Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-07-03

'DriTk, Salu the SnOSt; IL VIII warm you.
There, at your elbow, are glasses.
The young man thoroughly spell-bound
and prepared to do anything that was deman-
ded, turned, and saw on the head of barrel |
beside him, couple of beautiful goblets, slim
of stem and wide of mouth, glowing with the |
marvellous gold. and crimson, and purple of
the Bohemian artists. The stranger took the /
glasses, thrust his long fore finger through /
the head of the cask On which he sat, appa-
rentIy withou. effort, and filed two bumpers
Of sherry, whose golden amber tint flashed
richly in the red freight The hole in the
barrel head disappeard as soon as the goblets |
were filled.
You have something to say to me ? asked
Lancroft, as he slipped the wine: something
of importance?'
Yes You love very beautiful girl-Alice
Kenleigh
The flush that spread over the young man S
usually pale face, at this somewhat abrupt
announcement, was answer enough.
But she is as poor as she is beautiful
Lancroft bowed.
And more proud than either
Lancroft bowed again.
Her father is, at this moment, in the COM
mon jail, for debt. Is not all this true?
1T is'
you have offered as delicatcly as possible,
to release hlrn 10y paying his indebtedness, and
to marry his daughter but the inflexible
pride Of both has, so far, led them to reject
your kindness with cold politeness. You
fancy that the daughter does not care for
you. She loves you
How do you know this 2
Iknow all that concerns me and my rela-
tive. am or was in lfe-the uncle of Al
ice; her mothers brother.
And why does your spirit--if spirit you
are-vist me p
Because you are to do the work should
have done 1t was through me that William
Kenleigh went to prison. 1t was through
me that his daughter was, and is compelled
to stiie her loVe-to silence the pleadings of
her heart. Her pride-the ancient pride of
the Kenleighs-will not ALLOW her to wed
while she IS almost pauper. | made her
pauper.'
The ghost bowed his head and buried his
face in his hands for moment Then, re-
suming:
was ambitious. l wanted wealth. and
power In oden times, half this county be-
longed to my ancestors, and [ swore that
would own all the ancient fief once more =
This farm was ours | wanted it to be mine
The kenleigh estate was ours. | wanted
that too, with many others that were in
cluded in the old grant
Well, laid my plans well. specula-
ted well; | bought and sold well. gained
your father's death, I hoDed to purchase nis
| lands for a song but you stood in the way
and was willing to wait. Menwhile, | set
| myself to encompass the Kenleigh estate.
had no love for William, for he had always
been exrayagant, and looked upon me as a
miser and usurer. His daughter | wished to
adopt, when | had accomplished all my
| 4cI,o ba,r ha5 to t,a
father.
But, do what I would, | could not gel
possession Of the place | coveted Keneigh
/, was proud, and would not sell his home
stead at any price. Fair means would no
do. forged a deed Of the property bear
inc an older date than the one he held. The
title was, if not ruined, rendered very ques
tionable; and when his debts and Difficult
ties thickened upou him, bought Kenleigl
estate for trife. Then died, before m,
work was half done.
As you must know, you have heard
aught Of my death and the lawsuits arlsln
from it, will vas fouad, by which my pre-
perty was left to the Catholic Church. Bu
this viii was contested, and endless litiga
ton ensued, which still lasts Two days be
fore my death, | knew [ could not live long
and made another will 1t was witnessed b
l my servants, John and Mary, beth staunc
Catholics and when they had seen me
my coffin, they stole the will. There weI
too many people in the house at the time ft
D the theft to be an easy one but John, th
gardner, being mined that the Churc
:. siroufd receive the legacy, contrived, at gre;
risk, to get possession Of the paper.
I Still he feared he had been observed, ar
y that, if he burned it, he might be held az
9 countable for a high crime. To enable hi
to oil al ~
g brought against him, he hid the will in
: safe place, where it has remained ever sine
Shortly after, he went to California but M
V ry, the other Witness still lives in the vi
lage.'
d The will is in that corner, between Il
# barrel and the beam upon which it rests
e The servant hid it there at midnight, VIII,
n you were absent. Get it. and use it.
e But Lancroft began, when he perceiv
n that the phantom had disappeared. I
,e embers smoudered on the wide hearth; t
d two goblets remained on the barrel-h -hea
but the mysterious being who had call
them into existence, apparently, was gone.
1t To turn over the barrel in the corner, vi
re a strong lever, was the work of an instan
% and underneath, pressed fatty against t
a. wooden framework, was a folded paper SCI
ed and with tape.
a ded to the chamber once more. An unct
r, querable drowsiness was upon him; his ey
refused to remain open and by the time
ne could get to bed he was sound asleep.
D. In the morning, his first thought was
~ his marvellous vision overnight. He glane
es toward his table, with great anxiety, a
as there beheld indu bitable proof of the real
it's of his experience. The Bohemian gohl
gs and tapenbound document were here, tar
ie, BILE as could be.
lir Upon examination, the will was found
lis bequeath all the property of the ancestor
Alice Kenleigh, his niece. The signat
St was duly witnessed by the two servants
I'D the ghost had said
he Of course, this created revolution in affa
nd LancEoft professed to have discovered
IN Will while arranging his wine cellar, and $
it at once to Alice. The former will, ab
* which the church and the lawyers had
squabbling SO long, was declared null
void; ana the heiress gracefully received
he immense fortune, into which she had SO
old expectedly fallen The jail-doors ope
ide speedily before the SESAME" Of gold
of Mr. Kenleigh and his daughter again es
nat lished themselves in their old home, vi
ing Lancroft soon became welcome and faVt
rt- guest
The villagers say that when Alice ant
to were married, in the village church, a |
ION handsome stranger, somewhat past mi
er- age, entered hastily, and making his wa