The Shadows on the Wall by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
Section [1 | 2]
gloss, traversed by an indeterminate green scroll, hung quite high a small gilt and black- framed ivory miniature taken in her girlhood of_the mother of_the family . when_the lamp was set on_the table beneath it, the tiny pretty face painted on_the ivory seemed to gleam out with a look of intelligence .

" what have_you put that lamp over there for ? " asked Mrs Brigham, with more of impatience than her voice usually revealed ." why didn't you set it in_the hall and have_done with it . neither Caroline nor I_can_see if_it_is on_that table ."

" i_thought perhaps you_would move," replied Rebecca hoarsely .

" if I_do move, we_can't both sit at_that table .Caroline has her paper all spread around . why don't you set the lamp on_the study table in_the middle of_the room, then we_can both see ? "

Rebecca hesitated . her face was very pale . she looked with an appeal that was fairly agonizing at her sister Caroline .

" why don't you put the lamp on_this table, as she says ? " asked Caroline, almost fiercely ." why do_you act so, Rebecca ? "

" i_should think you_would ask her that," said Mrs Brigham ." she doesn't act like herself at all ."

Rebecca took the lamp and set it on_the table in_the middle of_the room without another word . then she turned her back upon it quickly and seated herself on_the sofa, and placed a hand over her eyes as_if to shade them, and remained so .

"Does the light hurt your eyes, and_is that_the reason why you didn't want the lamp ? " asked Mrs Brigham kindly .

"I always like to sit in_the dark," replied Rebecca chokingly . then she snatched her handkerchief hastily from her pocket and began to weep .Caroline continued to write, Mrs Brigham to sew .

suddenly Mrs Brigham as she sewed glanced at_the opposite wall . the glance became a steady stare . she looked intently, her work suspended in her hands . then she looked away again and took a few more stitches, then she looked again, and again turned to her task . at last she laid her work in her lap and stared concentratedly . she looked from_the wall around the room, taking note of_the various objects; she looked at_the wall long and intently . then she turned to her sisters .

" what_is that ? " said she .

" what ? " asked Caroline harshly; her pen scratched loudly across the paper .

Rebecca gave one of her convulsive gasps .

" that strange shadow on_the wall," replied Mrs Brigham .

Rebecca sat with her face hidden: Caroline dipped her pen in_the inkstand .

" why don't you turn around and look ? " asked Mrs Brigham in awondering and somewhat aggrieved way .

" I_am in a hurry to finish this letter, if Mrs Wilson Ebbit is going to_get word in_time to_come to_the funeral," replied Caroline shortly .

Mrs Brigham rose, her work slipping to_the floor, and she began walking around the room, moving various articles of furniture, with her eyes on_the shadow .

then suddenly she shrieked out:

" look at_this awful shadow ! what_is it ? Caroline, look, look ! Rebecca, look ! what_is it ? "

all Mrs Brigham's triumphant placidity was gone . her handsome face was livid with horror . she stood stiffly pointing at_the shadow .

" look ! " said she, pointing her finger at it ." look ! what_is it ? "

then Rebecca burst out in a wild wail after ashuddering glance at_the wall:

"Oh, Caroline, there it_is again ! there it_is again ! "

"Caroline Glynn, you look ! " said Mrs Brigham ." look ! what_is that dreadful shadow ? "

Caroline rose, turned, and stood confronting the wall .

" how should I_know ? " she said .

" it_has_been there every night since he died," cried Rebecca .

" every night ? "

" yes . he died Thursday and this_is Saturday; that makes three nights," said Caroline rigidly . she stood as_if holding herself calm with a vise of concentrated will .

" it-- it looks like-- like--" stammered Mrs Brigham in a tone of intense horror .

" I_know what it looks like well enough," said Caroline ."I've got eyes in my head ."

" it looks like Edward," burst out Rebecca in a sort of frenzy of fear ." only--"

" yes, it does," assented Mrs Brigham, whose horror- stricken tone matched her sister's, " only-- Oh, it_is awful ! what_is it, Caroline ? "

"I ask_you again, how should I_know ? " replied Caroline ." I_see it there like you . how should I_know any more than you ? "

" it must_be something in_the room," said Mrs Brigham, staring wildly around .

" we moved everything in_the room the first night it came," said Rebecca; " it_is_not anything in_the room ."

Caroline turned upon her with a sort of fury ." of_course_it_is something in_the room," said she ." how you act ! what do_you_mean by talking so ? of_course_it_is something in_the room ."

" of_course, it_is," agreed Mrs Brigham, looking at Caroline suspiciously ." of_course it must_be . it_is only a coincidence . it just happens so . perhaps it is_that fold of_the window curtain that makes it . it must_be something in_the room ."

" it_is_not anything in_the room," repeated Rebecca with obstinate horror .

the door opened suddenly and Henry Glynn entered . he began to_speak, then his eyes followed the direction of_the others' . he stood stock still staring at_the shadow on_the wall . it_was life size and stretched across the white parallelogram of a door, half across the wall space on_which the picture hung .

" what_is that ? " he demanded in a strange voice .

" it must_be due to something in_the room, Mrs Brigham said faintly .

" it_is_not due to anything in_the room," said Rebecca again with_the shrill insistency of terror .

" how you act, Rebecca Glynn," said Caroline .

Henry Glynn stood and stared a moment longer . his face showed a gamut of emotions-- horror, conviction, then furious incredulity . suddenly he began hastening hither and thither about_the room . he moved the furniture with fierce jerks, turning ever to_see the effect upon_the shadow on_the wall . not a line of_its terrible outlines wavered .

" it must_be something in_the room ! " he declared in a voice which seemed to snap like a lash .

his face changed . the inmost secrecy of_his nature seemed evident until one almost lost sight of_his lineaments . Rebecca stood close to her sofa, regarding him with woeful, fascinated eyes .Mrs Brigham clutched Caroline's hand . they both stood in a corner out of_his way . for a few_moments he raged about_the room like a caged wild animal . he moved every piece of furniture; when_the moving of a piece did_not affect the shadow, he flung it to_the floor, his sisters watching .

then suddenly he desisted . he laughed and began straightening the furniture which he had flung down .

" what an absurdity," he_said easily ." such a to- do about a shadow ."

" that's so," assented Mrs Brigham, in a scared voice which she tried to_make natural . as she spoke she lifted a chair near her .

" i_think you_have broken the chair that Edward was so fond of," said Caroline .

terror and wrath were struggling for expression on her face . her mouth was set, her eyes shrinking .Henry lifted the chair with a show of anxiety .

" just as good as ever," he_said pleasantly . he laughed again, looking at his sisters ." did I scare you ? " he_said ." i_should think you_might_be used to_me by_this_time . you_know my way of wanting to leap to_the bottom of a mystery, and_that shadow does look-- queer, like-- and i_thought if there_was any_way of accounting for_it i_would like to without any delay ."

" you don't seem to_have succeeded," remarked Caroline dryly, with a slight glance at_the wall .

Henry's eyes followed hers and he quivered perceptibly .

"Oh, there_is no accounting for shadows," he_said, and he laughed again ."A man is a fool to_try to account for shadows ."

then the supper bell rang, and_they all left the room, but Henry kept his back to_the wall, as did, indeed, the others .

Mrs Brigham pressed close to Caroline as she crossed the hall ." he looked like a demon ! " she breathed in her ear .

Henry led the way with an alert motion like a boy; Rebecca brought up the rear; she_could scarcely walk, her knees trembled so .

" I_can't sit in_that room again this evening," she whispered to Caroline after supper .

" very_well, we_will sit in_the south room," replied Caroline ." i_think we_will sit in_the south parlor," she said aloud; " it isn't as damp as_the study, and I_have a cold ."

so they all sat in_the south room with their sewing .Henry read the newspaper, his chair drawn close to_the lamp on_the table . about nine o'clock he rose abruptly and crossed the hall to_the study . the three sisters looked at one another .Mrs Brigham rose, folded her rustling skirts compactly around her, and began tiptoeing toward the door .

" what_are you going to_do ? " inquired Rebecca agitatedly .

" I_am going to_see what he_is about," replied Mrs Brigham cautiously .

she pointed as she spoke to_the study door across the hall; it_was ajar .Henry had striven to pull it together behind him, but it had somehow swollen beyond the limit with curious speed . it_was still ajar and a streak of light showed from top to bottom . the hall lamp was not lit .

" you had better stay where you_are," said Caroline with guarded sharpness .

" I_am going to_see," repeated Mrs Brigham firmly .

then she folded her skirts so tightly that her bulk with its swelling curves was revealed in a black silk sheath, and she went with a slow toddle across the hall to_the study door . she stood there, her eye at_the crack .

in_the south room Rebecca stopped sewing and sat watching with dilated eyes .Caroline sewed steadily . what Mrs Brigham, standing at_the crack in_the study door, saw was_this:

Henry Glynn, evidently reasoning that_the source of_the strange shadow must_be between_the table on_which the lamp stood and_the wall, was making systematic passes and thrusts all over and through_the intervening space with an old sword which had belonged to_his father . not an inch was left unpierced . he_seemed to_have divided the space into mathematical sections . he brandished the sword with a sort of cold fury and calculation; the blade gave out flashes of light, the shadow remained unmoved .Mrs Brigham, watching, felt herself cold with horror .

finally Henry ceased and stood with_the sword in hand and raised as_if to strike, surveying the shadow on_the wall threateningly .Mrs Brigham toddled back across the hall and shut the south room door behind her before she related what she had seen .

" he looked like a demon ! " she said again ." have_you got any of_that old wine in_the house, Caroline ? I don't feel as_if I_could stand much more ."

indeed, she looked overcome . her handsome placid face was worn and strained and pale .

" yes, there's plenty," said Caroline; " you_can_have some when_you go to bed ."

" i_think we had all better take some," said Mrs Brigham ."Oh, my god, Caroline, what--"

"Don't ask and don't speak," said Caroline .

" no, I_am not going to," replied Mrs Brigham; " but--"

Rebecca moaned aloud .

" what_are you doing that for ? " asked Caroline harshly .

" poor Edward," returned Rebecca .

" that_is all you_have to groan for," said Caroline ." there_is nothing else ."

" I_am going to bed," said Mrs Brigham ."I sha'n't be_able to_be at_the funeral if I don't ."

soon the three sisters went to_their chambers and_the south parlor was deserted .Caroline called to Henry in_the study to_put out the light before he_came upstairs . they had_been gone about an hour when he_came into_the room bringing the lamp which had stood in_the study . he set it on_the table and waited a few_minutes, pacing up and down . his face was terrible, his fair complexion showed livid; his blue eyes seemed dark blanks of awful reflections .

then he_took the lamp up and returned to_the library . he set the lamp on_the centre table, and_the shadow sprang out on_the wall . again he studied the furniture and moved it about, but deliberately, with none of_his former frenzy . nothing affected the shadow . then he returned to_the south room with_the lamp and again waited . again he returned to_the study and placed the lamp on_the table, and_the shadow sprang out upon_the wall . it_was midnight before he went upstairs .Mrs Brigham and_the other sisters, who_could_not sleep, heard him .

the next_day was_the funeral . that evening the family sat in_the south room . some relatives were with_them . nobody entered the study until Henry carried a lamp in there after_the others had retired for_the night . he_saw again the shadow on_the wall leap to an awful life before_the light .

the next morning at breakfast Henry Glynn announced that he had to_go to_the city for three days . the sisters looked at him with surprise . he very seldom left home, and just now his practice had_been neglected on account of Edward's death . he_was a physician .

" how can_you leave your patients now ? " asked Mrs Brigham wonderingly .

"I don't know how to, but there_is no other way," replied Henry easily ." I_have_had a telegram from doctor Mitford ."

"Consultation ? " inquired Mrs Brigham .

" I_have business," replied Henry .

doctor Mitford was an old classmate of_his who lived in aneighboring city and who occasionally called upon him in_the case of aconsultation .

after he had gone Mrs Brigham said to Caroline that after all Henry had_not said that he_was going to consult with doctor Mitford, and she thought it very strange .

" everything is very strange," said Rebecca with a shudder .

" what do_you_mean ? " inquired Caroline sharply .

" nothing," replied Rebecca .

nobody entered the library that day, nor the next, nor the next . the third day Henry was expected home, but he_did_not arrive and_the last train from_the city had come .

"I call it pretty queer work," said Mrs Brigham ." the idea of a doctor leaving his patients for three days anyhow, at_such_a_time as_this, and I_know he has some very sick ones; he_said so . and_the idea of aconsultation lasting three days ! there_is no sense in_it, and now he has_not come .I don't understand it, for_my part ."

"I don't either," said Rebecca .

they were all in_the south parlor . there_was no light in_the study opposite, and_the door was ajar .

presently Mrs Brigham rose-- she_could_not have told why; something seemed to impel her, some will outside her own . she went out_of_the room, again wrapping her rustling skirts around that she might pass noiselessly, and began pushing at_the swollen door of_the study .

" she has_not got any lamp," said Rebecca in ashaking voice .

Caroline, who was writing letters, rose again, took a lamp ( there were two in_the room) and followed her sister . Rebecca had risen, but she stood trembling, not venturing to_follow .

the doorbell rang, but the others did_not hear it; it_was on_the south door on_the other side of_the house from_the study . Rebecca, after hesitating until the bell rang the second time, went to_the door; she remembered that_the servant was out .

Caroline and her sister Emma entered the study .Caroline set the lamp on_the table . they looked at_the wall ."Oh, my god," gasped Mrs Brigham, " there_are-- there_are two--shadows ." the sisters stood clutching each_other, staring at_the awful things on_the wall . then Rebecca came in, staggering, with a telegram in her hand ." here_is--a telegram," she gasped ."Henry is-- dead ."

from " the wind in_the Rosebush," by Mary E .Wilkins freeman . copyright, 1903, by Doubleday, page & company .

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