Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-11-26
y up to her again, when she turned, and


made me thrill; cannot bear them.''
"Yet theya are harmless; and the moon
light makes me thrill too. l always ex
clude it from my rooms. If it shine.
upon my face when | am sleeping, I have
bad dreams. My adversary, in the pic
ture you wot of, tempts me with some
splendid prize to do evil deeds; or / an
falling, falling, always falling over 8
Iprecipice; oron water churned into white
foam with fury, and only plank between
me and death; or / am destroying what
| most love, and cursing myself as / dc
lit"
! The two who had outwalked Nicholas
and the print-dealer, were now summon,
ed to return; and they all four sauntered
slowly in company towards the city
Long before they reached it the moon
was up, and the water rippled all white
in its cold light, while the clouds and
the ruins of st. Servin's Abbey, and the
Minister towers beyond, high up in the
clear atmosphere, looked larger and
ghostlier in its shimmering radiance
The young stranger had been silent fol
some minutes, when Adie asked archly
if the Tempter were discoursing with
him then.
mo; l was holding a parley with my
better angel" was the reply. "He has
not forsaken me quite; he is glad to find
me in such good company"
Adie spoke no more after that until
they stopped by the Minster-gate to say
good night to Marsh, who parted from
them there. She then asked if he should
so back to his lodging at Crossley by
the fields. No, he answered, he had de-
cided to remain in the town, and had
found other rooms more convenient fol-
his business than those so far off. Mich.
olas overhearing this, invited him to re-
turn and sup with them, as, being a
stranger,h couldnot have many friends
Royston acceded; and they crossed the
minister yard as the great clock struck
ten. The court was extremely hushed
when they entered it, for all the early
people We're quiet in their rooms. Com
ing from the dark College Lane 1T seem
ed quite light, almost as if snow lay OF
the flags and steps. They stopped d
few minutes to notice the fine effect OF
the quaintly-ornamented house in the
moonshine, and then mounted the stair.
way one by one. Martha admitted them
in her taciturn, down-looking, yet OBJ
servant way. She had been on the
watch for her masters return some time
and hearing Royston's voice down in the
court, had fastened to open the door
while she knitted few more loops o.
the web. An oil-lamp burnt on the ia
bic in the centre of the room, but i
scarcely threw out light enough to fill it
dusky corners; for it was a spacious
apartment, and had many little inches
and recesses. Through theuncurtainet
windows the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ed down on the lodges and floor, bu
faded as they came within the circle o
the lamp. The further side of the room
where the oak-closet was, and the dis
used door which opened upon the com
mon staircase of the house, lay all il
shadow, except when one of the meta
knobs on the panels twinkled like an in
quisitive eye in the gloom. In taking his
seat, Royston faced this part of the room
and some inconsequential remark of his
led Nicholas to say there was no egress
by that way, for he had bolted the door
up so many years ago that rust must long
since have rivetted it fast.
"There is long passage just outside
which thepeople say is haunted" observ
ed Adie. smiling. "It is haunted by
footsteps, nothing is to be seem"
81 should imagine not" replied Roy
ston, with curious laugh. 'But pray
what sort of footsteps are they-light
and tripping, or with theorthodox tramp,
tramp? / confess that it has always
puzzled me why a ghost should have
such solidity of step, when it is but an
airy nothing. Describe this haplesssoul's
march; / should like to hear it; never
having been so favored"
cit is very slow and solemn, as of a
person walking while he meditates, quite
regular and never pausing. 1t only
comes occasionally, in the dead of win.
ter nights; at no other time. Mrs. Parkes
has heard it, but never have; Grizzie
has too"
eyes; / have heard strange sounds in
this old house," added Nicholas grave
| ly; for his mind was deeply tinctured
with superstition, and he did not like to
hear these mysterious matters lightly
spoken of. 81 believe that was the real
reason why | closed up the door, though
| tried to persuade myself at the time it
was because of the children's noise and
rudeness."
"And what is the second door, the
double one? does that also open on the
CORRIDOR" asked Royston.
go, no; that is the closet where Griz.
zie keeps his treasures?" cried Adie,
laughing; ''even have never been in
there. 1t is the ghosts quarters per.
haps. Grizzie, what is the legend of the
footsteps; do you know"
The old engraver appeared somewhat
annoyed at her abruptness.
SIN that closet there is nothing that
you or any one else would style treas
ures," said he; "but the footsteps APP
pear to issue from it. The story goes
that two brothers lived here formerly
who had united in the commission of q
murder-the murder of a priest. The
elder, to save himself, when the chase
was hot after them, denounced his broth.
er as thesole culprit, and betrayed where
he might be takep, namely, in that oak
closet; where, after the commission OF
the crime, he had hidden himself with
his remorse. He himself paced the cor
ridor, waiting for the people who were
coming to seize his brother. The young.
er suffered death, and the elder walks
there still, and will walk, probably, SC
long as Nevis Court remains"
| Laurence Royston smiled at the old
| ..,ar,,r orolrI;tx-- ssI ha,-., anal fa.4h :.