The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-07-29
RICHMOND.

land in fright, and meeting his !;
cold armor, tainted. When she
told her story. next morning, no
one would believe her, until they
saw the purple mark of his iron
clad hand upon her arm. But
don't give the slightest belief TO
these stories, child, as we have
never seen anything but the most
unexceptionable conduct from the
picture
"Oh, do let Susie and / sleep
there tonight, aunt
"WeH, if you want to, my dear
'.How delightful!' exclaimed
Isabel, with sparkling eyes, while
all the children dimpled with
smiles; and even gaunt Cousin
John, in pea-nreen jacket, which
was worlds too short for him,
seemed suddenly full Of electric
life. which made itself manifest in
a nervous contortion Of the jaws,
much resembling a smile.
"Its a veal nice haunted room,
said Maud, 'cause itisn't haunted
nowhere but in o big pictur with
a veal gold fwome awound IT.
"Why. he seems to be looking
at Us wherever we go' said Isabel,
watching the portrait Of the knight
through red crack in the bed cur
tains.
$50 he does. How strange !!
answered Susie, blowing out the
candle.
In very little while, the dull
sound Of the wind and rain. ming
ed with the swaying of branches,
had lullcd the two girls to sleep.
Was it clap Of thunder that
awakened them simultaneously at
midnight, or was it an unseen pow
er3 The eyes Of both girls flash
ed open at once, and they instinic :
lively grasped each other.
"What is it2' whispered Susie.
Il don't know replied Isabel !;
something walked me suddenly
l feel SO queer whispered ST.
sic, pulling the sheet over her
head. DO please peep out of the
curtains and look at the picture
Isabel cautiously put one eye to
a hole in the crimson damask.
"Oh oh! oh ? she gasped, and
drew Susie over to the opening =
Both gazed Dreathlessly. The
haunted picture was illuminated
with soft, changing light, like
that which continually plays over
the hills on Summer days when
the clouds are passing rapidly
across the sun. The knight SEEM
ed to be standing in the full glow
of MONDAY splender, his face lit
up with inexpressib!e joy. Thus
far his eyes had been raised bu,
suddenly lowering his head, he
fixed both flashing orbs. with a
terrible expression, upon the crack
in the bed-curtain, where cleaned
four other eyes in the darkness
The movement was so sudden, thai
Susie uttered a low scream, anC
sank under the coveriid.
Like fash the light went Out
Of the picture, and profound dark
ness and silence reigned, when 10
a sneeze echoed through the room
Was it the knight9
Susie was suddenly convulse,
, with merriment, which she manag
ed to stifle by poking the sheet in
10 her mouth, while Isabel slll
quietly on to the floor. and threw
on her clothes in the dark. Thel
taking the candle and some match
es from the table, she crept owe
> to the picture, and boldly put he
; hand on the canvass. Feeling he
way. she reached the upper par,
when suddenly her hand fell thrc
an Opening the size of man
, head, and landed on somethin
decidedly like mans heat.
"Golly calculated a voice with
in and instantly lighting her can
T die, Isabel thrust it through th
opening, and beheld her cousi
john frowzy head and pea gree
! jacket. within a narrow passag
filed with broken plaslering an,
beams, on the other side of tn
!, picture. In the one hand he car
ried the candle, which he had jus
), blown out, aud in the other th
u knights canvas head, from whic
e dangled several ssrlngs--one te
1 moving the head from side to sid,
y another Tor raising and lowerin
. the eyes, aud third tor movin
q tue mouth. A moment more, an
? Susie, wrapped ia waterproof
I appeared at tue apperture.
q Nov, John you're awful mea
4 to play such a trick said she.
: "No; think he's very smart
responded Issb bel.
, cit wasn't my get up ot all, s
g don't waste your powder on me
replied he, brusquely, but wit
?, dancing eyes. This afternoon
stumbled cn trap door. up garrt
It that led into this passage. l nav
% gated it, Of course. and discovere
It all this machinery. BY thunder
e what doings and foolings thel
must have been some time wit
this old chap. He was little OF
It OF order, but l fixed him up :
is that he winked aud blinked pfett
,e we'll, and when l heard you pr
d pose to sleep here tonight, ! jul
- determined to try and operate tt
f. old coon. You see this isn't cor
mon canYas-it's q patent stu