Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-09-01
CHAPTER ".

CHAPTER ".
All within is dark as night:
In the windows is no light;
And no murmur at the door
So frequent on its hinge before.
Close the door, the shutters close,
Or through the windows we shall see
The nakedness and vacancy
OF the dark, deserted house. TENNYsoN.
Now. what is this that hauuts me like my SHADOW
Frisking and mumming, like an elf IN moonlight
[BES JoSsoN.
Wentworth seated himself upon the dus'
tv floor few moments until his eyes became,
in some measure, accustomed to the sudden
removal from sunlight into almost Egyptian
darkness; then, with both hands extended
he felt his way along the walls of The room
until his feet struck against what proved to
be the foot of staircase. Seating himself
here, he listened intently for the sound OF
voices. which he had heard before enter
ing the house but everything was as quiet
as death, and no voice replied to his loud
and frequent shouts.
That he had heard the sound of human
yoices-.that some person had actually scream
ed-he could not doubt for moment
Striking match upon the floor and kin.
ding some loose papers, he was enabled
to obtain a partial view of the apartment
in which he was so unexpectedly impris-
oned. Curtains were hanging to the win
dows; portraits were suspended around walls !;
the remains of wood fire was upon the
hearth half consumed candle lay upon
the mantle, and silver fork was sticking
in the chair.
Wentworth gladly seized and lighted the
candle; and, after examining the priming of
his pistols, prepared to ascend the old ma
bogany staircase and search the entire bull
ding. Arriving at the second story, he sud
deply paused and started; for, apparently
no great distance from him, he distinctly
heard these words:
..There's something in this world amiss
Shall be unriddled by and BY"
sIn the name of heaven d! who are you?-
where are you? shouted Wentworth, lifting
the candle above his head, and looking in
every direction.
Echo alone replied-all else was dumb,
and silent as the grave.
Wentworth again seated himself. Was
the house really haunted by spirits of anoth-
er world? Was such thing possible? If
not from whence and from whom did these
voices proceed? From human being =
Why, then, was the house kept in continual
darkness why were the doors and win,
dows kept closed why no traces OF foot
prints near the door? Was it possible, that
men and women were living within these
rooms, when cobwebs obstructed their pas
sage every moment, and huge spiders lay
nestled in every key-hole ?-impossible =
Such were Wentworth's reflections, as he
arose to his feet, and prepared to continue
his search. He had already made several
unsuccessful attempts to open the windows
of the lower story there being some obstruc-
tion from the outside. Knowing, that his
candle could not last many hours, and that
he would need it at night if compelled to re-
main where he was, he proceeded at once
to try his strength upon the window shutter
before him. To his great surprise the shut
ter was not bolted, nor were there any evil
dences about the window but such as went
to prove that it had not long before been
opened. There was no dust upon the outer
mart of the sill-no cobwebs about the frame
and sash; and the bolt had evidently been
oiled BY the hand of some unknown person.
He now felt satisfied, that some person
was. or had been in the house, as 1t was al
this window that Milton and himself had
distinctly seen the figure of person, as the
party were approaching.
Having made this discovery, and come to
this conclusion, he threw the shutter wide
open, and looked around him. He found
himself in long, and richly carpeted hall
with six doors on either side, leading into
the wings of the building. These doors he
found to be all locked and, after repeated
attempts to open them, he turned dsappolnt
edly away-lighted his candle, and ascendec
another fight Of stairs.
More than once did he imagine, that ht
heard the sound of footsteps in the hall which
he had lust left-more than once did he lear
over the banisters and listen intantly to the
strange sound that ever an anon came from
below. Half crazed with these mysteries
and strange forebodings of he knew not what
he struck heavily upon the window shuttle
before him, and with one deafening crasf
it yielded-quivered and creaked upon it
rusty hinges-then fell intothe court below
carrying its freight ofivy with it. No soon
er had this been accomplished than the bel
in the tower began to toll dismally; and, il
spite of his self-possession and courage
Wentworth felt cold shudder pass throug
his frame, and sense of horror unnerVe HI
heart.
After the lapse Of some time he summone
courage enough to look cautiously around
when, to his surprise and delight, he obserV
ed that one of the doors were open, and
bunch Of keys hanging to the one in the key
hole. He entered the room, and by the hel
of his candle managed to find and open on
of the windows
The chamber in which he now found him