Floating Fancies among the Weird and the OccultHolmes, Clara H.
Science
Floating Fancies among the Weird and the Occult
Holmes, Clara H.
American fiction -- 19th century; Paranormal fiction; Short stories, American
Was it but fancy, that a soft, happy sigh reached his ear? or was it but
the summer breeze?
How like the unbroken links of a chain it all appeared; he had planned
none of it, he could never have imagined himself in such a rôle; some
volition other than his own had led him in a well-prepared way. No
abrupt breaks, no jumps, no indecisions are necessary in our lives; when
such is the case we are in fault; we fail to heed the signboards and the
danger signals; we are shocked when we halt on the verge of a precipice,
or disgusted when we find that we have walked weary miles on the wrong
road, all because we read the signs to suit our fancied pleasure, or
plunged ahead and read them not at all.
His exalted, happy mood left him; he grew restless and nervous; he was
conscious of a stir all about him, a continuous vibration; he could not
sit still. At last he arose and walked over to the panel which he had,
in his vision, seen opened; he passed his hands over the ornamental
head, searching for a screw, bolt, or anything to indicate that any
portion of it was movable; it seemed one solid piece of carving.
“This is all nonsense! I have dreamed the whole thing!” But though he
derided, he could not rid himself of his unrest, or the intuition of a
sweet presence urging him on.
He examined the alternate panel, and could detect no difference; he
again returned, grasping the muzzle as he had seen the murderer do; he
started, it felt cold to his hand; he tapped it with his knife, it gave
forth a metallic sound; this was iron, the others, wood. He trembled
with excitement as he searched for a hinge, spring, or other means of
ingress; he no longer doubted being intuitively led. He placed himself
as nearly as possible in the position he had witnessed, and grasped the
muzzle in the same manner; a hot flush passed over his face, for a
single instant his knees grew weak with superstitious fear as he felt
the yielding of a tiny spring beneath the ends of his fingers. He
pressed firmly upon it; the jaws flew apart, the eyes rolled so fiercely
and so suddenly that it made him start back in affright; he thrust his
arm into the opening thus formed, and drew forth the package wrapped in
oiled silk, just as he had seen it in his vision—he could no longer
doubt its being such. Something else he saw, but a warning click caused
him to withdraw his hand; none too soon, the jaws closed like a steel
trap.
He eagerly unfolded the parcel, it seemed that he knew previous to
opening it what it would contain; the marriage certificate of John
Hilyer, and Amanda Cosgrove.
He returned to his chair and sat looking at the paper thoughtfully; it
was dated from a distant city, but he knew in some occult way that
Amanda Cosgrove was of the country. I cannot express it better than by
saying that the name wafted to him a breath of country air; the odor of
buttercups, and a glint of their gold.
The package held another paper—a sealed will.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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