Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-11-26
eeADIE,''
A STORY OF A HAUNTED HOUSE.
BY HoLxR LEE.
v.--THE OAK CLOSET.

| nN that large room where Nicholas
qB Drew always worked there was q
90 closet lighted by very small win
- dow that looked, not into Neyil's
? Court, but into an old-fashioned
luxuriant garden which lay behind the
ancient bishops palace. The closet
was shut in by two elaborately-cary,
ed doors of black oak, further ornament
ed by furnished brass knobs. Adie
had never seen more of the interior
of this closet than that it contained q
rude table and chair, and cabinet Of
great antiquity, the window was dark
ened with veil of smoke and dust as
imprevious to sunshine as the thiekest
curtain, and general air of gloomy mys-
terry pervaded the whole aspect of it,
Nicholas rarely entered it; and when he
did so he remained shut up there for
hours, and always came out saddened
and depressed, as if he had been keep
ing solemn vigil, or airing painful re-
memberances, or perhaps experiencing
some renewed agony of remorse. -Adie
regarded it as haunted place, and had
no curiosity to spy into its secrets; not
so Martha. She had a burning desire to
know what was hidden behind those
closed doors; for she did not give heed
to the popular idea that Nicholas Drew
was miser, and kept his money in an
iron-chest. She believed rather that he
laid his treasures up where they would
accumulate at compound interest until
his day of doom; and in that, doubtless,
Martha was right. On the evening of
the day of Laurence Royston's first visit
her master was shut up in the closet
couple of hours, while Adie alone in
the room, had much ado to keep herself
out of mischief. Martha went in and
out several times on various pretences;
but Adie, who was singing by the door
way, and watching the children at play
in the court below, paid no attention to
her black gliding figure.
At last, towards sunset, the old man
came out from his retreat, and would
have resumed his work, but the girlasked
him to take a walk with her. He acced-
ed readily, and they went together to
the riverside. This was favorite re-
sort for the town-folks after the days
business was over; for they soon escap-
ed from the dust and heat of the city
into rural shades and sweet-smelling
meadows. There were consequently
many people abroad enjoying the cool
of the evening and the pleasant sounds
of country places. Marsh, the printsel
Ter in the Barbican, with his hat sci
very far back upon his head, met them
and turned to have chat with Nicholas
1t was not possible that Adie should bt
insensible to the many eyes that looked
and looked againla the lovely face under
her broad coquettish straw hat; il wa
familiar face to most people who tool
their pleasure at this time of day, bu
custom stole nothing from its beauty
Marsh, himself, though generally-chary
of his words, always had some pretty
compliment ut her service, which, it il
to be feared, the maiden did not appre
ciate it at the same value it would have
had if issued from younger lips, or con
cocted beneath less scant and hoary
pate; for she only favored him with short
replies, and pouted scornfully, when he
called her Rosebud, Maydew, and the
like. They also encountered St. Barbe,
still obtrusively polite, but looking a
solitary, old, well-to-do man; for death
had disencumbered him of his wife and
family. He always told Nicholas Drew
now that he envied him his possession
of Adie. "But who" he would add,-
''who could foresee that of all his
children not one would be left to him?''
The Frencliman spoke, and passed on,
but looked back often at the tall 1.-the
figure quietly pacing along with Nicho-
las; he had been Over-prudent, certainly,
or she might have been his companion
instead, he thought. 1t was calm, al
most breathless, evening, but now the
sun was gone the air was cool; few red
bars crossedthe west, supported by broad
masses of purple cloud; the low mead
ow by the river side had just been mown
and the fresh hay gave out its pleasant
healthy scent. Many persons, young
men especially, were resting on the
ground where it lay, some smoking, some
talking, other enjoying the luxury of
perfect idleness. Amongst the last, Adie
was the first to descry .aureuce, Roys-
ton. He sat apart from the rest, with
a great shaggy watcr-dog coiled up on
the grass beside him. The animal had
been in the river, and had run past Adie
some time since, bestowing upon her
dress plentiful sprinkling in his tran
sit. Laurence Royston had seen this;
and as Adie, with Nicholas Drew and
the printseller approached, he rose and
offered an apology for his misconduct.
The next most natural thing to do was
to join their party, and, walking beside
Adie, to talk to her of the beauty
of the evening, and the still love
illness of the twilight prospect-at least
he appeared to think so, for this was
what he did.
''When the moon rises it is more beau
tiful STILL" remarked Adie, looking to-
wards the city, that is, towards the
Minister.
II do not like moonlight, it is so chill
ling, so pale; | have an antipathy to
moonlight" said Royston quickly. Adie
seemed surprised.
"You were going to ask me whence
rises my antipathy. Well, / cannot tell
you," added he; lit is one of those in
describable feelings which afflict some
people to the utter bewilderment of every
body else. They reiterate their why,
why, when, if they would only take the
trouble to look at home, they would re-
member, most probably, that they have
themselves some dislil O. or loathing
equally unreasonable.
Adie smiled, and a halfblush suffused
her cheek, though it was becoming al
most too dusky to see it; for she recol-
lacta1 soma very cfrapo, br. r,roupd lacs