parts of the house, the action of the wind against the walls, or
the rotting or shrinking of wood from age will produce just such sounds
as you have heard. I quite fail, therefore, to see any mystery about
it.'

"'However,' he continued, 'I will send a carpenter around who will
probably set things to rights; that is, if the expense be not too great.
I am not prepared to put a large sum of money on the house; and
stairways, you know, are costly arrangements at best.' I fully agreed
with him.

"'By the way,' said he, blinking at me through his thick glasses, 'there
is just a bit of nervousness in your make-up, isn't there? "A little off
your feed," as Regina says; liver out of shape--something of that sort,
eh?' I confessed that that was just it. I frankly told him that I was
not only a nervous man, but a miserably sick and frightened one to boot.
He did not offer to prescribe for me, and after some moments of silence
I judged that he considered our interview at an end. I arose to go, but
on leaving the room fired a parting shot, which, to my surprise, proved
a telling one.

"'Doctor,' said I, 'before you send the man to make repairs I would like
you to hear the creaking of the stairs for yourself--just as a matter of
curiosity. My wife and sister-in-law are going up to the old home in a
few days. Suppose you come over and spend a night with me while they are
away.'

"The doctor chuckled, 'You are a queer fellow, Mr. Ploat; a queer
fellow, and no mistake. You say you are run down, played out, can't
sleep. Take more exercise, sir; give up late suppers, drink less, stop
smoking. A man leading the sedentary life you do should take more care
of himself. I am older than you are, and a physician. My advice may be
worth something. As to coming over and staying with you, I don't see
that there is anything in that. It seems absurd, quite so; but
nevertheless, I will humor you. Let me know when to come, but on no
account say anything of this to my sister. My absence would greatly
alarm her. I have not been out of this house after dark for over forty
years!'

"With this strange assertion our conversation closed.

"The following Monday my wife and sister-in-law left for Salem, and
Doctor Matthai promised to be with me on Wednesday night. When I found
myself alone in the house I resolved to put into execution an idea which
struck me with much force. I thought it very likely that I would find
out whether the creaking of the sta