The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1876-03-16

tlous ana ne became conscious OF I
al uneasy feeling whenever he !
had to pass q the window of
Sir Huehs': room late at night. |
1t was all very we'll to stand on the
terrace outside and look down tbel
valley to tie little fishing village Of
seaburn, which was nearly al his
own, or turn his eyes to the woodland
which stretched far on each side; it
was pleasant to think that he-once
a penniless adventurer with the un.
complimentary nickname Of ''Black-
guard Jim"-owned the fair lands
as far as he could see right down to
the blue ocean but it was not so
pleasant to sit in solitary splendor in
the dining-room, and hear, or fancy
he heard, the sounds Of ghostly rev.
elry from Sir Hughs room, and the
sharp rattle Of the dice he remem-
bered go we'll. He knew that the ex.
citement and the terrible losses which
the Baronet had experienced, and
which he, Marsden, had been mainly
instrumental in bringing about, had
certainly accelerated, if they were,
not the cause Of Sir Hugh's death,
and, but for the fear of ridicule, he
would have had the hateful room
walled up.
As it was, he had q shock one
night which wholly unnamed him,
and which made him leave Gaveston
Court and never live there again. He
had prevailed upon a party Of friends
to join him, none of whom were
staying in the house; and, af:
ter a splendid dinner, there had been
plenty of high play, in which he had
been unusually successful. He saw
his guests depart just about the time
when, on that eventfal night, he had
| left Gaveston Court confident that he
| should return as the owner Of it. He
was elated at winning, he had not
spared the bottle for himself any
more than for his friends, he had for
gotten all about Sir Hugh and the
haunted room, and he saw his guests
off in good spirits. Remember me
to the Baronet," said one of them,
jokingly, as he lett the house, and on
the instant all his old fears returned.
He went back into the dining-room
and steadied his nerves with a strong
dram for he mast pass Sir Hugh's
room to 60 to bed, and then he pre-.
pared to make a rush up stairs. He
had ordered the curtain which hung
before the window inside to Le, kept
perpetually drawn; but one Of the
servants happened that day to have
disregarded the injunction. He pass
ed up stairs with a hurried step, and
he would have given his life almost
/ to be able to resist looking at the
! room at all but there is a fearful
fascination about the chance Of be
holding anything horrible which few
peoplecan resist. Hepaused at the foot
Of the stairs and cast scared glance
at the window. He: was startled al
first to notice that the blind was
drawn back, and then hefed up stairs
with yell Of horror, for there, sit.
ting in the chair in which he had last
seen him, was Sir Hugh, with a strange
pale light diffused round him, and 8
look in his eyes which gave james
Marsden a thrill of terror when hi
remembered it, for the remainder o,
his life. He passed a miserable and
sleepless night, those eyes haunting
him until he thought his reason wa.
giving way, and in the morning HI
left Gaveston Court, vowing never te
return to it again. He would let i
60 and enjoy his wealth elsewhere
but he would never run the risk O
beholding so weird a visitant again
So the old house Of Gavestou Cour
was let, and, what was somewhat ex
; traordinary, none Of the occupier
} complained Of either ghostly noise
or sights. Sir Hugh's room was uset
; like any other, and there was nothing
remarkable about it. On Jim Mars
den's death, however, which happen
+ ed about twenty years later, one o
; Ehis sons came to live at the Court
and though he had brought a larg
; retinue Of servants and had redeco1
ated and newly furnished the house
he only stayed there three nights
He assigned no reason for his leavin,
but that he thought the situation. un
healthy; q statement which made th
Seaburn people amile significantly, a
well they might, for who could be uu
healthy with the glorious sea breezes
which blew round the Court and tn
village wiseacres whispered to them
; selves-he had seen Sir Hugh. Th
house was once more let, and the ne,
tenants complained Of nothing. !
seemed as if Sir Hugh's spirit-i]
, indeed, the stories were true-ouly re
visited his old home when it was In
! ,habited by the descendants Of tn
man who had outsed him. Certain
lis, that for nearly a hundred years n
descendant Of the Marsdens lived a
| Gaveston Court. -,
l. r.. i" =:
CHAPTER I.
!, l l)!,s Saaj
! A HERO AND A HEROINE,
: A century makes i great chang
! IL sny ptass, more .esap*eciia'l1y 81 in
J-s1lnr.o ~ TOWN., ~, III 80 ECvn-