The Mayor's Wife

. Leaving Ellen to finish her work, I went upstairs to my own room, and, taking out the scr

ere might come a time when I should be glad to give them the attention which my present excitement forbade. Putting them back in my desk, I settled myself into a serious contemplation of the one fact which se

fficiently clear to me in the cold-blooded anal

as mistaken, would an interference of so direct and unmistakable a character be wise in the present highly strung condition of her nerves? I doubted it. It would show too plainly the light in which we regarded her. I dared not undertake the responsibility of such a course in Mayor Packard’s absence. Some other way must be found to quiet her apprehensions and bring her into harmony again with

hile Mr. Steele was devoting himself to the discovery of Mayor and Mrs. Packard’s political enemy, I would essay the more difficult task of pene

hat gable window. It was not likely. It was not in ordinary human nature to keep up so unremitting a watch. Yet as the shade flew up at my touch I realized that my astonishment would have been great and my expectations altogether disappointed if I had not encountered the fixed countenance and the set stare

I went out, to discover what possible duties she might have laid out for me. Ascertaining from Ellen that Mrs. Packard

oubts and much inward trepidation, but buoyed up by the assurance of Mayor Packard’s approval of any attempt, however far-fetched or unpromising, which held out the least possi

s hope. At my first glimpse of his tall, gaunt figure, hard features, and brisk impatient mo

when he saw me. Recognizing at once that any attempt at ingratiation would fail with this man, I entered at once u

in Street, did you know enough about it to have an a

y hint of patience from face and manner, and he exclaimed in a tone wh

ga

how how much I felt the total

ed that the occurrences which have provoked this r

ous fidgeting and gave

has Mrs. Packard made you her me

bsence. I am here instead of Mrs. Packard because it is she herself who is the present s

f such strong good sense! I think you must have been misled by some foolish attemp

have come face to face with an undoubted specter in the library of the house they have rented from you. She related the circumstances to her husband and to myself this very morning. It occurred, according to her story, several days ago; meantime her manner and appearance have shown a

ere?” he asked, after a

,” I returned. “If you will give me a few minutes of your time, I will explain just what I mean and also make

showed any appreciation of my feelings, and pushin

ning to me with a quick, “Step in, Madam,” he left me with the greatest abruptne

other course than to enter the room he had pointed out an

me. Very few human faces are plainer than the one I now searched for the encouragement of which I stood in such sore need, but also very few faces, handsome or otherwis

said. “I am at present an inmate of Mayor Packard’s house — a h

answering one. A flash of excitement broke over his features and he cast

asked with ill-concealed perturbation. “I did not expect it during their tenantry, but if such

mised!”

saw the lights or encountered anything in the house, which could be construed into a spiritual visitation. Has such a manifestation

husband’s candidacy, would scarcely wish to draw public attention to herself or these supernatur

interested in the house’s good name to spread so damaging a story. An experience, more or less disagreeable, must have occurred to some member of the fami

o much in their character. Do you happen to know the exact nature of each

rstitious tendency on my part; rather from the lack of it. I don’t believe in spirits. I don’t believe in superna

ry the specter of a man; a specter with a gaze so terrifying that it impressed itself upon

door which had been carefully closed at bedtime. Once it was the trailing of ghostly fingers across the sleeper’s face, and once a succession of groans rising from the lower halls and

ations you mention. If she could be convinced that these manifestations had a physical origin, she would immediately question the reality of the specter she now believes herse

ants coming from various quarters manufactured all these stories an

who owned the house before Mr. Searles?” I was resolved to gi

wo maiden ladies who live

them,” said

sterious visitations which have lessened the value of their former property. They have asked me more than once for an explanation

all the force of a very ra

ntinual brooding over this mysterious topic. The house, whose peculiarities we are now discussing, was once their family homestead, and they shrink from the reproach of its unfortunate reputation. What! you don’t think so?” he impetuousl

h which they had endured their misfortune. It gave me great relief; I could work more safely with this secret

of the past may influence these unfortunate women. They possibly h

accountable for the phenomena observed in 393? There are no means of communication between the two buildings; even the

the doors and windows of this strangely haunted house were always found

t I have questioned, and I was care

n know of some means of entrance that has escaped general dis

could have been produced by these two antiquated women; but the interest they have displayed in the effect these have had upon others has been of the most decided nature. They have called here after t

. “Why to them? They no longer have

inst the house. They, in short, paid me to do so. From time to time they have come here to read this account. It annoy

im the full details of their pitiful history, and the maddening hopes it engendered of a possible dis

of the varied phenomena seen in th

iss Sau

us see if it does not give us som

ocally trusted? His very hesitation in face of his undoubted sympathy with me seemed to insure that he was. At all events, the occas

for a complete sifting of this whole affair. The Misses Quinlan may very well be innocent of inciting these manifestations; if so, we can do them no harm by

and resolve, and, reaching for a small drawer at the right of his desk, he opened it

t feel that in showing it to you I am violating any trust reposed i

erness. He smiled and pushed it

Mr. Hugh Denni

eard and s

n could reach the hall; the last time in far distant and smothered tones. Investigation revealed nothing. No person and n

he drawing-room door stopped at twelve, and a door was found open which Mr. Dennison is sur

opped the night before. No light is burning anywhere, and the hall below is a pit of darkness, when suddenly Mrs. Dennison seizes her husband’s arm and, gasping out, “The clock, the clock!” falls fainting to the floor. He bends to look and faintly, in the heart of the shadows, he catches in dim outline the face of the clock, and reaching up to it a s

is certainly a stir somewhere, but he can not locate it, not quite satisfy himself whether it is a footfall or a rustle that he hears. The clock in the library strikes twelve, then the one in the hall gives one great boom, and stops. Instantly he raises his revolver and shoots directly at its face

y he threw

nant: Mrs

ht. Would never te

Hires Bess for maid-of-all-wor

the house, waking the family. Disappeared a

wed by deep groans. Chil

3: N

arious hallways. Family give notice the next day, but do not leave for a week,

s. Bess offers to remain in it as c

inves

t of it by his fellows. But the general report was unsatisfactory. The

t: Mr. Westo

the lower hall one night when she went down to the kitchen to procure hot water for a sick c

g period wi

tanding open. He feels the draft. Turns on light from dark lantern. Something is there — a shape — he can not otherwise describ

ished th

is own experiences of the

that is why he is so

uller account of his experi

on’t talk

let the hou

ceed for a long time. Fi

it back to Mr. Robinson. I h

s, as here recorded, have all taken place in the lower part of the house. I should have had m

low. At least no visible

rsistency in clinging to a place her employers invariably fled from?

rits, and the fact that it is the one place in the world which connects her with her wandering and worthless husband. Their final parting occurred during Mr. Dennison’s tenancy, and as she h

he a plain woman? Such a one as a ma

n, refined and full of character, bu

baffl

distrust. There is also a marked incongruity between her employment and her general appeara

husband c

to my k

ere is

ot being able to obtain a situation in the house itself, she has rented the li

give more or less weight to my suspicions in thus finding the

erest you. She always has me. If it had not been for one fact, I should have suspected her of having been in some way connected with the strange doings we have just

I note

nivance is

business. They could not bear to see strangers in the house they had once called their

lity that the two sisters, afflicted as they were with dementia, should wish to protect the wealth which was once so near their grasp, from the possibility of discovery by a stranger. But I dared not take him quite yet into my full confidence. Indee

tate. Had money been somehow involved, or had they even thought so, it would be different. They are a little touched in the head on the subject of money; which isn’t very strange considering their pre

directness of this purely accidental attack. But the item struck me as an important one. Mr. R

ntentions in this

to ascertain whether there exists any secret connection between the two houses which would enable the Misses

y nothing of Mr. Searles himself, have looked it carefully over. All the walls

not done with the matter. Mrs. Packard’s mind must be cleared of its fancies, if it is in my power

and of my cooperation

said I, and l

interest not untinged by