, 1874-01-18
asked. returning to the point which had puzzled

v's incretluty was not ~ perfect as he tried to
5sSs;;; i; s.s.,.x,n, ii. z;t. b.a nsen 1.t. in
| ch.r1a ~ the honse and Harry and Gweu had
cnr1s dovn w ~ nnita nione. nuoer preteuse OF see~
| inr wtst rensirs Tere required before they col
feeted m estah]lshmout, They had only arrived
that mornng and when We hso uarv nap 10ne npno
!uncneon' as II 1as ssu1 4uase esa1:y - nnco f'
foEe .nas aS 9hou'u eh Sd ~ ue +.Ia Tia horib1e
enc. ano courage amos. 1ans ,d nc os 10 eunu asv
IL otosu oAyngn' on ena.- aoseS ~. sahsr honrtad
ne..as me onog .note 1p5oaIId' ~ Pao.,a1 md
san1< .ou ~. as,er5 9Sen, ~ - sr;nr hv
tyo'n. ~ r,,,,>o- 5,a- 49, ~ 1h;cb 7
ta5 tn rprd s,t1ad s1~ s1o1' p,n5a.-so,s st,cn+fon
au 1aneo j. o1aazaa }ass ;rsee,,shfa
t,n ~ n4i ns fra5 tha ba nn1s 4nara
.uaa .ne - uus & sso ~, ,ha1r, H" ,ras
.saus, ": ~ "ae w. Ia1satt -: h.-s
wy 10 han, 5soi. ~ snshla nz ~ onan
| ~ 5onr for enorch. tn .dm;t M one Nv nne.
| W tt -; .-,se 1nnhv B.- ,,d r ~
10 Isoou ~ ~ 1 .rou t'og . ho11r1 Ia tha Wv
;... Vt ~ 1uI % .a1o, 80 a. eoIa4,"ai
ss ~ @ ~ ~ 49, dro u;nr-r nom for waa not
O. ~ ucs wv wv ~ ,ss", ttr,,,e,, tha H.
tnre.railerv % liar where. still hanging from the coll
49, ~ ay;nn;n1 haclwar3 .nd forw,rd sa
hs, .hs, ~ ~ s.1,sa H. Tonrtaan Ta.ra and Tno,a-
Anoy NJ e"uns ~. b.s saa,, baxo-a Thara
toa me.o .ue .hn p'suen ~. <,ono n1 nn and down
w: nth naI ~ o15 .r;n5 J,re srhanered Her,
oals tne "sau' ;.h;n H. - "a h,,r.;.l
as ne ore" nef Atm "1Ia1n LIB OWL ano nui''e'
uet W. ~ ,,a t;a,o-o .,a .rh, dr,v,.o-~ as
wy w 10 "rtspe4 e aaa "Iy a.. .,oased him
- ~ Guatu =. he. L - aoh ~ ILL., roha"
| F0A1 FuMn51 o1,r;ons that th;s ma ahonu 20 up and
ao"n' nat1y nao D., mad mipiatu1e
na... - a5 & e ~ n;ntr-n
w ~ ~ nanna~ nara - entirely AZ usual.
s so auu ~ 1e1t .ra,ler1ullv reasaured and
Hnp1, H.rw r,.nced At 1na ,-th proud amie which
.na1tss nai.s zs,n1,eo nneeo ~ 'ne
0pvhe v 4 so.uioes~ % T.. hs room. No footsteps no
Ne "eu. W -, 70 whispers this time. All Was
LII 'toad daylight. We found the panel
o,t roha,ty it hnd mover been moved sipca our
nas; prGpgfou p.a gfourteen years before. We entered.
Ill III "a as it had been. The room. low-pitched
- ,innynv ryna little lass awful in the sunshine
81 anq ~ ~ night There was an indescribablo op-
nreaaion. We approached first the heap OF
1ranerv in the window. It Was the body OF 3
Young voman No sign Of decays but the same
stranee shriyeled 1esb' the same Light brown hue,
that va had seen before.
Gwen was now very rale, and RanslcY trem-
h1cd from head to foot We turned to the bed,
and drew back tho curtain There lay the little
child: and wb4n We turned the head toward us.
Thanked heaven. no .cieam. I could see that
Harry dreaded it bv bis compressed lips and by
Ills firm bold OF the little shoulder. This time
the ewes half opened there WA = gl1mmering
| hight in them then ano:ber long sigh: and It il
nv firm belief that then. and not till then. the
~ tno o1d nosition AZ before, Il collapsed,
and lav Btrajcht Is Harry p:accd it. He called to
| Taps.ey in 3 low voice. Tho old man Was on his
knees on tho floor.
Harry uttered an exclamation Of impatience,
| and desired mo to help him, Whispering as he
| did so. ~ WAS wrong. Charlie; this is no trick:
There is more here thnn NO can ondefs.Ano.
Gently and tendery he lifted the little child in
| hiR arms. Gwen helping him good brave Gwen
| 3 woman in thousand. He bore it ont Of that
haunted room. and laid it in tho lobby outside.
| Then be returned for the body Of the woman,
! and placed them side BY side.
"You and must 80 for tho coffin" said hc
| "Gwen will stay with Ransley here.'
n oBn1 Ii MarrT. ~ it viii viii take time. Where shall
| We find one dy-rnade7'
| Gwen vhispercd TO mo to t'trust to Harry;
| it was all prepared" and again felt that he
| had never been as skcpticM as he tried to be-
Leaving Gwen rtsnding as statue, guarding
! the dead. and Ransley crou:ning near ner his
| hend ehaking as with palsy, We ran down to the
hall tbe great door being easily opened from
| the side. fact which we had before remarked.
| iu tho ball 10 found large packing-caso, out
contriyei as to be easily put together. This
done 20 lifted it. and prepared to return. And
! then occurred once moro that episode Of the
! imaginary door. Although was first holding
! grasp. had not made many steps within the
passaco before he exclaimed, ''Wait, wait \
| Tninufoi It will be crushed! There, it is
crushed! How could that door shut! And
while saw him cropping for tho handle, ns
before. his voice grow muf1lcd. It was but for 4
sccond. however. and then he called out in his
! usual manner, ssAll right, old fellow: 20 on =
| and We went on to where Gwen patiently awaited
rs.
Tho coffin. though only designed for the child,
| wag found big enough to contain both bodies,
We raised o,,r awful burden, the unknown dead,
and bore it through the hall out into the c1oisters.
and on to the chapel Here, again. the extent
and detail Of the preparations surprised me. Not
oniv tbo kew OF the chapel was at hand, but tho
kew of the family vault was with it; and, at q
eirn from her husband, Gwen placed PRAYER
book in my hand, and signed mo to begin the
scrv,cc. / read AZ one in . dream. Harry my
brnye Harry nv old, old friend, stood by mo !;
his arm touched as read on. Gwen was ut
lis side. q fair contrast to his firm. manly figure.
She was somewhat in shadow, but he stood ont
in bold relief, under flood OF ruby light, which
fell through window behind him: There he
wnE, picture OF life and health. All, how little
could I divine thas I was reading that burial
service for the living, as we'll as for tha long,
long dead!
It wae over. Harry fingered ere ve left tho
vault. We had work before us. and time lin