I was gradually breaking down.

"At last I determined to call upon my landlord, Doctor Matthai, and lay
the trouble before him. He was born and raised in the house, and I
thought it probable that he could solve the mystery, or at least suggest
a remedy. Doctor Matthai lived just across the way in a quaint cottage
covered with great climbing roses and set well back in a prim garden,
with hollyhocks and hedges of box, and an ancient sun-dial which was my
wife's never-ending delight.

"The doctor was a short, thick-set, heavily whiskered gentleman, and
looked more like a retired man of affairs than the prosy recluse that he
was; but he had long since ceased to take any active interest in life,
and gave himself up entirely to scientific study and research of a more
or less abstruse nature. A useless sort of existence, it seemed to me,
as mankind was never destined, nor intended, to reap the benefits of his
labor. His sister kept house for him, and had full charge of all his
business matters. The doctor owned considerable property, and Miss
Regina proved a capable manager; as a collector of rents she certainly
had no equal--to that I can cheerfully testify. She was not popular in
A----, nor was her eccentric brother. Unpleasant tales were told about
Matthai. I never knew all the particulars, but they had something to do
with the murder of a slave in antebellum days. The townsfolk were
extremely reticent on the subject, and very mercifully so, for, as I
have since learned, the tragedy occurred in our house in Queen Anne
Street.

"I found Doctor Matthai in his library, immersed in study as usual;
quite out of the world so far as every-day happenings were concerned. He
greeted me rather coldly.

"'I beg your pardon,' said I, 'but I have come to see you about the
house.'

"'My sister, Regina----' he interrupted.

"'Yes, I know,' said I, 'but this visit is to _you_, though I fear you
will look upon what I have to say as very nonsensical and farfetched. To
me, though, it is a very serious matter.'

"I dwelt at length upon the grievance; putting it as strongly as
possible. The doctor listened attentively, and when I concluded, laughed
and said, 'I believe you fully as to the creaking of the stairs, but you
attach entirely too much importance to it. The noise results, I have no
doubt, from perfectly natural causes. You must remember, sir, that the
stairways are very old indeed, any jar from the movement of persons in
other