The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-02-14

L haVn Z tpBn III HtCc OCioAS III SuSh siA>
snG-and | think we won't mind going lnpo
the inner room to-day. will weT
Il think we have seen quite enough for one
day." | answered. seeing she was anxious
for that reply (which is the inner room
Is that great door the entrance to it?'
Yes. In there is q kind of dark closet,
and when Won are inside you can pull a ham
die. aud the waInscot on this side slides over
the door and hides it entirely. But papa
SAYS the machinery is all rusty now. ana
will not move. That's the key OF the door
hanging up beside it; but papa goes IN
sometimes. so that isn'r rusty. | don't
think there's anything inside except me
big old pictures out of this room pieu
against the wall there
- | see, dear; and who was Sir Rupert,
80. I'll tell you all the story if you like,
said Dolly. In q lew serious voice. rs she
nestled beside me on the deep windGW-seat
In the gloomy room. This house, you
know. Miss May. was quite DID in those
times when King Charles was fight!ng
against his people, and hi people fighting
against him; and my great-great-srea.,
grandfather was one OF those people who
here the little lips grew rather tight AID
stern-s went against his King. He ought
not TO have been living in this house really,
because Sir Rupert was the oldest broEher;
but Sir Rupert hadn't any wife or children,
and didn't care TO live anywhere partlcu-
larly. but liked TO go about with the hing
and the soldiers-of course he Fought on the
rjght sids-so he sold this Abbey 10 his
brother. who had 1t full of servants and peo-
ple that were all Puritans. Then there W .
that terrible battle, you know. when h'hy
Charles was eaten, And all the cavaliers had
to hide away wherever they conid n
late that night nv great-great gr~eaC-2rand-
T,,b,r npopa1 tha window and LET moor sir
Rupert creep INFO the house to find A shell
ter They were on different sides. you see.
about Oliver Cromwell and King Charles.
but of course they loved each other bee ilse
they were brothers-though papa says all
brothers didn't love each other In those
days-and Mr.. Hurst brought Sir Rupert up
here, and brought him nice things TO eat
and drink. and never told any one. He
locked that outer door upon him. and felt
he was quite safe here; but II he
heard any alarm. he was TO keep in the
little room. and side back the panel. OF
| course, poor Sir Rupert felt himself safe in
his brothers house. and used to come out
of his closet a good deal, and walk about
here. But ore evening. Just as he was COM
ing out TO breathe a little fresh air. ne saw
a man. a horrible Puritan servant with short
hair, iuInn in softly from the window-Sil.
and stand there. and tell him CromwelI's
soldiers were behind. Sir Rupert knew
that the man who betrayed him was one of
his brothers servants: he knew his brother
couldn't fight against his own side. even
Tor him: and he knew that he couldn't kill
a whole troop. So he-he just raised his
pjstol. Miss May. and shot the man dead IL
on that very spot at our feet where the
stain is; for he never vamturedto 90 further
in. after ne hsd seen Sir Rapert's figure in
tine doorway. Do YOU kno that these
rooms are so far away from the cheerful
part of he house. and the walls are so thick.
that nobody heard the shot. and Sir Rupert
was standing quite still there, and the dead
man was lying quite still here. wnen Mr..
Hurst came III on one OF his visits. Iney
had not said one word TO each other; but
one brother was holding ont his hand sOr-
rowfully. and The Other was holding his
Observation-Disclosures both were very sad-yhen
a ciowd of soldiers followed their guide
through this window. o, Miss May,
mustn't il have been a dreadful. DIR adful
sight, especially to M. Hurst. who knew he
couldn't prevent them taking his brother?
But they did not take him, Miss May, after
all, There was a terrible fight her
Oh this very fioor-and Trey lett Sir Rupert
dead in the doorway. just where he mad
been all the time. Certainly IL was his own
fault that he was killed. as he wouldn't let
them take him alive, and he had fired the
first shot TOO; but it was.a shameful thing
for so many rc fight against n e Before
he died he had killed two Of them, Miss
May-two more besides his brothers segv-
ant. Now YOU know why the carpet is so
stained. O, isn't il a terrible story? And
it is tba. very fight that | can sometimes
he~ar-scuffiing and st~ruggling-and. y, all
so distinct. Let us 90 now shall we:'
saw that the child had wrought herself
into a painful state of excitement IN telll"g
the story; and so. while | soothed and
quoted her, we LETT the room together
CHAPTEP IL.
The months passed so smoothly, pleas
antly and u~neventtully in my new home
that Christmas seemed so come upon mt
almost unawares. | was very happy. il
spite of that lonely heartedneSs which l.
ALWAYS. | think. inseparable from q gov
erness' and | loved my little pupil SO dearly
that. eve il | had not ha a happy time,
could'hardly nave borne 10 leave her. Hugh
and Harry were az the Abbey now tor theil
Christmas vacation, and they and Dolly ant
| had grown to be very hrm and merry
friends together. They were bold, DARN:
bows, pleasant and gOOd-natured but
never wondered that the gentle, brilliant
beautiful child, my little one, should be th'
idol of the house. Day by day she seemed
to grow deeper and deeper into all on
hearts-i' she possibly could grOw deeDer
into her mothers than she must have bcel
from her birth. | used to notice, even Will
a trembling fear. now that mothers cain
face would brighten with a wonderful warn
light at only the distant sound OF the iigh
step or of the gleeful voice, and how 81
Hugh's rapid, impetuOus tones would soitel
tenderly, and his deep eyes fill with a dec
and quiet love IA touch OF The Tiny caresslnj
fingers.
Great days there were ct Crayd0n Able
. through that Christina, lime, and at al
the other great houses within reach OF us
where there were children TO come nom
and to he entertained. And AT all thes
parties | was proud and glad to see how IN.
little one, in her radiant, childish beauty
reigned a fairy queen among other child
ren. What her mother felt, seeing this,
could often guess-guess sometimes win
pang of bitter pain.
OF course there were many nights tina
winter when Sir Hugh and Lady Hurs
went out alone. and the boys and Dolly an
| had the big old house 10 ourselves. 1
merry, noisy echoing place we made Of
then, you may be sure.
On this night that | I'M going to tell OF
Sir Hugh and Lady Hurst were to dine at
distance-so far off that they started quit
early in the afternoon. Dolly stood in tn
hall, talking to her father and me, while w
waited for Lady Hurst to come down stairs
"Take care OF your little sister, my lads
said Hugh. as the boys dashed in and puliet
up suddenly, for they still stood in a littl
wholesome awe of their father; land TAX
care of Miss May, roo; n enjoy yourselve
as much as you can; and don't expect Il
till you see us, for our coming home appear
II.