True Tales of the Weird

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Dickinson Sidney. True Tales of the Weird

PREFATORY NOTE

INTRODUCTION

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

A MYSTERY OF TWO CONTINENTS

"A SPIRIT OF HEALTH"

THE MIRACLE OF THE FLOWERS

THE MIDNIGHT HORSEMAN

THE HAUNTED BUNGALOW

CHAPTER I. THE CONDEMNED

CHAPTER II. THE CRIME

CHAPTER III. THE FLIGHT AND CAPTURE

CHAPTER IV. THE EXPIATION

CHAPTER V. THE HOUSE ON THE HILL

CHAPTER VI. ON THE WINGS OF THE STORM

CHAPTER VII. A GHOSTLY CO-TENANCY

CHAPTER VIII. THE DEAD WALKS

CHAPTER IX. THE GOBLINS OF THE KITCHEN

CHAPTER X. A SPECTRAL BURGLARY

CHAPTER XI "REST, REST, PERTURBÉD SPIRIT!"

CHAPTER XII. THE DEMONS OF THE DARK

Отрывок из книги

This account of striking and peculiar events by Mr. Sidney Dickinson is but the fulfillment of an intention of the writer interrupted by sudden death. Mr. Dickinson had taken careful notes of the happenings described and, being a professional observer and writer, it was inevitable that he should preserve the narrative. He had been slow to prepare it for publication because of the prominent and enabling part played by his wife in the occurrences. After her death, when an increasing interest in the subject had developed, it seemed to Mr. Dickinson that the narrative might be received as he had written it – as a careful and exact account of most remarkable events. In reverence to the memory of his wife and out of respect to the friends concerned he could not present it otherwise to the public.

As the narrative is of some time ago and the principal witnesses are dead or inaccessible the account must stand for itself; the endorsement of the American Society for Physical Research testifies to its intrinsic interest. But the character and personality of the writer is a vital consideration. Mr. Sidney Dickinson was a professional journalist and lecturer. After graduation from Amherst in 1874 he served on the Springfield Republican and the San Francisco Bulletin. Later he was prominent as an art and dramatic critic on the staff of the Boston Journal. After extended study of art in European galleries he lectured before many colleges, universities and art associations. He spent some years in Australia, where many of the events of this account took place. While travelling in Europe and Australia he was correspondent for a number of papers and magazines, including Scribner's Monthly, the New York Times, the Boston Journal, and the Springfield Republican. During a visit to New Zealand he was engaged by the Colonial Government to give lectures on New Zealand in Australia and America.

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"Why, no, mamma," the little girl replied; "I have never seen them before. I was reading my new book at the table last night until I went to bed, and if they were there I should have seen them."

So the flowers were gathered up and placed on the shelf above the fireplace, and during the morning were exhibited to Mrs. Thaxter, who came in for a chat, and who, like my wife, could make nothing of the matter.

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