The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-04-02

man, then.
Lucy herself led my aunt and me to the
handsome suit of apartments prepared for us.
Mrs. Trevor's room was separated from mine
by a corridor, out of which opened two dress
ing rooms and a pretty little boudoir, all look
ing on to the park. My room was at the ex-
IRENE angle Of the building it had two doors
One leading to the corridor communicating
with my aunt's apartments, the other opening
into a gallery running the entire length OF the
house. Looking out into this gallery, l saw
that the opposite wing was shut by a baize
door. looked with some curiosity at this
heavy baize door. 1t was most likely the bar
.rier which closed the outer world upon Lau-
renee Wendale's invalid relation.
Lucy left us as soon as she had installed
my aunt and me in our apartments. WhlleI
was dressing for dinner, the housekeeper, a
stout elderly woman, came to ask me II L
found everything required,
Gas YOU havn't brought your own servant
with YOU, miss she said, "Miss Lucy told
me to place her maid Sarah entirely at your
service. Miss gives very little work to a maid
herself. SO Sarah has plenty of leisure time on
her hands,, and you'll find her a very respect
able young woman"
| told her that | could do all l wanted for
myself; but before she left me | could not re-
sist asking her one question about the mystic
rious invalid.
care Mr.. Thomas's rooms at this end Ofthe
house ~ | asked.
The woman looked at me with an almost
scared expression, and was silent for a mo
ment.
elias Mr.. Laurence been saying anything
to YOU about Mr.. Thomas ?' she said, rather
anxiously, as | thought.
.tMr. Laurence and his sister Miss Lucy
were both talking Of him just now"
ooh, indeed, miss answered the woman,
with an air of relief 'the poor gentleman's
rooms are at the other end OF the gallery,
miss
elias he lived here long p l asked.
'Nigh upon twenty years, miss-above
twenty years, Pm thinking"
81 suppose he is Instantly related to the IA
mily :"
'iYes, miss"
"And quite dependant on the bounty Of Mr..
Wendale? '
eyes miss" .. ..
at is very good Of your master to have sup
ported him for so many years, and to keep HIM
in such comfort"
"My master is a very good man, indeed,
miss
The woman seemed determined to give me
as little information as possible but could
not resist one more question.
'tHow is it that in all these years MIR. Laurence
has never seen this invalid relation p | ask
ed.
1t seemed that question: of all others was the
most embarrassing to the housakeeper. She
turned first red and then pale, and said, Ill q
very confused manner
'fThe poor gentleman never leaves his room,
miss and Mr.. Laurence has such high spirits,
| bless his dear heart, and has such a noisy rack
etv way with him, that he's no fit company
for an Invalid"
II was evidently useless trying for further
information.s SO | abandoned the attempt and,
bidding the housckeeper good afternoon, began
to dress my hair before the massive oak-tram-
ed looking-glass.
1.-THE truth of the matter u.s." | said to my
self" chat after all there is nothing more to
be said about it. | have tried to create a mys-
terry out ofthe simplest possible family arrange
ment. MIR. Wendale has a bed-ridden rela-
tive, too poor and too helpless to support him
self. What more natural than that he should
give him house-room in this dreary old man
sion, where there seems space enough to lodge
a regiment?
| found the family assembled in the draw
ipproom. Mr.. Wendale was the wreck Of a
| very lla1lStltlC ildu' AZ AALo III S~Py ~
have ~resembled Laurence but, as my lover
had said, it seemed indeed as if he and the
house and grounds Of Fernwood had fallen IN
to decay together. But Notwithstanding his
weak state of health, he gave us a warm wei
come, and did the honors Of his hospltable DIN
ner-table with the easy grace OF a finished gen.
tIcmen.
After dinner, my aunt and Lady Adela sat
at one of the windows talking; while Laurence
Lucy and gathered together upon a long
stnoe terrace outside the drawing-roOm, watch
mo the last low crimson streak Of the August
sunset fade ont behind the black trunks OF the
trees, aud melt away into faint red splashes
rpon the water-pools amongst the ~brushwood.
We were very happy together; Laurence
and | talking Of a hundred different subjects,
telling Lucy our London adventures, descrlb-
ing our fashionable friends, our drives and
rides. ftes, balls and dinners she with a grave
smile upon her lips listening to us with almost
maternal patience.
81 must take you overthe old house to-rnor-
row. Isabel" Laurence said, in the course Of
the evening. II suppose Lucy did not tell
Won that she had put you into the old haunted
room Z"
'ENo, indeed.
seYou must not listen to this silly boy, my
dear Isabel" said Miss Wendalc. "Of course,
i like all other old houses, Fernwood can boast
its ghost-story but since no one in my faith
cr's lifetime has ever seen the phantom, you
may well imagine that it is not a very torlni-
dable one"
'But you own there really Is ghost 2 |
exclaimed, very eagerly. pray tell me the
story"
'fll tell you, Bella answered Laurence,
e'and then you'll know what sort Of a visitor
to expect when the bells of Fernwood church,
hidden away behind the elIns yonder, tremble
Oh the stroke Of midnight. A certain Dir hum
phrey Wendale, who lived i'll the time Of Hen
l ry the Eighth, was wronged by ms wlIe,a very
y beautiful woman. Had he acted according to
The ordinary fashion of the time, he would
} have murdered the lady and his rival but our
ancestor was of a more original turn Of mind,
and he hit upon an original plan Of ven
geancc.
He turned every servant out Of Fernwood
House; and one morning, when the unhappy
lady was sleeping, he locked every door OF the
mansion, secured every outlet aGd inlet, and
rode away .ncrrily in the summer sunshine,
leaving his wife to die the slow and hideous
death Of starvation. Fernwoodis lonely enough
even now, Heaven knows! but it was lonelier
in those distant days. A passing traveller may
now and then have glanced upward at the
smokeless chimnies, dimly visible across the
trees, as he rode under the park-palings but
none ever dreamed that the deserted mansion
had one luckIess tenant. Fifteen months after
wards, when Sir Humphrey rode home from
foreign travel, he had some difficulty in fore
ing the door Of the chamber in which you are
to sleep the withered and skeleton form Of
his dead wife had fallen directly across the
E threshold"
what a horrible story ?" 1 exclaimed, with
a shivcr.
'It is only a legend, dear Isabel, - said Lu-
cy '1ike all traditions, exaggerated and dis
torted into due proportions Of poetic horror
Pray do not suffer your mind to dwell upon