Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-11-08


that evening Stories of college life and
travels succeeded one another until BeItha's
attention was attracted by the evident impn-
tence of Martin.
Papa" she said finally II suppose Mar
tin wants to CO. The servants are all to be
of at half past nine and it will take an hour
to get you to bed
Rather testify the old gentleman agreed TO
be wheeled back to his chamber
"Halow-eve parties are foolery,' he grum-
bled. "wel well, Bertha, let the servants
see that everything is fast and bring you the
keys. Goodnight, goodnight, my dears.
I'll ring if want anything. Now that deuced
wind has gone down, l expect quiet night"
AT half past ten the house was still. And
the two young ladies sat by their dressing
room fire ready to begin what Bertha called
"coniurations.'
See what a calm night it is, the latter re-
marked, going to the window and drawing
back the curtain. The sky was still filed
with ragged masses of cloud but, high above,
a white October moon shono through watery
msts. Below, the avenue and thickly wood
cd grounds stretched quiet and dim.
Bertha, if we had some pieces of lead we
might try melting them. It's an hour and
half before twelve, and we must keep awake
somehow"
II don't know that have any lead, There's
the shot in my riding skirt but it would take
too long to melt that
Lucy mused "We might scrape of lit
tie from the outside. Any thing for fun.
Where is the skirt :"
In the closet. All.
"What is it = and Lucy faced round in sur
prise on her way to the wardrobe.
Nothing. ! ianciod | saw some one NOV
ing down there in the shadows at was on
ly fancy She finished, tuning away
"lIow do you know it was fancy? Sup
pose
Lucy, for the second time beg you not
to be goose ! could imagine l saw fifty
people ii | stared into the dark long enough.
Rip the shot out of the skirt, and wen go
down to the Kitchen
70 the kitchen they forthwith repaired,
each carrying lighted candle, and each with
II bal of lead in her pocket; nor had Lucy
forgotten her hand glass. Halfway down
the great s,aiIcnse Bertha paused TO laugh at
the righteousness Of their proceedings. Not
SO Lucy. Imrying through the dirk halls
with cheeks as white as the shawl she wore,
she rushed into the kitchen and hastily light
ed the gas.
Hurry and shut the door, Bertha. Is ev-
cry thing locked up down here = with an ap-
prehensive glance at the dusky corners of the
room.
81 suppose So have the keys of the out
or doors in my pocket Why Lucy what's
the matter =
Nothing. 1t seems 50 uuraturaly still
after the wind. ! thought heard noise in
that recess under the stairs
Her sister laughed again as she eNtinguish-
ed the candles and examined the fire in the
range.
1T was one Of the future husbands. of
COURSE, Lucy. DO hunt up an iron spoon
and get basin Of cold water while Try to
scrapc this lead
Lucy presently forgot every thing in her in
terest in the lead experiment. After tedious
scrapings she managed to melt the mineral in
a spoon, and dropped it into the water, where
it Immediately hardened into ineomprehensi-
ble shapes.
Those are fishes and crowns. You're GO
ing to see high and low life, Lucy. You'll
tspouse a fisherman dnd king
Don't be foolish. I'll Try again"
Again and again She did try, with 10 better
success. But when Bertha in her turn drop
ped the lead, there was cry Of surprise from
both girls. The rude semblance of n musket
lay in the water Bertha fished it out with
laugh.
Fate speaks. I'm to marry the son of
gun"
Try again, Bertha. Let's see if it comes
again"
btrthh COHlplltu lhls lluIc IL certainty
was no musket. 1t was a nondescript ap-
poapnca, three-cornered and pointed.
"A soldiers cap cried Lucy, with little
scream Of delight "A soldiers cap with n
| plume, What makes your checks so red,
| Bertha -
The fire, Isupposc. was the cool answer,
Us Bertha arose and shook out her silken
skirts.
And not the thought of our friend Colonel
| Dudley"
Lucy, you're positively ridiculous :" but
this time there was no doubt about her blush
| ing. See" she went on, hastily, Its get
ting near twelve. Are you going down eel
lnr:"
! LucyS checks grew a shade paltr. The
| speaker had walked over to a door in dim
corner and thrown it wide.
Are you going in the east parlor?'
Il suppose I am. l must find an apple
somewhere
You've forgotten the key. It's up stairs, "
| "Thats true but the lock on the east par
| lor door is broken. l spoke to papa, put he
said it was no matter Here are some aP-
| pies" she continued, emerging from closet
Now my soldier will have chance to ap-
| pear. Do l say over any thing TO myself
| while | eat the apple any incantation y
No: you Just cat and begin at the first
stroke OF twelve"
"And | see somebody looking over my
shoulder. I'm afraid he'll have horns, Lucy"
The one addressed uttered a little cry of
terror.
"Oh, Bertha Tn scared to death now. I'll
never dare to go into the cellar. Let's give
it up and go to bed"
what little coward! Lucy, there's no
such thing as a ghost. There's nothing in tho
cellar-only it's dark"
Lucy only looked shudderingly down the
black stairway. Il don't know what makes
me so nervous. If 1 ShoaM see any thing"
Suppose you go to the east parlor and let
me go down there
Go through those halls into that great
ghostly room! Never"
'Well, as ] said before, you're little cow
| ard" remarked her sister, scornfully. sit
down here by the fire, then and wait for
me-"
"Oh, Bertha, don't.go Suppose you should
see something terrible :" moaned superstitious
Lucy.
Lucy. I'm surprised at you. There's my
| future husband waiting under the stairs You
heard him, you know. He'll come out and
follow ne to the cast parlor, and l shall see
how he looks" And Bertha, who seemed
possessed by the very spirit of mischief,
laughed heartily, as her sister covered her
face with cry. ''Just let me see the thing
through. I'll be back soon" And shutting
the door at the last word, she commenced her
pilgrimage through the halls, feeling so COM
pletely Indifferent 10 the ghostly influences OF
the time and occasion that she even hummed
n tune us she went.
White squares of moonlight lay on the fiool
and walls opposite the great windows when
she came into the main hall, and passing
along 20 the front, paused for moment al
the entrance of the east parlor As she stood
there the old hall clock gave warning OF
twelve so she threw the door wide and went
in.
1t was as Lucy had said, a great, ghostly
ROOM Every thing in it was black and mas
sive heavy curtains fell before the lofty win
dows dim pictures of ancestors and ances
tresses started out of the gloom like phan
toms MS the cnndle,s hickering raYs penetratee