at old man Eckert's

by Ambrose Bierce

Philip Eckert lived for many years in an old, weather- stained wooden house about three miles from_the little town of Marion, in Vermont . there_must_be quite a number of persons living who remember him, not unkindly, I trust, and know something of_the story that I_am about to_tell .

" old man Eckert," as he_was always called, was not of a sociable disposition and lived alone . as he_was never known to_speak of_his own affairs nobody thereabout knew anything of_his past, nor of_his relatives if he had any . without being particularly ungracious or repellent in manner or speech, he managed somehow to_be immune to impertinent curiosity, yet exempt from_the evil repute with_which it commonly revenges itself when baffled; so_far as I_know, Mr Eckert's renown as a reformed assassin or a retired pirate of_the Spanish main had_not reached any ear in Marion . he got his living cultivating a small and not very fertile farm .

one day he disappeared and a prolonged search by his neighbors failed to_turn him up or throw any light upon his whereabouts or whyabouts . nothing indicated preparation to leave: all was as he_might_have left it to_go to_the spring for a bucket of water . for a few weeks little else was talked of in_that region; then " old man Eckert" became a village tale for_the ear of_the stranger . I_do_not know what_was done regarding his property-- the correct legal thing, doubtless . the house was standing, still vacant and conspicuously unfit, when I last heard of it, some twenty years afterward .

of_course it came to_be considered " haunted," and_the customary tales were told of moving lights, dolorous sounds and startling apparitions . at one_time, about five years after_the disappearance, these stories of_the supernatural became so rife, or through some attesting circumstances seemed so important, that some of Marion's most serious citizens deemed it well to investigate, and to_that end arranged for a night session on_the premises . the parties to_this undertaking were John Holcomb, an apothecary; Wilson Merle, a lawyer, and Andrus C . palmer, the teacher of_the public school, all men of consequence and repute . they were to meet at Holcomb's house at eight o'clock in_the evening of_the appointed day and go together to_the scene of_their vigil, where certain arrangements for their comfort, a provision of fuel and_the like, for_the season was winter, had_been already made .

palmer did_not keep the engagement, and after waiting a half- hour for him the others went to_the Eckert house without him . they established themselves in_the principal room, before aglowing fire, and without other light than it gave, awaited events . it had_been agreed to_speak as little as possible: they_did_not even renew the exchange of views regarding the defection of palmer, which had occupied their minds on_the way .

probably an hour had passed without incident when_they heard ( not without emotion, doubtless) the sound of an opening door in_the rear of_the house, followed by footfalls in_the room adjoining that in_which they sat . the watchers rose to_their feet, but stood firm, prepared for whatever might ensue .a long silence followed-- how long neither would afterward undertake to_say . then the door between_the two rooms opened and a man entered .

it_was palmer . he_was pale, as_if from excitement-- as pale as_the others felt themselves to_be . his manner, too, was singularly distrait: he neither responded to_their salutations nor so_much as looked at them, but walked slowly across the room in_the light of_the failing fire and opening the front door passed out into_the darkness .

it seems to_have_been the first thought of both men that palmer was suffering from fright-- that something seen, heard or imagined in_the back room had deprived him of_his senses .Acting on_the same friendly impulse both ran after him through_the open door . but neither they nor anyone ever again saw or heard of Andrus palmer !

this much was ascertained the next morning . during the session of Messrs .Holcomb and Merle at_the " haunted house" a new snow had fallen to a depth of several inches upon_the old . in_this snow palmer's trail from_his lodging in_the village to_the back door of_the Eckert house was conspicuous . but there it ended: from_the front door nothing led away but the tracks of_the two men who swore that he preceded them . palmer's disappearance was as complete as_that of " old man Eckert" himself-- whom, indeed, the editor of_the local paper somewhat graphically accused of having " reached out and pulled him in ."