Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1859-08-25
NJ | see l. l. AN Y.
HAMPTON HALL MYSTERY.

1t was night, DARK AID st.rl,.. and full
! OF chaotic gloom when Hugh aud | came
here TO Hampton Hall. The de.psirine ,or
ro~ which had driven me forth . self esil-d
heart broken man sti | frstered 10 my proud
heart aud burned like !iuuid FIRE in my ,cb
4 iug brain. But | bad chosen. and could
not 20 back Gcd help me-
~ gsr,d upon the long. low. rambling
building before u, settled down like dre.ry
elou3 among the dusky shadows Of the sum
msr midr ight, a feeling e utter lon-line..
AID despair, such a. | never felt before. set
tied down upon my heart There was (.
strange choaking in my throat. bu, I crushed
down miniully, 80 tbst iiugh-good faith.
, fui Hugh-knew nothing Of the struggle
that "a. going on in my s,leu, heart
We slo~ly dismouoted from our iaded
beasts and tying them to +. .,uu,ei oak
which grew slmost directly in orr path. VIC
groped our way through the uu.ky shadows.
and nll, rank weeds, to the house
Hugh raised the pouderous iron latch. and
pushed the heavy osken door &c came TO-
I open ts~uug slowly on its hinges, but
'ovesltd nothing beyond but an ipky black
ness which our eyes failed to penetrate. But
We entered, aud n ve felt our way along tb .
wall my hand came suddenly iD contact with
something cold snd clAmmy. SO like q dead
man n'fsee, sprung back with . cry Of Tor
ror
This way, sirl' said Hugh, .s he pushed
open door st his right hand, through which
We could see fes dying I'm bsrs ia the great,
Gaping hre place. the only vcstsge rem ain
ing ct the hre wc bad directed the man who
brought our things, two hours before, TO
build
sprung through the open door With
sigh OF relief, and examined the room We
bad entered, by the dying fre.light ltws.
. long low room, with vail. Of polished oak
carved into strange fsn,,.,ic 6gures ky some
artistic hand Three high. prison-liks sip.
dows, ies'ooned With cobvebs aud dirt, look
cd out into the midnight darkness, and three
/ pair OF hands were wrought in the polished
oak shove them
Hugh aud | sat down together before tts
/ hrc. and watched the residue Of that long
night asay. aud examined the remainder OF
the rooms by ibe morning lght Thsv we're
ell much like the one we bad frat entered.
old-tsshioned aud dars and grim With age,
aud soon We came TO the very last Hugh
entered first, aud ~ stood just outside the
door. heard him utter quick cry.
Come here. oh como here II be shrieked,
in = choking tone, gra.ping my hand With
one that uembled like on sspen, aud lead
/ ing me forward
! Now look there, sir
| | did look and in one Il the dusky corners
! Of ths, old room, ssw sight ihat almost
I siIiied the beating of my heart upoa the
/ floor was pool of crimson bloo !. fresh aud
warm ss II " had just been shed, and - and
/ rs bent ever It ] saw, dsrt and fendi.h
in its savsgo beauty, a Asman focr p,ih a.,
| great tciid cy>' looking sp aock,sRiy INTO
I mt orn This vas too much I could not
I besr IL. and msp as | was, ! sank back almost
4 fsiuting
oh, this is horrible ! cried covering m
face With my hands 10 shut out the fearful
sight
Let Us leave the room
.Ay, sod the house, too. s.r, shsli We not
Gods curse - on 81
Not yet We will stay short time
longer. at least IL shall not te said We we're
frightened Into leaving vill sslk auhilc
nov I'm sure the hesh warm sunshine
would do ms good
With quick basty stride. I ren, doun
the srhss-grosB path, without caring g. lock
beLi d me until ! "a. some di.isnce from
The house Tb"n paused under the brsoebes
~ On abeisbt vtv, snd gsres back ar, y tbs
I plsee I hsd left ! could see t ill ss,y
pie My for there ~ss no impcdiDeai o. the
vicW excepting that room add braneh Of
the tree eonesslfd it stepped fo'uard TO
remove "a and I did ~. hoiss. somethins
90 Ike grosu that fsli sure u sa.. .de.pi,s.
the impossibiliiy q the thing sounded Ter
undsr tbc grouDd brbeath my fsst losk
ed down snd sas bali csscsaled hy ths ueeds
spi nsitIes, = moss gfoua store %.
stsnd,ng % grave
With quick bound I .prsng from the
haobicd plses aud a. did %. . uoctisg
laugh soubdod hehisd me I tarnsd % =
hssd ssd though no oos hsd been IN sight
moment before. yet NAN Hsod tsiNsn
~ asa ~, grar,'
With su almost frightened e'sues turn.
Cd 10 tie msp before me IIs VS. yoasr
cerisioiy ret more thsn ,hir,y yssr. n sgs
ard wss dressed after The hshHn of lsra
ago. witk silksn hose. silver knss-bt,etles
sod hs hlsek poudsTsi hair sss aoue ap
10 q hshiooablo roll ksbind Ilss ths
strsngsst thing sAos, hip vss his fee, The
vild kssn,isg fee 9Th ihose mc,Eisg sy,s,
Iootieg ,sto ny osb Wbsrs hs4 ssss vi
eosla Bst sell
II hope ] hsvs bss frieAtsns1 yeu hs
ssid 9Th sisksd hass, s hs ssvssssd
Il r~.ts =. - -