The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-07-28

u'u "os taih W nun, nor he 10 me-we
were neither Of us talking men, and sci
dom had many words together. But he
pored over the Times steadily, intent up.
on political news, and held the Advert.
ser upside down before me, and felt, with
a thrill Of bashful satisfaction, that as
no longer Indifferent to the advance of Mr..
Weller, senior,-'Samivel, Samivel be-
ware Of the vidders y No: widow had
changed me in the twinkling of an eve,
and WAS in love, as hop.lessly, as un.
reasonably, and as foolshly as any sober
man Of thirty could well be!
l must now proceed to state that Mrs.
lrnold's room was on the second floor,
just above No. 40, and looking out upon
Gracechurch street itself To il she went
quietly on that eventful evening", at the
hour of ten, just at the time when was
sitting in my box at the Opera, thinking
OF her. Something made her wakeful.
She sat down at her toilet table, and tai.
ked awhile to the housekeeper, who had
come up with clean pillow cases, and as.
ked many questions about the house and
the family. How they broached the top.
ic, ! do not know--but after time, thew
began 10 think, and to speak about that
strange phenomenon, called spiritual
rapping.' The Cock lane ghost WAS
brought upon the carpet, and various
other stories told, till Mrs. Arnold grew
nervous, and laughingly declared she
would hear no more. Then the house.
keeper bade her good night, and she
locked the door, and began TO prepare for
bed
The room was large, rather dark, a.. d
luIl of corners and rccesses. The light Of
The two WAX candles on the toilet table
only served To make these corners visible
in their shadowy gloom. The bed was
high, and hung about with dark crimson
curtains d; the furniture Of the room was
dark, too; and the cushions Of the chairs
and the covers of tables red also. Ii is a
color which needs much light to set it off
10 advantage : it looked dismal enough
to her just then. AT one end Of the room
door led into kind of large closet,
which was unfinished. and locked out
INTO the court yard; bat this door opened
out into Mrs. Arnold's room, aad locked
on that side. Sometimes linen was kert
there; and the housekeeper had evident.
7 Iy been there that evening, for the key
was i'll the lock, and the door little aiar.
Mrs. Arnold would have preferred it shut,
but she was too timid to cross the room
| just then.
She unlressed slowly, singing, in a low
voice, the song had heard her sing that
evening. As she bent down to uuace her
boot, she happened to cast her eyes to-
wards the closet {she had vision like an
eagle), and, to her surprise and terror, she
saw it move more distinctly-only the
lower part o: the door, for she had pres.
ence Of mind enough not to start, and
the bed concealed the upper part, as she
was stopping. The legend Of that wo-
man who saw the great boot Of man
under her bed, yet had the courage to
stay III the room all the evening, going
on with her ordinary household duties
within reach Of the assassin's knife, till
her husband came, and she was srfe fash
ell across her mind, and taught her how
to act. She yawned luxuriously, inter.
rnpted her singing one moment, and then
went on with steady voice. After she
had prepared for bed, she folded her
dressing gown around her, and brushed
her hair before the glass. In that mirror
she could see the door move now and
then, AS if her visitor was getting impa-
tent /; and once it creaked. She started,
naturally, and threw her slipper against
:he wall, as IL to frightcn away the mice
aud resumed her occupation. When that
was over, she went to her jewel case,
which stood upon the toiet.,able, and
turned its bright contents out in heap
before her. She held spray Of diamonds
against her hair, as il to try its effect -
she clasped and unclasped her bracelets,
and toyed with her rings. Meanwhile,
the door creaked again, and letting an
unset diamond fall to the ground, and
STOPPING to pick it up, she saw, with a
rapid glance. that burly, i'll looking man
was peering at her from behind the cur
tains Of the bed. He started back, think
1 ing himself discovered /; and in that mo
ment Of horrible anxiety--that moment
which, for aught she knew, might be her
Iast-what did she dol She could hear
his breathing distinctly, sharpened as all
fer senses were, aud almost felt the cold
steel in her heart 4; and so she made her.
selfa mocking curtesy in the glass, md
helc the diamond spray above her fore
head.
'Dutchess OF Nemours 7 she said, softly
And why mott should look we'll with
eoropet. wish my husband was
! dead Y sa -
She leaned her head upon her hand,
and seemed to think. A subdued rust
ling told her that the robber was retreat
ing. The door swung softly together
she saw it n the glass and her resolu-
! ton was taken.
Two diamond rings and diamond
spray she said, counting the gems s,oud,
ms she put them back in their case. "A
ruby and an ametI,yst bracelet, a rsby
ring, and a garnet. But where is the
garnet necklace, by the way I How stu.