Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-07-08
CHAPTER III
THE HAUNTED CHAPEL.

The Haunted Chapel to which Mr.. an,
Mrs Berners were going was in dark arlC
lonely gorge on the other side ofthe noun
tain.
They arrived safely at The old ruin. .wher,
in the course of the day they were ioiued
by Mrs. Berners' faithful servant Joe
whose affection for his mistress had led him
to play the spy, and find out where she was
going, and secretly follow her with proxi.
sions and means for making her somewhat
comfortable.
The fugitives felt so depressed, that even
the cheerful supper supplied by Joe could
not relieve them of the oversbadowino
gloom which had settled on their hearts
strange drowsyness soon oppressed
them, and they sunk into a deep sleep. as
though they had been druggod with some
powerful narcotic. Dir. Berners was aroused
before daylight by Joe, who instantly drew
him outside the chapel in alarm.
Sybil left alone in the Haunted Chapel.
continued to sleep soundly. How LONG she
had slept she never could tell, when she
was suddenly and fearfully aroused.
She felt hands at work about her person
They were creeping under her shoulders
and under her limbs; they were lifting her
from her mattress. Her eyes hared omen
in wild alright, and she saw two black
shrouded forms, the one at her head and
the other at her feet.
She tined to cry out in her agony of ter
ror; but her voice died away In her bosom.
and all her powers seemed palsied. They
raised her up, and bore her on-great hea-
vens whittier?
To the open door of the vault under the
chapel, from whose haunted depths a spect-
raj light cleaned!
They bore her down the dreadful steps.
and laid her on the deadly floor
The iron door changed loudly to, resound-
ing through the dismal arches
"We have her nowl" muttered hoarse
voice. A hollow laugh responded
And Sybll swooned with horror
When Sybn recovered from her death
like swoon. she found herself in a spacious
cavern of such exceeding beauty and splen-
dor, that Tor an instant she lost SIGHT of
OF terrors In her establishment and adrnira-
ton, and then her eyes settled upon a fig-
ure who seemed the whole occupant of the
place.
This was a young girl, who, with her
red cloak thrown mat-like on the moss. was
seated upon it cross-legged IN the Turkish
fashion. Her elfin face, her malign eyes.
her wild, black hair and picturesque cos
tune, were al so in keeping with the
aspect of the place, that one might have
deemed her the spirit of the cavern.
The two women looked at each other in
silence for perhaps half minute; and
then Sybil spoke:
"What place is this? Who are you
Why am brought hither?'
Zone question at time" answered the
girl "sWhat place this is CONFORMS vou
little; / am gypsy, and my name is Gen
tliska; why you are brought here ah !!
that concerns you very much! 1t Itconcerns
your liberty, and perhaps your life. !"
81 do not believe it You have had me
torn away from my husband Where is
he now% haughtily demanded Mrs. Ber-
ners.
HE is likely in the hands of the consta-
bles who are by this time in possession of
the Haunted Chapel. But fear nothing
Him they will release again, for they have
no right to detain him; but you they would
have kept, if they had caught you. The
constables were coming there for us, but
they would have found you had we not
brought you away with us. That was my
doing. 1 made your removal the condition
of my silence"
"But when will you communicate with
my husband, to relieve his dreadful sus-
pense?"
'As soon as it shall be safe to do so.-
Our first care must be our own safety, but
our second will be yours ~
Sybil said no more at the moment; but
sat looking at the speaker, and thinking OF
all that had befallen her in the Haunted
Chapel.