Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-11-24
Calls aud Sketehes.
LADY CREIGHTON.

and queer things happen there I've heard.
, Things that don't seem much i'm this bright
sunshine, but which would make mans
flesh creep if he saw and heard them over
there in the dead of night
"No,n
80 it is sir, and people shun the place
AS they would the plague"
81 should like to visit it. What say you,
Falkland?' And my travelling compan-
ion, Colonel Elton, turned toward me with
something OF the battle fire lighting his
stern face.
Pm not afraid of ghosts" answered.
Good Neither am l." Then addressing
the German peasant, "Can we get the
keys and secure the services of fellow
no. afraid of sighting gust of wind at
midnight ?n
The peasant shook his head in condem-
nation of the light tone, saying an he did
so:
There's no need of keys, sir A storm
crashed one of the old doors in more than
Il year SINCE and you can come and 90 as
you like. But If you want good, brave
fellow to guide you and stand by you
through thick and thin, my brother Franz
is the one for you, and he is backed by a
| hound that fears nothing human"
Very well. Wen investigate the mys-
terry tonight"
1t was nearing dusk when we reached
| the irregular old structure which had at
| tracted our attention earlier in the day.
Perched high amidst rock and forest, its
aspect was eminently forbidding, though
the extensive grounds still gave evidence
| of former care and taste which must
have relieved the place of much of its
sombre wildness.
AS we wandered through the labyrinth
| inc halls and rooms, other evidences of
bygone luxury met our eyes in remnants
OF faded carpets and stray pieces of furn-
| ture elegant enough to have graced a
palace.
And these proofs of the last tenants
that our mundane comforts might not scare
hasty flight were to be found in everv d.
rectiV. One room on the first floor had
hardly been disturbed and in this we finally
decided to bestow ourselves and the ham
per, which Franz had guarded with care
that sufficiently expressed his regards for
| its contents. Once ablaze with freight
and candle-light, the room looked CHEEKY
place in which to wait ghostly sights and
sounds: and we discussed the contents of
the aforementioned hamper, trusting
away the nocturnal visitants of whom we
had heard.
Franz" said the Colonel, slipping with
critical taste the glass of hook now and
then raised between his eye and the light:
Franz, think you told me the last resi-
dents here were English"
"Yes sir. A titled lady, with her two
daughters-one child-and an army of
servants. Sometimes they were seen
| abroad, but not often; and after time
the young lady was never seen at all"
"How long did they reside here ?''
"a year. l believe, though it may have
been more or less. Twas whispered that
| they ran away from what we've come to
look up. And I'm thinking something
took them off in hurry, seeing how they
left things behind them"
at might seem So" returned the Col
oncl, glancing renectively around him.
"llush !" exclaimed, raising Il warn
| ing hand. "What was that ?''
Then succeeded dead silence, broken
| only by natures quiet voice out in the for
| est
Your fertile Imagination my dear fell
| low" at last laughed the Colonel, empty
ing his glass.
| Not so !" | exclaimed, as we all sprang
to our feet at a louder repetition OF the
sound which had arrested my attention a
minute before.
| Twas woman's voice--a voice that
| know ~ cried the Colonel, snatching up
| IA candle and dashing from the room. at
| came from the hall above" he shouted
back, as Franz and prepared to follow
| him
stop" exclaimed Franz, az we
reached the door. Look at the poor brute y
pointing at his bOasted pet, crouchng in
the extremity of terror under low couch
| by the fire. "Come Fury Come !" he
| called, but whine was the only response,
and we Joined the Colonel alone. "It's
nothing human, Herr Colonel; you needn't
look" said Franz solemnly. as with ashy
cheeks and lips my friend darted from
chamber to chamber.
| As he spoke, the same heartrending
| wail-sweet as mournful-echoed through
the walls, and died away in some remote
corner.
"IIgher higher cried the Colonel
taking the steps two at time. nina !!
Nina my darling@my love am here.
Nina " he shouted, as the hall was reached
| Horror filled my soul. Had my friend
gone mad looked at Franz. His eyes
| plainly spoke my own unexpressed fear
No Voice answered the Colonel's impas-
stoned call, yet with frantic grief he pros
ecuted his vain search, tearing away moth
eaten hangings, sounding the walls, and
beating the floors, despite our entreaties
and arguments. AT last we got him down
to the room we had entered so incredu-
lously a few hours previous. He sank in
to IA seat, despairing woe marked on every
lineament.
Drink it, Herr Colonel" begged Franz,
placing brimming glass near the set lips,
adding. as it was taken and drained
Shall we leave this cursed place ?"
You may leave if you wish, but shall
remain till this awful mystery is solved
muttering to himself as he again sank into
his woeiul silence. There's been fouI
play just as ] expected. Directly ht
looked up, demanding abruptly, Franz,
was the lady's name, Creighton, Lady
Creighton ?"
Franz answered promptly: "For the
life OF me couldn't tell the name. But
therel do you hear that sir ?" he whis-
lpered, gray hue settling about his mouth