The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-08-04

!. from him, and pressed her long and closely
in the hope Of getting more information,
but without avail.
r "Every compartment has been opened,
1 think" he said after IN hours steady
application, "and IL; that remains to be
done is to nssort an replace the papers.
It is strange that not 4 Worl is said in any
of them about the disposition of tho
property
II an certain that Mr.. Wallingford
made n will" said the honsckecper, for 1
signed it as witness. in this very room."
The attorney gave start of surprise.
''Do you know any Of the provisions Of
that will?" he asked.
The woman hesitated again.
"I did not read the will nor hear it
read" she finally answered, evasivcly.
did Mr.. Wallingford never tell you
what it contained -
The woman colored strangely and said
that lie never did.
"Morc mystery" muttercd the attorney.
1t seems to be in the very air l can't
even talk to this old woman, without hav-
ing it thrust in my face. But now for the
great question:
He gathered the documents hastily up
and replaced lneM.
"Mrs. Ames," he said, "you look worn
out A glass of wine would do you good,
and wouldn't mind having one myself"
He stepped to the bell pull and ordered
two glasses of claret when the call was
answered.
In passing the wine to the housckeeper,
the attorney adroitly dropped n grain of IL
colorless powder in her glass. 1t dissolved
quickly, leaving the wine as clear as before,
and the woman drank it without noticing
either the movement or detecting anything
strange in the taste of the stmulant.
"The wine has refreshed me, although
still feel strangely inclined to drowsincss,"
said the attorney.
"Ithink will rest few Moments
Saying this, he leaned comfortably
back in his arm chair and awaited patiently
for the drug he had administered to have
it's effect on the honsekccpcr.
With q great deal of satisfaction, he
soon saw her eyclids droop heavily, and her
head fall back upon her chair. Almost
Immediately she was sound asleep, and
the attorney began his work.
Lowering the pannelea leaf which con-
cealed the small compartments mentioned
above, he pressed n certain portion of its
edge, and, as he had expected. the stile
sprang back, revealing q narrow aperture
in the centre. of the panel. 1t was Just
wide enough to contain a thin paper. very
closely folded, and this the attorney was
about to draw forth, when voice, secm-
ingiv in the very room whore he WAS
sroke word that rang like a thunder peal
in his startled ears. That one word was
"Trait0r"
Before the echo Of the voice had diel
out Of the room. the attorney closed the
panel, and stood, white and! trembling,
gazing around the room.
Save the old houschr"per, still asleep in
her chair. no one was +" lie seen.
Weak and faint with terror, Mr.. Gray
sank into a chair.
"Haunted!'
The word escaped his lips with groan.
A little thought gave him new courage.
however, and enrag"d 1T his own want of
nerve, be sprang to his feet acain.
1T was but the wind" he Thought,
walking to the window, and gazing ont
upon the bright October sunlight, which
lay over Hill and valley and foaming river,
like q web Of fine spun gold.
"What have / 10 10 with superstition p
he aided. "L am too old to run from q
strange sonnd in broad daylight. will
have that document. though all the fends
in Hell cry ont aTainst me-"
Again lie lowered the leaf, sprung back
the s;i!c and seized hold of the paper.
Half expecting and lrcading to hear the
warning voice again. he paused with his
hand OH the document and looked about
him.
l., -. I
from the mysterious voice, by signs of
awakening in the housckeeper. Nerycd by
the thought that whatever he did must
he done at once, he hastily snatched
tn pa?er from its resting place and closed
and replaced the Leaf
1t was al the vrcrl, Of second, but
in that second sub terrible vail of
accrv rs had never sa'utrd his ears before,
rang through The room.
When the lrous"kecp"r awokc n short
time aftcrwarl, she fond the attorney
sitting almost irsorsi'.lc in his rhHir. With
great tlrnps o: SWEET .oz.rt Frna y : FORE
head, and his ey.s, wild with terror, fixed
cn space.
"Mr. Gray what haze You found ?" she
demanded, in fri%ht"n,! tones. Has
ANYTHING happened, while I, Ike thr foolish
old woman that am, slept at my post:"
"Nothing-nothing Mrs. Ames; think
I must have slept too, and had horrible
dream. dreamed" he continued. fix
IN" his eyes krenly on the old woman
face, that there were secret passages in
the walls Of this house. and that people
who are never seen in the village, meet in
this rOom,'
Mrs. Anfcs started and turned as pale as
the attorney had been moment before.
"R,t of course this is foolish Gray
went on, nughngly. s;nch legends
onnht to have been buried with the six
tccnth century,
odd you find any additional papers? -
asked the woman. g1ad of any prtext to
change the subject Of conversation.
al have one that may prove importlnt.'
was the reply" can't tell until have
read it thoroughly. You shall know when
l call again"
On his way to his Office, the attorney
pondered deeply over The occurrences Of
the day. But for tho paper lying so
snuglv in an inner pockctof his coat, he
would have been inclined to regard the
happenings Of the last few hours as n
troubled dream.
But it was safely there, and when in his
own office, with the !o"r securely locked
and holted, he read il, his Joy knew no
hounds. He pllrnl the document III his
snf.: cxamirri the ,i,H1 lrill owners my
roll for a nnn" he ws,r:r and wr"t" I'D
posted y l"::"r '' SAM witch r. y"
" ''lin%!ord received on the following
morning.