Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-06-16

could hold.
'Oh, said her aunt. we shall manage very
we'll Bclticld is very elastic
She smiled as she spoke hut 1T struck
Miss Stirling that the question was, ncverthe-
less, puzzling one, she took the first OPP
portunitv of cntrcating her to take no trou-
bic ON her account a chair by the fire was
really all the accommodation she cared for.
as she wished to be i'll readiness to pursue
her Journey as soon as the coach could pro-
coed
We shall he able to do better for You than
that, Ellen, Mrs Atherton answered cheer.
. fully. i cannot, it is true. promise YOU a
state room, for every bed in the house is
full and know you will not allow any ono
to be moved for your convenience but have
one chamber still at your service, which, ex-
cept in one respect, is comfortable enough.
Haunted, Of course > said Miss Stirling
gaily.
oh. no, no, it is not that I had it fitted
, up for my brother William when he used to
be here more frequently than of late. and it is
often occupied by gentlemen when the house
Is full but, as it is detached from the house
have, of course, never asked any lady to
sleep there till now.
oh if that be all | am quite willing to
become its first lady tenant, said Miss Stir
/ ling, heartily. So the matter was settled
and orders were given to prepare the Pavilion
for the unexpected guest,
The evening passed pleasantly; music
| dancing. and ghost stories made the hours hy
fast. 1t was long past ten-thc usual hour
of retiring at Bclfeld-when Miss Sterling,
under her hostcss's guidance, took possession
of her outdoor chamber. 1t really was a
pleasant, cheerful little apartment. The
crimson hangings of the bed and window
| looked warm and comfortable in the flashing
! frc-light and when the candles on the man
tclpccc were lighted, and the two easy chairs
drawn close to the hearth the long parted
friends found it impossible to resist the temp
tation of sitting down to have, what in old
days they used to call two-handed chat
| There was much to tell of what had befallcn
both, of chequcrcd scenes Of JOY and sorrow,
deeply Interesting to those two whose youth
had been passed together there were mutual
recollcctions of SchoOl-days to he talked over:
mutual friends and future plans to he discus
| scd and midnight rung out from the stable
clock before Mrs. Atherton said good night
She had already crossed the threshold to 90.
when she turned back to say, forgot to tell
you, Ellen, that the inside bar of this door is
not very secure, and that the key only turns
outside. Are you inclined to trust to the
bar alone or will you, as William used to do,
have the door locked outside and let the ser
used to say that he found it rather an a,van-
tage to do so, as the unlocking of the door
was sure to wake him.
Miss Stirling laughingly allowed, that
though, generally, she could not quite think
it an advantage to be locked into her room,
still she had no objection to it on this psrtic-
ular occasion, as she wished to rise in reason
able time
Very we'll then you had better not fastcn
the bar at all, and will send my maid with
the key, at eight precisely. Good night
Good night.
They parted the door was locked outside :;
tn" key taken oIt and Miss Stirling, stand
Ing by the window watched her friend cross
the narrow black path, which had been swept
clear OF snow to make dry passage from the
house to the pavilion. \ ruddv lrht
strcamcd from the hall door as it opened to
pf%t wi~fThES< u ths sGGnc Gn1 when the door
closed and shut out that warm comfortable
light, the darkcncd porch, the pale moonlight
shimmcring on the shrouded trees and the
stars twinkling in the frosty sky, had such an
aspect of solitude as to cast over her kind
of chill that made her half repent having con-
scntcd to quit the house at all, and let her
self be locked up in this lonely place.
Yet what had she to fear No harm could
happen to her from within the chamber; the
iron stancheons guarded the window there
could be no danger, So. drawing her chair
once more to the fire, and stirring it into a
brighter blaze, she took up a little Bible
which lay on the dressing table, and read
some portions Of the New Testament
When she laid down the book she took out
the comb that fastened up her long dark
sikcn tresses-in which. despite her five and
thirty years. not silver thread was visible
and, as she arranged them for the night. her
thoughts strayed back to the old world me
mories, which her meeting with Mary Ather
ron had revived, The sound of the clock
triking two was the first thing that recalled
shcr to her present life. BY this time tn,
candles were burned down almost to tn,
socket, and the fire was dying fast. As sh,
turned to fling fresh log into the CRATE, hel
eyes fell upon the dressing-glass, and in it
reflection she saw, or at least fancied sh,
saw, the bcd-curtain move.
She stood for a moment gazing at tn,
mirror, expecting repetition of the move
ment but all was still, and she blamed her
self for allowing nervous fears to overcom,
her. Still it was an exertion, even of he
brave spirit, to approach the bed and with
draw the curtains. She was rewarded b,
5 finding nothing save the bedclothes iolde,
t neatly down, as if inviting her to press tn
{ snow-whte sheets, and a luxurious pile o
pillows, that looked most tempting. Sh
: | could not resist the mute invitation to res
4 her wearied limbs. Allowing herself no tim
n for further doubts fears, she placed he
4 candle on the mantelpicce, and stepped int
y bed.
5 She was very tired, her eyes ached wit
e weariness, but sleep seemed to fly from her
\ Old recollections thronged on her memory
thoughts connected with the business she hi
70 oh la,
9 culties that had not occurred to her till now
n arose up before her. She was restless an
r feverish and the vcxation of feeling so, mad
= her more wakcful. Perhaps if she were
h close the curtains between her and the fir
i she might he better able to sleep-the flicker
n ing light disturbed her and the noonbcan
IS stealing between the window-curtains ca,
e ghostly shadows on the wall. SO, she car,
n fully shut out the light ON that side, an
g turned again to sleep. Whether she had
Ii had not quite lost consciousness she coul
Of not well remember, but she was soon thorough
m ly aroused by feeling the bed hcave und
" her. She started up, and awaited with
,r beating heart II repetition of the movemen
but it did not come. 1t must have been
" return of the nervous iancies which ht
ID twice assailcd her already that night, La
re ing her head once more on the pillow, 81
determined to control her groundlrss terror
ce Again she started up This time the
at could be no doubt the bed had heaved mo
than once, accompanied by strange gurglir
r- sound, as il ofa creature in pain. Lranil
in ON her elbow, she listened with that nte
n sity Of fear which desires, almost as much
it breads, a recurrence of the sound tn
cr caused it, Ii came again, followed by II lo
to rustling noise, if some heavy body wt
IN, dragged from under the bed in the dirccti
nd of the fire, What could it he She longcd
call out for help, but her tongue clave to t
ON roof of her mouth, and the pulses in i
-st temples throbbed until she felt as if tn,
IN painful beating sounded in the silence Of t
rs; night like the loud tick of a clock,
at, The unseen thing dragged itselfalong un