Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-10-01
Che 5torp VeIler.
From lrving's Tales of Traveller.
THE ADVENTURE OF nv AUNT.


THE ADVENTURE OF nv AUNT.
My aunt was a lady of large frame.
strong mind. and great resolutions; she
was what mi yht be termed a manly We
msn. My uncle was thin puny little man,
ever meek aud acqniescent. and no mstch
Tor nv aunt. Ii was Observed that he
dwindlei anil awindled gradually away
from the day of his marriage. His wife's
powerful mini was two much for him;
Il wore him out. Nv aunt. however.
took all possible care of him. had half the
doctors In the town to prescribe for him,
made him take all their prescriptions; ami
6osed him with physic enough To cure
whole hospital. All Was in vain. Nv
uncle grew worse and worse notwir h
stan ling ell the dosing AMI nursing he
underwent. until in the end he aided
another to the long list Of matrimonial
victims who have bean killed with kind.
ness. ~
"A,l was /, his ghost that appsared to
herf" asked the inqui~i,ive gentleman who
had questioned the former storyteller.
lyon shall hear replied the narrator.
IVY aunt took on nightly for the
death Of her poor dear husband. Perhaps
she felt some compnnction at having Civ
On him 30 much physic. and nursel him
into the grave. At any rate. she did ell
that widow could do to honor his men,
cry. She spared no expense in either the
quantity or quality of her mourning weeds:
were miniature OF him about her neck
as large as . little sun dial. AMI had full
length portrait Of him always h,nging in
her bel chamber. ALI the world extolled
hsr o,ni nct TO the skies. anil il was deter
minsi that woman who behaved so we'll
"a the memory Of one husband deserved
soon to get another. -
Il vas not long after this that she cent
70 take up her reSilsncs in an oil country
ssst in Derbyshirs. which hall long been
in tbs care of merely stewart AMI house,
keeper. She took most of her servants
with her. intending TO make it her princi
pal sboio. The honse stool in lonely.
wild part Of the country. among the gray
Dsrbyshire hills. with a murderer hang
ing 10 chains on bleak height in full
view.
The servants from town were half fright
ened out Of their wits at the flea Of living
IN such . dismal. pagan looking place.
especially whsn they got together in the
servants hall in the evening. and com.
pared notes on all the hobgohlin stories
picked mp in the course of the day. They
were afraii to venture alone about the
gloomy. black looking chambers.
Ny laay's mail. who was troubled
with nerves. declared she could never
sleep alone in snch ''gastly. rummaging
old builjing;" anil the footman. who was
. kind hearted ysnng fellow. did all in
his power to cheer her up.
Ny aunt was struck with the lonely ap-
pearance of the house. Before going To
bed. therefore. she examined well the fss-
Jennings Of the doors anil windows; locked
a, tie place with her own hanis AMI car
ried the keys. together with little box of
money and jewels. to her own. room; for
che was q noble woman and always saw
60 such things herself. Having pat the
keys unisr her pillow, and dismissed her
maid. she sat by her toilet arranging her
aair: for being. in spite Of her grief for
my uncle. rather . buxom widow. she
was somewhat particular about her per-
SON.
She sat fora little while looking at her
face 10 the glass, first on one side. then
on the other. as ladies' are apt to do when
they would ascertsin whether they have
been in good looks; for . FOSTERING conn
try squire Of tbs neighborhool. with
whom che hal fir.ed when q girl. had
called there to Welcome her to the conn
try.
All ola sudden she thought she heard
something move behind her. She looked
hastily around. but there was nothing to
be seen. Nothing bu. the grimly-paint-
ed portrait Of her poor dear man hanging
against the wall.
She gave heavy sigh to his memory.
o. she was accustomed to do whenever she
spoke of him in company. and then went
on adjusting her night dress. and think
ing Of tn. squire. Her sigh was re-echoed
or answered by long drawn breath. She
looked around again. but no one was to
be seen. She Aseribei these sounds ia
the wind oozing through the rat holes Of
the old mansion, and proceeded leisurely
TO put her hair in papers. when all a,
once, she thought she perceived one Of the
eyes Of the portrait move.
Her back was towards the portrait. but
hsr eyes were fixed on its reflection in the
glass. Well. IS I was saying. She per
csived one of the eyes OF the portrait move
So strange . circumstance. a. you may
we'll suppose, gave her . sudden shock
Pc assure herself Of this fact. she put one
hand on her forehead as if rubbing it
pseped through her fingers. and moved
she candle with the other hand. Ths
light Of the taper cleaned on the eye. and
Was reflected from IT, She was sure i
moved. Nay more. it seemed TO give he
. wink, Is shs had sometimes known he
husband to do when living. 1t struck
momentary chill to her heart; for she wal
lone woman, and felt herself fesrfully
situated
The chill was bat transient. Ny aunt
who was almost IS rssoluts q personag
- your uncle. sir. turning to The old sto
~ teller. became instantly calm and col
lecsed. She went on adjusting her dress
She even hummed an air and dill not ever
make . single false note. She casually
overturned dressing box; took . candl
and picked up the articles one by on
from the floor; pursued q rolling pin-cush
- L. - L.. II "a