A Warning to the Curious, and Other Ghost StoriesJames, M. R. (Montague Rhodes)
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A Warning to the Curious, and Other Ghost Stories
James, M. R. (Montague Rhodes)
English fiction -- 20th century; Ghost stories, English; Short stories, English
“I was on duty ’ere later than usual, Mr Potwitch ’aving asked me
to remain on, and ordered his lunching to be sent in, which came as
ordered. I was in the lobby from eleven-thirty on, and see Mr Bligh
[the clerk] leave at about twelve. After that no one come in at all
except Mr Potwitch’s lunching come at one o’clock and the man left in
five minutes’ time. Towards the afternoon I became tired of waitin’
and I come upstairs to this first floor. The outer door what lead to
the orfice stood open, and I come up to the plate-glass door here. Mr
Potwitch he was standing behind the table smoking a cigar, and he laid
it down on the mantelpiece and felt in his trouser pockets and took
out a key and went across to the safe. And I knocked on the glass,
thinkin’ to see if he wanted me to come and take away his tray; but he
didn’t take no notice, bein’ engaged with the safe door. Then he got
it open and stooped down and seemed to be lifting up a package off of
the floor of the safe. And then, sir, I see what looked to be like a
great roll of old shabby white flannel, about four to five feet high,
fall for’ards out of the inside of the safe right against Mr Potwitch’s
shoulder as he was stooping over; and Mr Potwitch, he raised himself up
as it were, resting his hands on the package, and gave a exclamation.
And I can’t hardly expect you should take what I says, but as true as
I stand here I see this roll had a kind of a face in the upper end of
it, sir. You can’t be more surprised than what I was, I can assure you,
and I’ve seen a lot in me time. Yes, I can describe it if you wish it,
sir; it was very much the same as this wall here in colour [the wall
had an earth-coloured distemper] and it had a bit of a band tied round
underneath. And the eyes, well they was dry-like, and much as if there
was two big spiders’ bodies in the holes. Hair? no, I don’t know as
there was much hair to be seen; the flannel-stuff was over the top of
the ’ead. I’m very sure it warn’t what it should have been. No, I only
see it in a flash, but I took it in like a photograft--wish I hadn’t.
Yes, sir, it fell right over on to Mr Potwitch’s shoulder, and this
face hid in his neck,--yes, sir, about where the injury was,--more like
a ferret going for a rabbit than anythink else; and he rolled over, and
of course I tried to get in at the door; but as you know, sir, it were
locked on the inside, and all I could do, I rung up everyone, and the
surgeon come, and the police and you gentlemen, and you know as much as
what I do. If you won’t be requirin’ me any more to-day I’d be glad to
be getting off home; it’s shook me up more than I thought for.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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