay this marked invisible difference is impossible to say it cannot be ascribed wholly to the imagination because persons who had spent some time in the house knowing nothing of the facts had declared positively that certain rooms were so disagreeable they would rather die than enter them again and that the atmosphere of the whole

house produced in them symptoms of a genuine Terror while the series of innocent tenants who had tried to live in it and been forced to DeCamp at the shortest possible notice was indeed little less than a scandal in the town when short house arrived to pay a weekend visit to his aunt Julia in her little house on the seafront at the other end of the town he found her charged to the brim with mystery and excitement he had only received her telegram that morning and he had come anticipating boredom but the moment he touched her

hand and kissed her appleskin wrinkled cheek he caught the first wave of her electrical condition the impression deepened when he learned that there were to be no other visitors and that he had been telegraphed for with a very special object something was in the wind and the something would doubtless bear fruit for this elderly spinster ant with a Mania for psychical research had brains as well as willpower and by hook or by crook she usually managed to accomplish her ends the Revelation was made soon after tea when she sidled close up to him as they

paced slowly along the seafront in the dusk I've got the keys she announced in a delighted yet half awesome voice got them till Monday the keys of the bathing machine or he asked innocently looking from the sea to the town nothing brought her so quickly to the point as feigning stupidity neither she whispered I've got the keys of the haunted house in the square and I'm going there tonight short house was conscious of the slightest possible Tremor down his back he dropped his teasing tone something in her voice and manner thrilled him she was in

Earnest but you can't go alone he began that's why I wired for you she said with decision he turned to look at her the ugly lined enigmatical face was alive with excitement there was the glow of genuine enthusiasm around it like a Halo the eyes Shone he caught another wave of her excitement and a second Tremor more marked than the first accompanied it thanks Aunt Julia he said politely thanks awfully I should not dare to go quite alone she went on raising her voice but with you I should enjoy it immensely you're afraid of nothing

I know thanks so much he said again uh is anything likely to happen a great deal has has happened she whispered though it's been most cleverly hushed up three tenants have come and gone in the last few months and the house is said to be empty for good now in spite of himself short house became interested his aunt was so very much in Earnest the house is very old indeed she went on and the story an unpleasant one dates a long way back it has to do with a murder committed by a jealous stableman who

had some affair with a servant in the house one night he managed to secrete himself in the cellar and when everyone was asleep he crept upstairs to the servants quarters chased the girl down to the next landing and before anyone could come to the rescue threw her bodily over the banisters into the Hall below and the stableman was caught I believe and hanged for murder but it all happened a century ago and I've not been able to get more details of the story short house now felt his interest thoroughly aroused but though he was not

particularly nervous for himself he hesitated a little on his aunt's account on one condition he said at length nothing will prevent my going she said firmly but I may as well hear your condition that you guarantee your power of self-control if anything really horrible happens I mean that you are sure you won't get too frightened Jim she said scornfully I'm not young I know nor are my nerves but with you I should be afraid of nothing in the world this of course settled it for short house had no pretensions to being other than a very

ordinary young man and an appeal to his vanity was irresistible he agreed to go instinctively by a sort of subconscious preparation he kept himself and his forces well in hand the whole evening compelling an accumulative reserve of control by that nameless inward process of gradually putting all the emotions away and turning the key upon them a process difficult to describe but wonderfully effective as all men who have lived through severe Trials of the Inner Man well understand later it stood him in good stead but it was not until halfast 10 when they stood in the

hall well in the glare of friendly lamps and still surrounded by comforting human influences that he had to make the first call upon this store of collected strength for once the door was closed and he saw the deserted silent Street stretching away white in the Moonlight before them it came to him clearly that the real test that night would be in dealing with two fears instead of one he would have to carry his aunt's fear as well as his own and as he glanced down at her sphinx-like countenance and realized that it might assume no

Pleasant aspect in a rush of real terror he felt satisfied with only one thing in the whole Adventure that he had confidence in his own will and power to stand against any shock that might come slowly they walked along the empty streets of the Town a bright Autumn Moon silvered the roofs casting Deep Shadows there was no breath of wind and the trees in the formal Gardens by the seafront watched them silently as they passed along to his aunt's occasional remarks short House made no reply realizing that she was simply surrounding herself with mental buffers

saying ordinary things to prevent herself thinking of extraordinary things few Windows showed lights and from scarcely a single chimney came smoke or Sparks short house had already begun to notice everything even the smallest details presently they stopped at the street corner and looked up at the name on the side of the house full in the Moonlight and with one Accord but without remark turned into the square and crossed over to the side of it that lay in Shadow the number of the house is 13 whispered a voice at his side and neither of them made

the obvious reference but passed across the broad sheet of Moonlight and began to March up the pavement in silence it was about halfway up the square that short house felt an arm slipped quietly but significantly into his own and knew then that their Adventure had begun in Earnest and that His companion was already yielding imperceptibly to the influences against them she needed support a few minutes later they stopped before a tall narrow house that Rose before them into the night ugly in shape and painted a dingy white shutterless Windows without blinds stared down upon them

shining here and there in the Moonlight there were weather streaks in the wall and cracks in the paint and the balcony bulged out from the first floor a little unnaturally but beyond this generally forlorn appearance of an unoccupied house there was nothing at first sight to single out this particular Mansion for the evil character it had most certainly acquired taking a look over their shoulders to make sure they had not been followed they went boldly up the steps and stood against the huge black door that fronted them forbiddingly but the first wave of nervousness was

now upon them and short house fumbled a long time with the key before he could fit it into the lock at all for a moment if truth were told they both hoped it would not open for they were a prey to various unpleasant emotions as they stood there on the threshold of their Ghostly Adventure short house shuffling with the key and hampered by the steady weight on his arm certainly felt the solemnity of the moment it was as if the whole world for all experience seemed at that instant concentrated in his own Consciousness were listening

to the gring noise of that key a stray puff of wind wandering Down The Empty Street woke a momentary rustling in the trees behind them but otherwise this rattling of the key was the only sound Audible and at last it turned in the lock and the heavy door swung open and revealed a yawning Gulf Of Darkness Beyond with a last glance at the moonlit Square they passed quickly in and the door slammed behind them with a roar that echoed prodigiously through empty halls and passages but instantly with the Echoes another sound made itself heard and

ant Julia leaned suddenly so heavily upon him that he had to take a step backwards to save himself from falling a man had coughed close beside them so close that it seemed they must have been actually by his side in the darkness with the possibility of practical jokes in his mind short house at once swung his heavy stick in the direction of the sound but it met nothing more solid than air he heard his aunt give a little gasp beside him there's someone here she whispered I heard him be quiet he said sternly it was

nothing but the noise of the front door oh get a light quick she added as her nephew fumbling with a box of matches opened it upside down and let them all fall with a rattle onto the stone floor the sound however was not repeated and there was no evidence of retreating Footsteps in another minute they had a candle burning using an empty end of a Cigar Case as a holder and when the first flare had died down he held the impromptu lamp aoft and surveyed the scene and it was dreary enough in all conscience for

there is nothing more desolate in all the abodes of men than an unfurnished house dimly lit silent and Forsaken and yet tenanted by rumor with the memories of evil and violent histories they were standing in a wide hallway on their left was the open door door of a spacious dining room and in front the hall ran ever narrowing into a long dark passage that led apparently to the top of the kitchen stairs the broad uncarpeted staircase Rose in a sweep before them everywhere draped in Shadows except for a single spot about halfway up where the

Moonlight came in through the window and fell on a bright patch on the boards this shaft of light shed a faint Radiance above and below it lending to the objects within its reach a misty outline that was infinitely more suggestive and ghostly than complete darkness filtered Moonlight always seems to paint faces on the surrounding Gloom and as short house peered up into the well of darkness and thought of the countless empty rooms and passages in the upper part of the old house he caught himself longing again for the safety of the moonlit square or the

Cozy bright drawing room they had left an hour before then realizing that these thoughts were dangerous he thrust them away again and summoned all his energy for concentration on the present Aunt Julia he said aloud severely we must now go through the house from top to bottom and make a thorough search The Echoes of his voice died away slowly all over the building and in the intense silence that followed he turned to look at her in the candle light he saw that her face face was already ghastly pale but she dropped his arm for a

moment and said in a whisper stepping close in front of him I agree we must be sure there's no one hiding that's the first thing she spoke with evident effort and he looked at her with admiration you feel quite sure of yourself it's not too late I think so though she whispered her eyes shifting nervously toward the Shadows behind quite sure only one thing what's that you must never leave me alone for an instant as long as you understand that any sound or appearance must be investigated at once for to hesitate means to admit fear

that is fatal agreed she said a little shakily after a moment's hesitation I'll try arm in- arm short house holding the dripping candle in the stick while his aunt carried the cloak over her shoulders figures of utter comedy to all but themselves they began a systematic search stealthily walking on tiptoe and shading the candle lest it should betray their presence Through the shutterless Windows they went first into the big dining room there was not a stick of furniture to be seen seen bare walls ugly mantle pieces and empty grates stared at them everything they felt

resented their intrusion watching them as it were with veiled eyes Whispers followed them Shadows flitted noiselessly to right and left something seemed ever at their back watching waiting an opportunity to do them injury there was the inevitable sense that operations which went on when the room was empty had been temporarily suspended till they were well out of the way again the whole dark interior of the old building seemed to become a malignant presence that rose up warning them to desist and mind their own business every moment The Strain on the nerves increased out of the

gloomy dining room they passed through large folding doors into a sort of library or smoking room wrapped equally in silence Darkness and dust and from this they regained the hall near the top of the back stairs here a pitch black tunnel opened before them into the lower regions and it must be confessed they hesitated but only for a minute with the worst of the night still to come it was essential to turn from nothing Aunt Julia stumbled at the top step of the Dark Descent ill lit by the flickering candle and even short house felt

at least half the decision go out of his legs come on he said peremptorily and his voice ran on and lost itself in the dark empty spaces below I'm coming she faltered catching his arm with unnecessary violence they went a little unsteadily down the stone steps a cold damp air meeting them in the face close and malodorous the kitchen into which the stairs LED along a narrow passage was large with a lofty ceiling several doors opened out of it some into cupboards with empty jars Still Standing on the shelves and others into horrible little ghostly

back offices each colder and less inviting than the last black beetles scurried over the floor and once when they knocked against a deal table standing in a corner something about the size of a cat jumped down with a rush and fled scampering across the stone floor into the darkness everywhere there was a sense of recent occupation an impression of sadness and Gloom leaving the Main Kitchen they next went towards the skullery the door was standing a jar and as they pushed it open to its full extent Aunt Julia uttered a piercing scream which she instantly

tried to to stifle by placing her hand over her mouth for a second short house stood stock still catching his breath he felt as if his spine had suddenly become Hollow and someone had filled it with particles of ice facing them directly in their way between the doorposts stood the figure of a woman she had disheveled hair and wildly staring eyes and her face was terrified and white as death she stood there motionless for the space of a single second then the candle flickered and she was gone gone utterly and the door framed nothing but

empty Darkness only the beastly jumping candle light he said quickly in a voice that sounded like someone else's and was only half under control come on aunt there's nothing there he dragged her forward with a clattering of feet and a great appearance of boldness they went on but over his body the skin moved as if crawling ants covered it and he knew by the weight on his arm that he was supplying the force of locomotion for two the skullery was cold bare and empty more like a large prison cell than anything else they went round

it tried the door into the yard and the windows but found them all fasten securely his aunt moved beside him like a person in a dream her eyes were tightly shut and she seemed merely to follow the pressure of his arm her courage filled him with amazement at the same time he noticed that a certain odd change had come over her face a change which somehow evaded his power of analysis there's nothing here Auntie he repeated aloud quickly let's go upstairs and see the rest of of the house then we'll choose a room to wait

up in she followed him obediently keeping close to his side and they locked the kitchen door behind them it was a relief to get up again in the hall there was more light than before for the moon had traveled a little further down the stairs cautiously they began to go up into the dark Vault of the Upper House the boards creaking under their weight on the first floor they found the large double drawing rooms a search of which revealed nothing here also was no sign of furniture or recent occupancy nothing but dust and neglect and

shadows they opened the big folding doors between front and back drawing rooms and then came out again to The Landing and went on upstairs they had not gone up more than a dozen steps when they both simultaneously stopped to listen looking into each other's eyes with a new apprehension across the flickering candle flame from the room they had left hardly 10 seconds before came the sound of doors quietly closing it was beyond all question they heard the booming noise that accompanies the shutting of heavy doors followed by the sharp catching of the latch we must

go back and see said short house briefly in a low tone and turning to go downstairs again somehow she managed to drag after him her feet catching in her dress her face livid when they entered the front drawing room it was plain that the folding doors had been closed half a minute before without hesitation short house opened them he almost expected to see someone facing him in the back room but only darkness and cold air met him they went through both rooms finding nothing unusual they tried in every way to make the doors close of

themselves but there was not wind enough even to set the candle flame flickering the doors would not move without strong pressure all was silent as the grave undeniably the rooms were utterly empty and the house utterly still it's beginning whispered a voice at his elbow which he hardly recognized as his aunts he nodded acquiescent taking out his watch to note the time it was 15 minutes before midnight he made the entry of exactly what had occurred in his notebook setting the candle in its case upon the floor in order to do so it took a

moment or two to balance it safely against the wall Aunt Julia always declared that at this moment she was not actually watching him but had turned her head towards the Inner Room where she fancied she heard something moving but at any rate both positively agreed that there came a sound of rushing feet heavy and very Swift and the next instant the candle was out but to short house himself had come more than this and he has always thanked his fortunate stars that it came to him alone and not to his aunt too for as he

rose from the stooping position of balancing the candle and before it was actually extinguished a face thrust itself forward so close to his own that he could almost have touched it with his lips it was a face working with passion a man's face dark with thick features and angry Savage eyes it belonged to a common man and it was evil in its ordinary normal expression no doubt but as he saw it alive with intense aggressive emotion it was a malignant and terrible human countenance there was no movement of the air nothing but the sound of

rushing feet stockinged or muffled feet The Apparition of the face and the almost simultaneous extinguishing of the candle in spite of himself short house uttered a little cry nearly losing his balance as his aunt clung to him with her whole weight in one moment of real uncontrollable Terror she made no sound but simply seized him bodily fortunately however she had seen nothing but had only heard the rushing feet for her control returned almost at once and he was able to disentangle himself and strike a match the Shadows ran away on all sides before the glare

and his aunt stooped down and groped for the Cigar Case with the precious candle then they discovered that the candle had not been blown out at all it had been and crushed out the wick was pressed down into the wax which was flattened as if by some smooth heavy instrument how His companion so quickly overcame her Terror short house never properly understood but his admiration for her self-control increased tenfold and at the same time served to feed his own dying flame for which he was undeniably grateful equally inexplicable to him was the the evidence of

physical Force they had just witnessed he had once suppressed the memory of stories he had heard of physical mediums and their dangerous phenomena for if these were true and either his aunt or himself was unwittingly a physical medium it meant that they were simply aiding to focus the forces of a haunted house already charged to the brim it was like walking with unprotected lamps among uncovered stores of gunpowder so with as little reflection as possible he simply relit the candle and went up to the next floor the arm in his trembled it is true and

his own tread was often uncertain but they went on with thoroughness and after a search revealing nothing they climbed the last flight of stairs to the top floor of all here they found a perfect nest of small servants rooms with broken pieces of furniture dirty cane bottom chairs chests of drawers cracked mirrors and decrepit bedsteads the rooms had low sloping ceilings already hung here and there with cobwebs small windows and badly plastered walls a depressing and dismal region which they were glad to leave behind it was on the stroke of midnight when they entered a

small room on the third floor close to the top of the stairs and arranged to make themselves comfortable for the remainder of their Adventure it was absolutely bare and was said to be the room then used as a Clothes Closet into which the infuriated groom had chased his victim and finally caught her outside across the narrow Landing began the stairs leading up to the floor above and the servants quarters where they had just searched in spite of the chilliness of the night there was something in the air of this room that cried for an open

window but there was more than this short house could only describe it by saying that he felt less master of himself here than in any other part of the house there was something that acted directly on the nerves tiring the resolution enfeebling the will he was conscious of this result before he had been in the room five minutes and it was in the short time they stayed there that he suffered the wholesale depletion of his vital forces which was for himself the chief horror of the whole experience they put the candle on the floor of

the cupboard leaving the door a few inches a jar so that there was no glare to confuse the eyes and no Shadow to shift about on walls and ceiling then they spread the cloak on the floor and sat down to wait with their backs against the wall short house was within 2 ft of the door onto the landing his position commanded a good view of the main staircase leading down into the darkness and also of the beginning of the servant stairs going to the floor above the heavy stick lay beside him within easy reach the

moon was now high above the house through the open window they could see the comforting star stars like friendly eyes watching in the sky one by one the clocks of the Town struck midnight and when the sounds died away the Deep Silence of a windless night fell again over everything only the boom of the sea far away and lugubrious filled the air with Hollow murmurs inside the house the silence became awful awful he thought because any minute now it might be broken by sounds portending Terror the strain of waiting told more and more severely on

the nerves they talked in Whispers when they talked at all for their voices aloud sounded queer and unnatural a chilliness not altogether due to the night air invaded the room and made them cold the influences against them whatever these might be were slowly robbing them of self-confidence and the power of decip I of action their forces were on the Wayne and the possibility of real fear took on a new and terrible meaning he began to tremble for the elderly woman by his side whose pluck could hardly save her Beyond a certain extent he heard the

blood singing in his veins it sometimes seemed so loud that he fancied it prevented his hearing properly certain other sounds that were beginning very faintly to make themselves audible in the depths of the house every time he fastened his attention on these sounds they instantly ceased they certainly came no nearer yet he could not rid himself of the idea that movement was going on somewhere in the lower regions of the house the drawing room floor where the doors had been so strangely closed seemed too near the sounds were further off than that he thought of

the great kitchen with the scurrying black beetles and of the dismal little skullery but somehow or other they did not seem to come from there either surely they were not outside the house then suddenly the truth flashed into his mind and for the space of a minute he felt as if his blood had stopped flowing and turned to ice The Sounds were not downstairs at all they were upstairs upstairs somewhere among those horrid gloomy little servants rooms with their bits of broken Furniture low ceilings and cramped Windows upstairs where the victim had first been Disturbed

and stalked to her death and the moment he discovered where the sounds were he began to hear them more clearly it was the sound of feet moving stealthily along the passage overhead In and Out Among the rooms and past the furniture he turned quickly to steal a glance at the motionless figure seated beside him to note whether she had shared his Discovery the faint candle light coming through the crack in the cupboard door through her strongly marked face into Vivid relief against the white of the wall but it was something else that made him catch

his breath and stare again an extraordinary something had come into her face and seemed to spread over her features like a mask it smoothed out the Deep lines and Drew the skin everywhere a little tighter so that the wrinkles disappeared it brought into the face with the sole exception of the old eyes an appearance of Youth and almost of childhood he stared in speechless amazement amazement that was dangerously near to horror it was his aunt's face indeed but it was her face of 40 years ago the vacant innocent face of a girl he had heard

stories of that strange effect of Terror which could wipe a human countenance clean of other emotions obliterating all previous Expressions but he had never realized that it could be literally true or could mean anything so simply horrible as what he now saw for the Dreadful signature of overmastering fear was written plainly in that utter vacancy of the girlish face beside him and when feeling his intense gaze she turned to look at him he instinctively closed his eyes tightly to shut out the sight yet when he turned a minute later his feelings well in hand he

saw to his intense relief another expression his aunt was smiling and though the face was deathly white the awful Veil had lifted and the normal look was returning anything wrong was all he could think of to say at the moment and the answer was eloquent coming from such a woman I feel cold and a little frightened she whispered he offered to close the window but she seized hold of him and begged him not to leave her side even for an instant it's upstairs I know she whispered with an odd half laugh but I can't possibly

go up but short house thought otherwise knowing that in action lay their best hope of self-control he took the Brandy flask and poured out a glass of neat Spirit stiff enough to help anybody over anything she swallowed it with a little shiver his only idea now was to get out of the house before her collapse became inevitable but this could not safely be done by turning tail and running from the enemy in action was no longer possible every minute he was growing less master of himself and desperate aggressive measures were imperative without further delay moreover

the action must be taken towards the enemy not away from it the climax if necessary and unavoidable would have to be faced boldly he could do it now but in 10 minutes he might not have the force left to act for himself much less for both upstairs The Sounds were meanwhile becoming louder and closer accompanied by occasional creaking of the boards someone was moving stealthily about stumbling now and then awkwardly against the furniture waiting a few moments to allow the tremendous dose of spirits to produce its effect and knowing this would last but a short

time under the circumstances short house then quietly got on his feet saying in a determined voice now Aunt Julia we'll go upstairs and find out what all this noise is about you must come too it's what we agreed he picked up his stick and went to the cupboard for the candle limp form Rose shakily beside him breathing hard and he heard a voice say very faintly something about being ready to come the woman's courage amazed him it was so much greater than his own and as they Advanced holding aoft the dripping candle some subtle force

exhaled from this trembling white-faced old woman at his side that was the true source of his inspiration it held something really great that sh GED him and gave him the support without which he would have proved far less equal to the occasion they crossed the dark Landing avoiding with their eyes the Deep black space over the banisters then they began to mount the narrow staircase to meet the sounds which minute by minute grew louder and nearer about halfway up the stairs Aunt Julia stumbled and short house turned to catch her by the arm and just

at that moment there came a terrific crash in the servants Corridor overhead it was instantly followed by a shrill agonized scream that was a cry of Terror and a cry for help melted into one before they could move aside or go down a single step someone came rushing along the passage overhead blundering horribly racing madly at full speed three steps at a time down the very staircase where they stood the the steps were light and uncertain but close behind them sounded the heavier tread of another person and the staircase seemed to shake short house and

His companion just had time to flatten themselves against the wall when the jumble of flying steps was upon them and two persons with the slightest possible interval between them dashed past at full speed it was a perfect Whirlwind of sound breaking in upon the midnight Silence of the empty building the two Runners pursuer and pursued had passed clean through them where they stood and already with a thud the boards Below had received first one then the other yet they had seen absolutely nothing not a hand or arm or face or even a shred of flying

clothing there came a second's pause then the first one the lighter of the two obviously the the pursued one ran with uncertain footsteps into the little room which short house and his aunt had just left the heavier one followed there was a sound of scuffling gasping and smothered screaming and then out onto the landing came the step of a single person treading weightily a dead silence followed for the space of half a minute and then was heard a rushing sound through the air it was followed by a dull crashing thud in the depths of the

house Below on the stone floor of the hall utter silence rained after nothing moved the flame of the candle was steady it had been steady the whole time and the air had been undisturbed by any movement whatsoever palsied with Terror a Julia without waiting for her companion began fumbling her way downstairs she was crying gently to herself and when short house put his arm around her and half carried her he felt that she was trembling like a leaf he went into the little room and picked up the cloak from the floor and arm in- arm

walking very slowly without speaking a word or looking once behind them they marched down the three flights into the Hall in the hall they saw nothing but the whole way down the stairs they were conscious that someone followed them step by step when they went faster it was left behind and when they went more slowly it caught them up but never once did they look behind to see and at each turning of the staircase they lowered their eyes for fear of the following horror they might see upon the stairs above with Trembling Hands short house

opened the front door and they walked out into the Moonlight and drew a deep breath of the cool night air blowing in from the sea for