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THE ROOM WITH THE TASSELS
by
CAROLYN WELLS
Author of "The Bride of a Moment,""Faulkner's Folly," etc.
New YorkGeorge H. Doran Company
Copyright, 1918,By George H. Doran CompanyPrinted in the United States of America
WITH LOVE AND HOMAGE _This Book is Dedicated_ TO HATTIE BELLE JOHNSTON
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE I. Wanted: A Haunted House 11 II. The Old Montgomery Place 26 III. Black Aspens 41 IV. The Story of the House 56 V. Eve's Experience 71 VI. At Four O'clock 86 VII. The Mystery 101 VIII. By What Means 117 IX. Conflicting Theories 131 X. Was It Supernatural? 146 XI. The Heir Speaks Out 161 XII. The Professor's Experience 176 XIII. Pennington Wise 192 XIV. Zizi 207 XV. Tracy's Story 222 XVI. What Happened to Zizi 237 XVII. Stebbins Owns Up 252 XVIII. Another Confession 267
THE ROOM WITH THE TASSELS
CHAPTER I Wanted: A Haunted House
"But I _know_ it's so,--for Mrs. Fairbanks saw it herself,--and heard it,too!"
The air of finality in the gaze levelled at Braye defied contradiction,so he merely smiled at the girl who was doing the talking. But, talkingor silent, Eve Carnforth was well worth smiling at. Her red hairwas of that thin, silky, flat-lying sort, that spells temper, butlooks lovely, and her white, delicate skin,--perhaps the least bithand-painted,--showed temperament while her eyes, of the colour calledberyl,--whatever that is,--showed all sorts of things.
Then from her canna-hued lips fell more wisdom. "And Professor Hardwickbelieves it, too, and he's----"
"A college professor," broke in Landon, "don't try to gild _his_refinement! But really, Eve, you mustn't believe in spooks,--it isn'tdone----"
"Oh, but it is! You've no idea how many people,--scientific and talentedpeople,--are leaning toward spiritualism just now. Why, Sir Oliver Lodgesays that after the war great and powerful assistance will be given byspirit helpers in matters of reconstruction and great problems ofscience."
Milly Landon's laugh rang out, and she politely clapped a little, fathand over her mouth to stifle it.
Milly Landon was an inveterate giggler, but don't let that prejudice youagainst her. She was the nicest, dearest dumpling of a little woman whoever giggled her way through life. And as hostess on this present Sundayafternoon occasion, she sat, one foot tucked under her, on the davenportin her long, narrow parlour, on one of New York's East Seventiethstreets.
It was a parlour like thousands of others in the city, and the quartetteof people talking there were much like the people talking in those otherparlours, that Sunday afternoon. Their only superiority lay in the factthat they constitute part of the personnel of this absorbing tale, andthe other people do not.
Milly and her very satisfactory husband, Wynne Landon, were affablyentertaining Rudolph Braye and the herein-before described Eve Carnforth,two pleasing callers, and the talk had turned on psychological mattersand then, by inevitable stages, to the supernatural and spiritualism.
"It is all coming in again," Eve declared, earnestly. "You know it wastaken very seriously about thirty or forty years ago, and then because offake mediums and fraudulent seances, it fell into disrepute. But now,it's being taken up in earnest, and I, for one, am terribly interested."
"But it's so old-fashioned, Eve," and Milly looked at her guest indisdain.
"It's gammon and spinach, that's what it is," declared Landon, "veryrubbishy gammon and a poor quality of spinach!"
"Queen Victoria didn't think so," Eve informed them. "She may have beenold-fashioned, but she believed thoroughly in the spiritual reappearanceof her friends who died, and especially took comfort in the communion andvisitation of her dead husband."
"It's this way, I think," offered Braye; "it seems to me it's like thatold 'Lady or the Tiger' story, you believe or not, according to yourcharacter or disposition. You know, it depended on your own nature,whether you think the Lady came out of the door, or the Tiger. And sowith spooks, if you want to believe in them, you do."
"Don't say spooks, please," begged Eve; "say phantasms, or even ghosts."
"Is that the usage in the best mediumistic circles?" and Braye smiled."Well, I think I could more easily believe in a spook than a phantasm.The latter sounds so unreal, but a good honest Injun spook seems sort ofplausible."
"They're all unreal," began Landon, but Eve interrupted. "They're notunreal, Wynne; they're immaterial, of course, but that isn't beingunreal. You have a real soul, haven't you, although it is immaterial? andI suppose you don't call your mind material, even if your brain is."
"Now you're quibbling, Eve," and Landon grew a bit more serious. "When Isay unreal, I mean imperceptible to the senses. I hold that a departedspirit cannot return to earth and be seen, heard, or felt by mortal humanbeings. All the stories of such things to the contrary notwithstanding.If you or any one else has power to show me a visible spook,--I begpardon, phantasm,--I'll be glad to see it, but I'm from Missouri. Iwouldn't be a bit afraid of it, but I'd have to be jolly well convincedof its integrity. No faked-up spectres would go down with me!"
"But how can you know?" asked Milly. "I'd be scared to death of one, I'msure, but if Wynne wants to see one, I do. Let's all go to a seance, orwhatever they call the things. Shall us?"
"No, indeed!" cried Eve. "Professional seances are always fakes. And Idon't aspire to _see_ one. If we could get some messages from the beyond,that would satisfy me."
"Get messages how?" asked Braye.
"Oh, by a Ouija board, or some such way."
"Ouija!" derided Landon; "that's the biggest fraud of all!"
"Only in the hands of frauds. If we tried it here by ourselves and if weall trusted each other not to stoop to deception of any sort that wouldbe a fair test."
"I'd like that," and Milly giggled in pleased anticipation. "Thatwouldn't frighten me, and I'd promise to play fair."
"There'd be no reason for not playing fair," said Eve, seriously. "We'renot a pack of silly children who want to trick one another. If we couldget together some evening and have an earnest, serious test, I'd agree.But not if there's to be the least suspicion of anybody trying trickery."
At this point two more callers arrived, and Milly jumped up to greetthem.
"Mr. Bruce!" she exclaimed, "how nice to see you! And Vernie,--mygoodness, how you've grown!"
"Indeed, yes," and Vernie Reid, a most lively and energetic sub-deb ofsixteen, darted from one to another, greeting all with interest.
"Hello, Cousin Rudolph, what are _you_ doing here? Mooning after MissCarnforth, I s'pose. Dear Mrs. Landon, let me sit here by you. I want toshow you my graduating gifts."
"Oh, yes, you've just had commencement, haven't you?"
"Yes, and Uncle Gifford gave me this heavenly wrist-watch, and myrespected Cousin R
udolph, over there, sent me this pendant. Isn't itstunning? Oh, I had beautiful presents. I'd like to graduate every year!"
"Aren't you going to school any more at all?"
"Dunno yet. Uncle Gifford says I am, I say I'm not. It remains to beseen. Though I don't mind confiding to you that I usually get my own way.And, too, out in Chicago, you know, we're not such terrible highbrows.Something tells me my schooldays are over. I think Uncle Gif needs thepleasure of my society at home. And, too, I want to get acquainted withCousin Rudolph. Until this week I haven't seen him for years."
"He isn't your cousin, Vernie."
"Same as. He's a son of Uncle Gif's half-brother, and I'm a daughter ofUncle's own sister, so it sort of evens up. Anyway, I like CousinRudolph, because he's such a good-looking young man, and he's promised totake me round New York some. That's why I'm so jealous of Miss Carnforthor any other girl."
Vernie was so pretty that her chatter amused the whole crowd. She wasbrown-haired and brown-eyed, and somewhat of a browned complexion, byreason of much tennis and outdoor life at the school from which she hadjust been graduated. And after a summer spent among the Eastern resorts,she and her Uncle were to return to their Chicago home, where they hadlived all of Vernie's orphaned life. Gifford Bruce idolized the girl andthough often short and crabbed in his manner to others, he was nevercross or stern to his dead sister's child.
"What were you talking about when we came in?" Vernie asked, smiling atMilly. "You were all so in earnest, it must have been somethingimportant."
"Of ghosts," answered Braye, looking at the pretty child. "Do you enjoythem?"
"Oh, don't I!" cried Vernie. "Why, at school we just ate 'em up! Tabletippings and all such things, as soon as lights were out!"
"We don't mean that sort," said Eve. "We were talking seriously."
"Count me out, then," laughed Vernie. "Our ghosts weren't a bit real. Idid most of 'em myself, jogging the table, when the others didn't knowit!"
Eve's scarlet lips came together in a narrow line, but the others laughedat Vernie as she babbled on.
"Yes, and we tried the Ouija board. I can make it say anything I wantto."
"Good for you, Kiddie," cried Braye, "I believe I like your notion ofthese things better than the ideas of the psychologists. It sounds a lotmore fun!"
"And comes nearer the truth," declared Mr. Bruce. "I've looked up thesematters and I've read all the best and most authoritative books on thesubjects. There are many writers more diffuse and circumstantial, butAndrew Lang sums up the whole situation in his able way. He says thereare no ghosts, but there are hallucinations. And that explains all."
"It doesn't to me," and Eve's beryl eyes took on a mystic, faraway look."I, too, have read a lot of books----"
"Scientific or psychic?" interrupted Mr. Bruce, acidly.
"Psychical and Theosophic----"
"Rubbish! The Theosophic bunch have been in the discard for years."
"That's what I say," put in Milly, "the whole business is old-fashioned."
"It isn't a question of fashion," and Gifford Bruce spoke assuredly; "thesubject is one that recurs in waves, as many such things do. Why, therehave been ghosts and haunted houses in people's imagination ever sincethere has been man and a house for him to live in. Some are spoken of inthe Bible, the primitive Australians had legions of ghosts, the awfulDyaks record them, and there is scarce a castle or palace of the middleages that hasn't its Woman in White, or a Little Gray Lady or the Man inBlack. And in an old Egyptian papyrus, there's an account of a defunctlady who insisted on haunting her husband to his great distaste."
"My goodness, Uncle Gif, you do know a lot about it!" and Vernie wentover and sat on the arm of his chair. "Tell us more. I like this sort ofghost stories better than the fool stunts we did at school."
"I'm not telling ghost stories, child, I'm only declaring that ghoststories are merely _stories_, and in no case a true relation ofhappenings. Lang investigated thousands of cases, and in ten out of everyeleven, he states, fraud was proved."
"Quite so," said Eve, "and it is that eleventh case that interests thereal thinker, the true inquirer."
"But the eleventh case was simply not proven, it never has been shownthat it was really a ghostly visitation."
"But they do say, Uncle Gifford," observed Braye, "that the very fact ofthe frauds being perpetrated proves that there was something to imitate.If no spirit had ever returned to earth and made itself manifest, no onewould have thought of pretending that one did."
"Nonsense and super-nonsense! Why, Rudolph, perpetual motion is not areal thing, but how many times has it been pretended! You don't rememberthe Keeley Motor, but that deceived thousands into believing thatperpetual motion was at last discovered, but it wasn't; and that frauddoesn't prove that perpetual motion, without adequate cause, exists."
"Here comes Professor Hardwick," exclaimed Milly, "splendid to have himcome just now! Sit down, Professor, and get right into the game. You knowall these people, except this angel child, Miss Vernie Reid."
"I am an angel," declared Vernie, "but I'm no child! I've just graduatedwith honours and diplomas and lots of presents. Now, I'm out in the greatworld, and glory, but I love it! But don't mind me, Professor, go righton and tell us all you know about ghosts and ghostesses."
"Bless my soul! I don't know anything about them."
"Well, do you believe in ghosts?"
"What do you mean by ghosts? How do you define a ghost?"
"Ah, there's the rub," said Landon. "These people are all talking atcross purposes. Mr. Bruce means a scarecrow phantom rigged up in sheets,Miss Carnforth means a supernatural being of some sort, but I take aghost, in the proper sense, to mean the visible soul of some one who hasdied."
"What do you mean by visible soul? Disembodied?"
"No," considered Landon, "I suppose I mean clothed in a body,--that is anapparent body."
"And raiment?" asked the old Professor.
"Yes, certainly. I never heard of a nude spook!"
"Then your visible soul is concealed by a body of flesh, and clothes, offabric, or, at least, apparently so. The soul, I take it, would show butlow visibility."
"Good, Hardwick!" cried Mr. Bruce. "Give them a jolt, they needit,--talking such rubbish!"
"Rubbish, Bruce? What do you mean by rubbish?"
"Why, all this ghost gabble----"
"How do you know it's rubbish? Have you personally disproved it? Do youmean intentional rubbish? Are they talking deceptively, or are theythemselves deceived?"
"By the Lord Harry, Hardwick, I had forgotten you were such a sticklerfor words! I must choose my diction carefully. Do you, then, believe thatso-called supernatural appearances are caused by psychical influences orare hallucinations of the senses? There, I think I've put it clearly."
"Fairly so. But I can't answer clearly. I never express an opinion on agrave question----"
Milly's hand flew up to her mouth to repress an involuntary giggle. "A_grave_ question!" she exploded. "It surely is."
The Professor looked at her thoughtfully. "It is," he went on, "and it isno laughing matter. As I was saying, I never state an opinion withoutbeing sure of my facts. Now, I've had no experience, personally, withsupernatural matters, and so am unfit to discuss them. But, I admit Ishould be very glad to have some such experience. Yes, I certainlyshould."
"Really," and Eve Carnforth looked interested. "I can arrange it for you,Professor Hardwick."
"No, no, my dear lady, I do not mean that I want to go to a seance, wherethe so-called medium throws flowers and things out of a cabinet, or tootstrumpets and bangs cymbals! No, thank you, I've seen such often."
"What would you choose as an experience?" asked Landon.
"I'd like to go to a house that is reputed haunted, and in circumstancesthat preclude all possibility of fraud, see the haunting spirits or hearthem, for myself."
"Me, too!" cried Vernie. "Oh, I do think that would be the rippingestfun! If you ever do it, Professor, mayn'
t I go with you?"
"I'll go along," said Eve. "Wouldn't that be a splendid proof! To havesuch a scientific and open-minded man as the Professor, and a few otherswho are in earnest and anxious to learn. You couldn't go, Mr. Bruce. Youare too sceptical."
"I'm just the one you need," he laughed. "A balance wheel to keep youenthusiasts straight. But haunted houses are not to be found on everybush in America. If we were in England now,--or Scotland."
"They do have some over here," Landon asserted. "I read of one recently,and I've heard of others."
"Let's find one," suggested Eve, "and spend our summer vacation in it!Wouldn't that be a lark?"
"Oh, do!" exclaimed Vernie. "I'd just love it! May I go, Uncle Gifford?Oh, please let me."
"Only if I go myself, child. The spooks,--I beg their pardon, phantasms,might carry you off. I'll have to go along to rescue you."
"Phantasms don't carry people off," said Eve, contemptuously. "And thoughI'd like to consider this plan, I'd only do so, if we were all in earnestas investigators, whatever our opinions may be."
"Come on, let's go," said Landon. "I think it a great little old scheme.Make up a party, you know, but every one who joins must promise to beearnest and honest. Must promise to do nothing to fool or mislead theothers, but keep a fair and open mind for any developments. Of course,there won't be any developments, but we can have a jolly time and we canhave wild discussions."
"Wynne would rather have a discussion than eat," said his wife. "I'll go,and I'll be the housekeeper and chaperon of the crowd, if, as Wynne says,there'll be no developments. I'd love the outing, and I think this asplendid party to belong to. And let's take Norma Cameron. She's asensitive, or whatever you call it, and she'll help you out, Eve."
"Why make the party any larger?" asked Eve, a little petulantly. "Thecrowd here now seems just right and congenial and all that."
"Why lug in Norma?" said Braye, smiling. "I don't know said Norma, but Iagree with Eve that the party here is just sort of complete."
"Yes, I will take Norma. The poor child never gets an outing, and she'djust love this chance."
"You talk as if we were going to a summer resort," said Landon. "In thefirst place, Milly, I doubt if we can find a properly haunted house in apleasant locality, that is for rent."
"Of course we can't," declared Mr. Bruce. "The whole scheme is idiotic.But if you can work it out, Landon, I'll go along, and take this littlepiece of property." He looked smilingly at the eager-eyed Vernie. "She'sdue for some fun after her school work, and if she likes this stunt,let's try to put it over."
"How would you set out to find a house?" asked Braye.
"Advertise," said Landon, promptly. "I know a firm of real estate agents,that I'll bet could manage it in short order. Say we try it?"
"I'm going to take Norma," insisted Milly. "Mayn't I, Wynne?"
"Take anything or anybody you wish, my cherished one. But then, oughtn'twe to have another man?"
"Yes," said Milly, decidedly. "I hate a bunch of hens, without plenty ofmenfolks about. Who knows a nice, good-natured, all round adaptabledinner man?"
"I know just the chap," said Braye, "but he's a minister. Or, at least,he used to be. But he's an awfully good fellow, and most agreeableparlour company."
"What's his name?" asked Landon.
"Tracy. I met him first in Chicago, some years ago, and I've always likedhim."
"All right, if Milly asks Norma, you ask your friend, but it's a case offirst catch your house!"
"It's got to be a nice house, and fairly comfortable," Milly stipulated,"or I won't go."
"It's got to have a well-authenticated ghost, or I won't go," laughedBraye. "I don't believe in the things, but I'd like to have a chance tohear their clanking chains, or whatever they perform on."
"I'll go just for the fun of the thing," said Vernie, "and if we do catcha ghost, so much the better!"