i should he (or she) of the massive feet see fit to appear on the
coming night.

"After carefully sweeping up the floor I shut up the house, and resolved
to keep my own counsel. I breakfasted in Washington that morning,
having, for obvious reasons, given our servant a holiday, and returned
to A---- about five in the afternoon; dining later with Doctor Matthai,
who met me at the station and very hospitably insisted upon my going
home with him. Shortly after dinner I bade my host and his sister
good-evening and went over to my own deserted dwelling. An hour or so
after, Doctor Matthai came in. Both of us were armed, and I thought it
singular that the doctor, who appeared to treat the whole affair as a
joke, should have taken that precaution. We sat by the open fire in my
dining-room, smoking; the doctor lingering somewhat mournfully upon the
departed greatness of A---- which, it seems, had once been a town of
considerable social and commercial importance. With reminiscence and
ancedote the hours sped by, and it was nearly midnight when we retired.

"The doctor, sharing my bed, asked me to arouse him if I heard anything
during the night. I slept fairly well until the clock on the mantel
struck two, when I awoke with a start. Complete silence reigned, and I
rolled over again for another nap. As I did so I heard a faint creaking
sound on the upper stair!

"'Ah,' thought I, 'it is coming down.' And so it proved. I gave the
doctor a violent nudge. He opened his eyes and looked at me stupidly.

"'Hush,' I whispered, 'don't you hear it? Don't you hear it?'

"'Yes, I do,' replied he, sitting up and peering into the darkness.

"Creak! Creak! Creak! Nearer 'It' came, and our floor was reached.
Clutching his revolver, Doctor Matthai sprang out of bed and ran to the
door. Then a horrible scream of terror and anguish rang through the
house. An invisible hand seemed to drag the unfortunate man out of the
room. There was a brief, desperate struggle on the landing, the creature
went heavily down the stairs, and the street door shut with a bang!

"When I recovered to some extent from the panic of fear and trembling
into which I was thrown by this awful and inexplicable occurrence, I
hurriedly dressed, and seeing nothing of the doctor, went over at once
to his cottage. Remembering his caution about Miss Regina, and not
wishing to otherwise frighten her, I ran around to the alley at the rear
of the grounds and climbed over the fence.