The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1864-12-02

| ol ny 4ooihardlhe5s, as The landlord would prob
ably term it. l would -ait till they were all in
bed. sat there listening TO the melancholy
voice Of the whip-paor-wil, away of in The
copse-wood, the stiffness growing around me-
and even the ligh- breeze folding its wings and
sinking to sleep in the leaves.
All was quiet the house was wrapped in
slumDer examined my pistols put on fresh
caps, and then softly let myself down to the
ground by means of the strong Iendrils of a
grapevine thai had clnbed ~p to my window.
Ii was only a little walk to the oil ruin--not
more than half a mile across the fields, to the
~-lapidated stone fence thatseparated the grounds
from The adjacent lots. sprang over into the
lonesome garden, new choEed with rank weeds
and grass, aud stood in ti4a shadow of the piie
OF buildings.
Very massive and gloomy it looked, with its
weather stained walls and high, narrow win
doWs cleaning in the moonlight The quaint
gables and carved dormar Windows shed black
shade over the front; the path to the hall door
was obstructei with wild vines and brambles.
and thorn bush had grown up upon the very,
! threshold
Every thing about the place was dead andsi-
| lent as the tomb. No wonder people said It
was haunted, with that old tale of crime and
death hanging around it.
! tried the door, but it was fast. So were
the windows. | went around to the back part.
but all was closely secured. pried off a cor
nice with my knife, after some difficulty, and
| by that means removed a window sash, leaving
the apertura free. Looking in, / saw a large
apartment, evidently the kitchen. Everything
had been left just where il was before the curse
had fallen; the tin pans still cleaned on the
dresser, and The kettle still sat or the deserted
hearth.
spgang in and passed to the interior of the
building, dark corridor, to what must have
been Il parlor. Part of the furniture still re-
manned the green carpet was gray with dust.
and the chairs and sofas had put on the sack
cloth of mould and moth ~
A bat Tapped against the window as enter
ed, escaping through broken pane; and some
where not far das ant / heard the shFiii scream
OF the night-Iawk. A distant door slammed
to IN the draught of air had admitted, strilS-
ing with startling aistncfness on the dead air
of that unhdppy place. But We~ -. f;o,I+E
ened it was all very aNfBaRd, ,dt tha. hrl..sF -
should have something toteil my grand children
From thence passed through two smaller
rooms to a large hall, in the middle OF which
rose a broad staircase. This ascended, the
long unused stairs creaking wierily beneath my
tread, as if astonished at their unwonted burden.
A door at the head of the landing stood slight
ly ajar. pushed it open and entered long,
narrow chamber. dimly lit up by the moonlight
struggling through the dusky glass. One glance
showed me that "th:s was the ghosty chamber"
There were dark red stains on the counter
pane of the bed, and near the centre of the floor
the delicate carpet was discolored with what
once had 1aen a pool OF blood @as
| Here, then, the deed was committed. If these
silent walls could speak what tale of violence
they might reyeal While stood there think
| ing how once the death-shrieks OF that old man
and his wife had resounded through the room.
wondering where the guilty murderer was hid
! ing-wonderng what tragic fate had oyertaken
the fair Margaret, ! heard The faint sound of a
human footstep. Convinced :hat | was not
mistaken, / listened intently. 1t was repeated.
| No; there was DO. mistake.
| | looked al my pistols once more, to make
sure that all was right. If were to meet flesh
and blood, those trusty weapons might prove
my best friend, if only CHESTS, might save my
self the trouble of trusting to gunpowder
There was a door on the opposite side OF the
chamber leading through several rooms to a
second hall, smaller than the first, ard from
this hall another flight of stairs assembled, lead
ING probably to the attics hurried through,
end paused at the foot OF these stairs. could
hear every step distinctly ROW; it seemed al
most over my head-soft, light and hurried
pacing back and forth.
/ even thought could distinguish the slight
rustIing of garments and as stood breathless
a low moan stole 20 my ear--so tkrihngly low
that felt the rosy blood around my heart sink
and grow cold.
"Clinton Earle are you coward ?"
said to myself, and tie bare insinuation was e
nough to send me forw went up tn
stairs, two at a bound, but was stopped by
strong oakep door. ! tried to break it down
but it resisted all my efforts. ! went TO oGe o
the chambers below and wrenched off the grea
post OF a mahogany beistead, and returning
used this as sort Of battering ram. No mer
wooden door could long Withstand such an at
tack as I made on that one, and ere long ha
the satisfaction of seeing it fall inwards.
leaped over the rnins into the apartment thu
opened before me, but it was bare and uniul
nished. Not thing, animate or inanimat'
t to disturb the ghostly devastation.
glanced quickly over the walls in search (
some secret passage, and ii the further cornt
) I perceived slide, fastened with massive bol
: on the outside. l drew back the bars, ar
4 paused 10. moment before l sought to pen
. trate the mysteries that door concealed. N
: heart beat so loud that could hear i, but
+ laid my hand thereon and found.it beat cal
and strong. ...ss
e A vague, nameless something thrilled throuG
e my soul as i stood there. II seemed TO me
1t if were about to enter on a. new and sweet
d existence. The hand of Destiny itself "
l. upon me