The Newtown bee., 1877-11-08

work herself, perhaps, into. a frenzy, which might change the sluggish current of her distress.
 To ''eat an apple at the glass"--that che might do, if she made haste for it wanted some miEutes of midnight. There was no one to watch her, or laugh at her, but she laughed at herself as she went into the store-roOm and chose one from a pile of rosy, delicious fruit. Ordinarily she had not superstition enough 10 make such proceeding as that on which she was bent amusing or even possible, except ''for the sake of company" Now so fearful was she of interruption that she would not go back to her own chamber. Instead, she went to a room that opened upon the broad verandah--a musty. dusty place. She knew its contents only by hearsay, but there hung a cobwebDrd mirror With her one feeble lamp she peered at her own reflection, wiping away from the glass with her handkerchief the hanging films that 5ioaed and snapped and scat tered taeir sticky fragments upon her.
 Agatha laid her apple upon the oaken table before this mirror She Lad not vet heard the bell tolling twelve
 Around her were piles of chests, trunks ,l p1l hnpIy- 1Nn rusty relic whose history belonged to another soil, in the shape of 8 plate of steel armor A sword, hunters horn, deers' anters, adorned the wall. Some of the old trunks were locked, some bound with ropes, some merely closed, One yielded to Agatha's touch. There fell into her hand by it's own Volition, it seemed to her. a dress of richly broCaded silk. Next beneath it was an envelope of gilded paste. board, containing lace, with fan. scarf, evidently the compile ment of the dress. Still below " ere ar ttcles of male attire, of the same period as the ancient dresF She had heard these very garments described a thousand times. The sad romantic story of the dead and gone lovers "ho had worn them was fresh in her mind.
 Giving rein to her frcakish mood, Aga tha stripped the gray merino dress She wore from her shoulders. She had don ned he lustrous hrocade which traied in sumptous folds behind her. The mit- tens were on her hands, the fan in them, only the jewels wanting to complete the costume when booming through the si- lerce came the sound of the midnight bell. With an hysterical laugh Agatha caught the apple in her hand. Her hair, already loosen d, fell at touch. She raised the comb in her other hand and drew it slowly through her dark tTesses. Then she was conscious of shrieking--a strange, hnarse shriek. Behind her in the shadows, looking from the dim mir TOT, stood il foEm, human in semblance at least, I uian in velvet coat, with lap pels and cnffs of pale blue silk, rutiles of lace about his breast and throat. The face leaned toward her closer, closer. She held her breath, and it seemed to her that tanning whisper said,
 "How do you like me p
 Only these words However the fact might be, she fainte0 dead away.
 When she recovered she found herself not in the haunted room, but on the stairs outside She still wore the broca- ded dress, and by that token, knew that her adventure had not been all a dream
 The frightened girl sped up tue stairs, and found q morning wrapper to rephce her ghostly fnery. In all haste that might he. she opened tue door between Miss Peyton's room and hers No quer- ulous voice was evoked by the sound. Agatha stole around the bedside and looked. No gaunt face met her with painful greeting--no face was there, only confusion of he'd clothing.
 vHer strength deserted her. With An effcrt she summoned power to lift one of the pillows, knowing well what aw- ful sight would he disclosed.
 Not daring ta look second time, she tottered down to the kitchen and stum- bled against Chloe. industriously scrap ing chocolate for" Miss Priscilla's break fas'."
 Around the dead woman's throat was found scarf of gauge tightly knOtted Agatha shuddered anew when it was shown to her. She had held it in her hands; it had foated over her own shoulders the night before.
 There came to Agatha's quiet life ar awful episode To the shadow of deatl was added cloud of gloom, of suspi cion. of doubt--ioubt nf herself, thu worst of all Could it have beer that reason had really deserted her on tha night of terror she asked herself agair and again.
 One day she looked across a sea oI faces, every wave as meaningless as an other. yet all seeming to threaten hel like a sweeping sea. Question ate l question was poured upon her Sh,