Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-25

sea-weed through which we were to wade to the
old Sea-House-a strange mansion built of the
broken stone OF the beach, looking half of a
prison and half a mad house, falling to decay,
as Well as 1t could be seen through the
storm.
And so it is" said the captain. who had
gone ashore with us, and supported me. The
master OF the house is strange creature
speaking to few but his servants-mad, may
be, or has been mad. He married girl, they
say, who had another lover but whose mother
compelled her, under bad threats. She never
saw him till he came with the parsOn She es-
capped from the house that night and drowned
herself, they think. And the man came down
here, bought this place, and perishes with re-
morse, they say But his house iSalways open
on the side of the sea, said the captain, jerk
ing out the sentences of his deep bass with the
rain in his teeth. 'He and his men tend out
on all the wre cks. and there's many of them on
this ugly bit of water. He thinks death by
drowning is, pretty bad, guess There he
comes now"
The rain was driving like fine needles hori
ZOntally in our faces, and the wind was all we
could make way against. The captain had Mrs.
HOwison on one side and me on the other Miss
Murray was close behind, and the struggling
groups followed with shrieks and laughs that
the wind blew down their threats, Belle every
now and again sitting down on the wet sea
wee d, telling everybody to go on and let her
die there, but presently making her mind to
face the storm again; and We had another
long field of the anke-deep sea weed to cross
Yes, there he comes" cried the captain
How are you, Mr.. Bassett? Any h liter for
these wave-wOrn mariners at Sea-HOuse@ We
are not ecked, but gone before, you see
And to make matters worse, at the moment,
as II nature at last gave way, Miss Murray fell
over and tainted.
MI Bassett, however, had caught her, the
others too tired from their tuSsle with the
storm to be of service; but he lifted her and
carried her across his shoulder as though she
had been child turning and leading the way
up to his gates. He was powerful fellow in
every inch of his Stature-a dark, ungainly,
black bearded Boanerges, l thought, in the
II bod hnfn no linn tcp,
bowed my head again, and felt in the deep
rolling tones with which he ordered his men
to march before and break the force OF the
gale from those directly behind them. But he
bowed his head to no blast, and seemed a
tower of strength before us there. Nor did he
look over his shoulder when, Just at the. gate
Mrs. CamerOnS cry rang out as She Slipp I'd
and fell, and obliged her son to emulate Mr..
BaSsett'S example. But in the shadow of the
porch Mr.. Bassett turned, the raindrOps
exclusives, lifting his hat from the low brow,
white, saw. under the ebOn masses of hair,
certainly his whole strange lace strangely
TRANSPORTED, welcome to Sea House all!'
he said, and passed on, winding his way
through dark passages. where We lost sight of
him as we followed the ringing sound of his
steps. He paused in little cabinet and laid
his burden on sofa there, first removing her
wet wraps, and then disappearing to return
with bandages and lotions for Mrs. CamerOn's
ankle. When he had made her comfortable
on her imprOviSed bed, in which task | as
Sisted-by virtue of my place as the old maid
of the party, having been delegated to all The
diSagreeable dutieS-he went over to Miss
Murray, who still lay On the sofa, silent aud
deathly white. But at the movement she
opened her great gray ewes, dark from the
rings of shadow now surrounding them. Slip
ped her feet 10 the floor, faltered second, and
then fastened TO Mrs. CamerOnS side, falling
OH her knees and clasping he. and breaking
INTO hySterlcal SObS.
Why, Miss Murray, Margaret my poor
child, IT'S no. hing but a spcain,'' cried Ms.
Cameron. My dear, never knew you cared
for me sou
IL don't" she exclaimed, rising impetu-
Blu; Mr.. Bassett was before her. ~ must
forbid any excitement he said, in those deep
tones. II will send a servant to attend to the
patient Pray consider fi yourself madame my
young lady's room adjoins your own, across
Il shall stay with my mistress" said Miss
Murray, suddenly. and wi hout looking up.
He stopped and surveyed her, whether
amazed, | wondered that this naughty and
ungraciOuS young Won IN acknowledged her
self servant, or that she did ii so proudly.
Bur after the glance he only bowed. Never
theleSS, the room is at her disposal" he said,
opening the doors which led to it, aud
presently leaving us together.
went into the room, of course, and looked
about me, for my cloak had not been thor
Oughy protecting, and the big fire blazing on
the hearth there attracted me. The rest of
The party were drying themselves Otherwhere.
Mrs. Cameron fell into dOZe, and then Miss
Murray came and stood on the hearth beside
me. 1twaS large room, which evidently had
been made more comfortable than the rest of
the house for Mr.. BaSSett himself. A dark
rug nearly covered it, thick curtains inclOSed
the windows, some old prints and portraits,
probably bought with the house, / fancied,
hung upon the wal; there was huge jar of
flowers. there were books and papers, and
general paraphernalia. 1T is his own ROOM
look" said i.
oh. how shall-I-oh. don't you see" be
hut 10
into the room, sllencing herself at our hush
ing a., hal. ..., ar.
nice! Lucia. takes it easily, doesn't he? Oh,
Miss TwOmbiy. oh, Miss Murray! This is just
the queerest, delighfulest old place.-.full of
sprain. Why couldn't She" But Belle in
terrupted herself Just there. He says we
s 9e fea OF
and oh! isn't it delicious? At any rate we
can't 90 while the storm lasts. Get down on
your knees, Miss Murray, and pray that il
at the other rOOms-siding panels false doors,
every thing"
followed her out. As turned gently to
close the door / saw Miss Murray throwing
up her arms with a desperate gesture, and
when i came back she stood leaning on thu
mantel, her head bowed. her fallen hair hang
ing over her clasped arms, the picture of de
teciIon. What in the world did it mean?
Since it was not concern for Mrs. Cameron
was it dementia? Had the storm and the ex-
pOsure given her fit of melancholy? Now
bethOught me, had there not always been
something of INSANITY in the way in which she
Tries her eyes, looking down?
Meanwhile the house nearly justified Belle
One of any imagination might revel in the
half flights, hi iden StaircaSeS, and false en-
frances. 1t had originally been government
house. afterward becoming tavern, and then
as haunt of Smugglers, ithad been altered to
their purposes; in the next generation IL hid
been reftted with some SumptuOuSneSS as
family mansion. Although threadbare now,
the carpets had then been rich and thick, and
mantelS and wainscotS had been infinitely
carved and Overlaid with a gliding but par
italy destroyed. What chance had left it I'm
this state, as if a plague had fallen on the fam
lily and one and ali were extinct, We could not
ina CINE.
We'll" sighed Lucia, I'VE must make the
most of this storm l suppose ma II have some
of her absurd ScrupleS about staying even
over tonight. and she's bound to go tO-mor-
ROW if she has to be carried. l know her. If
only the others had all come to, and We had
our trunks, just think of the maSqueradeS and
theatricals we could get up! What house
for runaway match
II THE Black Prince of the Forest, Watching
his chance, steps in behind TheOdOlinda from
a Withdrawing panel" cried Belle, land clap
ping his shapely hand across her lovely lips,
bears Off" and there left them to their non
sense.
began speaking of these capabilities of the
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