The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-07-05

they had placed Father Greyson in COM
Portable position.
"No," shortly. "He only wants
chance to get over it,
"Get over ooAat?" asked Phil.
"Don't you know?" looking at him
sharply.
"No"
Master is under the influence of chloro-
form %
Impossible ~ he exclaimed. "By
whom was it administered?'
GLOW can tell? Himself, perhaps. In
any event, it is fortunate the dose was no
larger"
Phil thought of the cry he had heard, and
the ghost-like form he had seen, but said
nothing. Such revelation would have but
added to the mystery of the whole affair."
Being assured there was no danger to be
apprehended from what had occurred, and
feeling anxious to be alone where he could
quietly consider the NATTER he passed out,
leaving Mrs. Henderson in charge.
In the hall he met Honoria Wyndham.-
She was pale, even to ghastliness, and was
trembling all over like person under the
influence of some dreadful fear. She caught
his arm in feverish impatience.
"What has occurred ?" she asked, breath
lessly. "What is the meaning of such a
commotion at this time of night?'
Phil could not answer the question for
thinking of some one else, who would have
more cause for alarm than Honoria.
"Where is Dote? Has she, too, heard
the unusual bustle?''
81 neither know nor care," impatiently
"Will you not tell me what has happen
ed?"
Phil merely informed her of the condi-
tion in which he had found Father Grey
son, carefully avoiding all allusion to the
mysterious visitor, and keeping back the
fact that his insensibility hadbeen caused by
chloroform administered, in all probability,
by some ghostly intruder She heard in si-
lence, and then hurried into the study
where Father Greyson was lying.
Dote made her appearance on the landing
at almost the same moment. She came run
ming down, quite breathless, crying out to
know the cause of SO much noise about the
house.
"Father Greyson is not worse? ?" she ask
ed, with pale lips.
"No." Phil went ON to repeat the same
story he had told to Honoria. She seemed
much relieved to learn it was no worse.
AS she entered the study, Honora came
out, still very pale, and passed swiftly
up stairs.
Phil took refuge in the library. He
wanted time to pierce this sudden haze of
mystery. 1t might be vitality important to
more than one that he should do this
speedily.
He sat dawn by an open window, his head
in one palm. Balmy breezes fresh from the
heart of the summer night stole softly in to
fan his brow. A maze of doubts beset him.
Whose was the spectral form, and why had
its treacherous hand administered that
deadly drug? What. fell purpose had he
Ai"0'i"oou ny hio oPPorJuAc appearance r
Above all, what mad project had called
Father Greyson from his couch at that time
of night?
Twenty minutes went by while these
thoughts passed through his brain. He
heard no rustling garments, no gliding foot
steps over the grass, and yet he suddenly
became conscious of white, shapely hand
being stretched out of the darkness to-
wards him, and knew that the same subtle
sickening odor he had detected in the study
was being distilled on the air he was then
inhaling.
His first feeling was one of overpowering
terror. His heart seemed to stand still and
all pulsation to stop. Then he shook off
the spell and jumped to his feet, crying out
in real horror. The hand was quickly
Withdrawn, and on looking from the win
! dow he saw the same white-robed form he