Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-10-20

"By Jove p I'll mako sketch of this
rookery," cried Dahlgren, who was
kind of amateur artist, and delighted
in putting on canvas the queerest of
landscapes, and all odd bits of quaint
ness that came under his notice. ''This
must be the old concern our host was
talking about that .rumor says has a
ghost. There's three of us. Suppose
we explore the castle gray p" continued
Dahlgren, lightly.
'sAgreed II they cried.
And Ned, turning the knob of the
door, in an instant they we're in the
gloomy old building, and gazing curious
" into it's privacy. The paper was
peeling away from the walls, and hung
in long strips that ratified mysteriously;
and the dust, the gathering of years,
starte d up in thick clouds, as the auda-
cious feet stalked deliberately through
the long-forsaken rooms
At the end of the corridor up stairs,
they came to barred door. 1t yielded
to their united efforts, and they enter
ed large bedroom. In one corner
stood high-post bedstead. A wash
stand occupied the space near the
grated window; and carpet, worn and
NJ 9TH eaten, covered the floor
Dark red stains covered the sheets,
yellow with age, AID the pillows were
stiff and hard, and with the same red
dish color. Ned shuddered.
''Blood - said Frank Ormsby, who
was studying for the medical profession,
and therefore was qualified to speak.
An inner door suggested more mys-
terry, which, upon entering, proved to
be a bedroom similar to the one they
had just left. But there were no stains
on the bedding; and finding nothing,
Ned followed his companion down the
stairs, who now clamoured for an in
vestigation of the underground regions.
'sThere must be something in the
cellar; I'd take my oath to it" Frank
said, emphatically.
So the great trap-door was lifted; but
the intense darkness hid whatever was
there, and they agreed to go lack to
their hosts, and return the next day
with torches and everything that they
fancied they would need.
CT dinna ken what We maun find, my
guide lads; but there's ma mon in these
parts that wad gaze there" said the host.
"Why so ?" asked Ned.
The good Scot shook his head.
''The dead walk there, and wi their
screeches in the wee sma' hours drove
the guide mon, cid Hugh Allonby, ava
ayant the borders O. his ain land. I
myself haze heard the screeches O. the
returned spirits, as they shrieked and
groaned with awful cries at sAllonby
Inn Fifteen years ago old Hugh
heard muckle cursing and hammering
on the doors; an, nearly dead wi fear,
the mon fled ayant Scotland into Eng
land. Since then nobody has lived there,
IN that uncanny place, and now the
COLLINS hold high carnival in the old
ruin.
But the more they heard, the strong
er became their resolution to explore
its reputed mysteries; and SO, early
the next morning, provided with torch
es, crowbars and pickaxe, the three
young men returned to the haunted
house.
Ned lifted the trap-door, and swung
Tow. The light fickered brightly up,
revealing, with a ghost-like radiance, a
flight of narrow iron steps. Ormsby
took the crowbar, and was the first to
descend.
A damp, musty odor filed the walled
room. 'Ihe lantern fared up suddenly.
with bright, steady glare, and the
faces of the three adventurers looked
corpse-like in their pallor.
Ned shock Off the fear that had come
on him, and walked slowly over the
hard floor. A pile of earth was heaped
up in one corner; and near theeiron
stairs he stepped upon something that
grated with a harsh, crunching sound
under his feet, and gust of fine, Pc
iar-smelling dust filled the air. He
seized the lantern, and brought its rays
to bear upon the spot. A shudder ran
through his frame at what he beheld.
There, on the damp floor, lay the glis-
tening bones of skeleton; it's feshless
hands still grasped a leathern substance,
and the skull seemed to smile hooking
~ at him as he bent over it. An iron
lamp, rusty with age, stood near the
remains, and the glitter of diamond
sparkled upon one of the bony fingers.
Ormsby stopped and raised the skele-
ton, but the bones snapped apart and
fell with dull rattle to the floor. The
leather substance it had clutched so
tightly proved to be a pocket compan-
ion. Ned opened it, and shower of
coins ran out like golden s. ream.
"Eh what in the deuce He
gazed at the portrait earnestly. It was
round, sparkling face, with dancing
eyes, and glossy waves of purplish.
black hair. The mouth was small, and
saucy smile, half sorrowful, half sad.
fingered on the crimson lips. "Sybel,
for all the world p cried he in astonish-
ment. Touching spring at the back
of the case, a lock of dark hair fell out.
and yellow slip of paper, on which
were written the words, ''Sybel, wife of
Leonard Ashmore, Bart, Ashmorelands,
England" There were a package of
letters and broken seal ring, and, last.
~, an unfinished diary.
'sLet us go back, gentlemen said
Ned. ST feel that wise providence
has placed it in our power to unravel
dark crime. Let us return to the outer