, 1875-01-23

'lfeiul' Nas hls solo reply. At last, however,
tho door yielts to hfs rnahng ln wo won't,
aud there wna no ono there after ali.
ut was 4 dinmai chamber, and largo ono.
It had tapoatrics and net OF ron1orons high
bRckod hehcl,ta, and seemed destined to fervo
as antechnsnber TO tho rest. Through II wo
passed on into another, and another after that.
tie grave aid 1aat we carnp to tho fArthest
ono Ut all, In whirsi h huge, unwiel.ly-looklng
bod OF aus,1no form, with sweeping drarertes
Of dark green serge. o'srnhadowed half ths
wlthout chcckercd the iozonge-stapea lattice
vanea with tho shadow Of It's trembling leaves,
forever, hs it were. pleading for htlmittanco
while tho chill autumn wind, toying with eams
loose rubbish In the grim old chinlilov-corucr,
within tho hollow.
"This, however, w1s alt. There wan no mye-
tnyfoue family portrait with pursuing eye upon
tho wall; no stcru suit Of hollow ar'nor IN tho
xnEte Of the ruont; no desperate, bloody single
combat on tho faded srras.
~ have seen before aud sinco In many 4
Roman pnlacs or ancient Forentino dwelling
hdt1Be, chamber. Of far more striking asrsct,
acter and traditions Of the romantic ages, and
were nsors fitting for dark domestic trag-
edies and hidden family history; but never, no,
never have behold any humnn hAbitation hav-
Ing about 1t precisely wllAt this one had. The
first slnncs at it sont An celtkc chill through all
MY voins. Tile worry remembrance Of 1t docs 40
st{ll.
".This, then. aalti tho old retainer. lifting, as
he arokt, i fold OF tho Hombre curtain OF tic
- this will be your bed tonight, and It In
perhaps better after all to lie here than at tl,o
mercy Of tho thieves and the winds BY tho rivor-
aido.' And having arrived ut tltis conclusion.
lie added, r,ore cheortully, Now, them sir, If
you will coma down stairs tgain With mo, and
share my bit Of sausage aud mJ fire. yon aro vol
IT gladly accepted tho offer, and we returned
accordingly to his humble cell, transformed by
comparison Into q perfect tnuggorr. We
Burred together by his httle fragrant pine
wood fire ne drank to the health Of the Baron
aud lin fair dauEhtora in a flask OF Ills own
good Rhensh but it failed to mako my heart
moEry. My spirits had been damped, unac-
countably dumped, by the impression
mada upon me by tho more aight Of that dscnry
sleeping chamber, and the still moro dreary ros-
pect Of having to pass night within tta wallH;
30 that when the hour cams for me to borrow
tho n1ineraI-wstar battle with the candle-end,
and to light m5self up stars sgain my heart sank
within me- .-r~
"Old Fritz who had accompanied me A. far
as tho Anto-chamber door, took leave OF tne
there, with many 2 CUTE nacht, and left me- de-
fenseless OH the threshold.
II pm not coward whore real flesh snd blond
aro concerned, but on very maid for ghosts,
and would have Eivon worlds to have called lin
back. 1 did. indeed, make faint attompt at
some deplorshle cenIeaconBion Of the kind, and
oven thought henrt a retroating lIoiul' from
tho foot OF the atairrase bts nothing moro
came OF it, aud tt1rnoa to meet nv fato.
"As did 20 something rose up before the
door Is II 10 prevent my passing thrust my
found it was only dog; still, gannt and unnalu-
ral ~ ho looked, at least 10 ny eyes, L naa nd
cctnfors to sec him there aud then. The thing
struck mo IS odd. too for remembered having
asked old Fritz ii ho never kept . dog i'll this
lone place for protection or for company. and
that be answered. NeyorF now looked hasti-
ly around INC for sone looas Bit Of wood or ntono
or aomething to fling At ths unsightv animal,
aud found it closo at haad; but while Btop-
ped to pick 1t up tho creature dlsapared.
How II contrivod to cteop tn With mo unaeeA
knew not. but Saw /. again in the room imtne-
iiatelv preceding tho sleeping one. crouching
ephlnt-!iks OIL tho rea-tfled hoor, with ts seals
eyes immovnbly flxca on mo.
II hurried pakt, nor turned to look behind
me. Persons in similar aitunsions aoom cara
to do ro sud closed the door OF tins room firm
ly behind mo aa entered. Dut MAS not atono
~ nv chsmbcr; I felt sure OF ttlAt. Some one
OF something was t11ore before me. A low rust
ling eoupd tan stealthily abound tho walls behind
tho nrraa md then all Was suddenly still.
u Fritz had piled some logs upon tho hearth
and thoughsfuIy prepared fire, and, having
stirred up tie rcd embcrs luso 40 bright blaze
TINT the unaint old shepherdesscs on tito scrsen
fitful light, l drew forward huge chair Of
faded damaBk, and, taking favorito volnmo
from tho pocket OF my blouse, endeayorcd to
read. but could not read for tryibg to listen,
and could not listen for the heating OF my heart.
'.sulden!y 1t struck me that l would tY to
find refuge Ia sieep-sleop which would fold mo
safely in tB wings until tho coming Of the b'esB-
e1 light Of day, mad in desperate moment l
mado hcalIong plunge int, the dismal bed,
Which yawned to receive me, and-aud-but why
be ashamed to confcs8 this, nhlo - openly con-
fesa 80 many worse things 7-aul hid my head
under tho bea-ciothos. Why sheets and blank
cts should bo deemed tmponetrahe to the subtte
eBseucs Of supernatural beings know not, but
sacl, is tho popular belief and practice.
swell, then. I did sleep at last, bat dreamed
az well. The old hollow voice of Fritz sounded
In my ear In bpfto Of all the ooveruga drArn
over ma, and It said. 4 vas child at the time
it happened, sir, and IN an honest man. They
never troubled RE-
~ awoke and aat mp, and gazed with ave
arounl me; but II over the old guardian had
been At my bedside, be was not there then. /
looked ,shuddodngly toward the door; il was
closed just AZ had left 1t, but Irresistible At
traction rlyeted my stony gaze on the spot.
ut Was cold dim, morning moonlight.
struggling With q htill colder dawn, aud the lire
had long sincs ceased to buru. The floor OF tho
1t and tue bottom Of tho door; aud vhlle | kept
looking looking, alwayH looking Ia that one d.
rectiol. something horrible came up and placed
itself on the other side OF tho open ohink.
SIT was foot but SUCH foot whits, shape
1t stopped before tho chuk. Then came It's fel-
low. They passed., repsssed, and stopped.
ooh. how l did long to shout out, to ahriek,
to make the place ring again! But could not.
would have held my eyes fast closed against
the horrible sight but could not kenp them fast
closed, Tho door sootnod to hoave on its
mngos. aud to sway backward aud forward as ii
the nwful visitor wore coming ill.,. It did come
in, something Or como ono pursuing 1t. knew
not what or who. felt 1t at tho foot Of my bed,
It climbed and swung itself up by the curtain.
It bad such long. damp. tangled hair, s1lch mis-
cradle eyes! It sohbsd and cluns to nc. l
swooned beneath the deadly touch.
when / recovered ny consciousness found
n,yself In one Of the elecping-rooms OF III inn At
AMdernsch. Tho evening sunshine Was ooming
in gayiy through the red check curtains Of the
window; MY ralkins-staH aud knatssok vera
carefully deposited on tho table by the bedside;
and ths good woman of tls house, who kindly
admlnlatered cordials to me. annwered my won
dsrinE slhuces BY stating that m old peasant
man from Il neigiboring castle had driven nla
over that morning In iis covered cart, and had
recommended me to the caro- OF tho psnpte of
tho gasthans ~ a sick and ovortirea traveller
whom chance had thrown In his way the Gay be-