The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-01-23
THE FALL.

care those the ruins ?" asked Maude
Chalmers, pointing with her riding whip.
Il can see the glimpse of gray walls
now and then through the trees"
eyes," answered Paul Trevor "and
we shall have to dismount here and walk
the rest of the distance, for the avenue
to the house is now 50 overgrown with
underbrush as to be almost i'm passable. u
They alighted, and arm-in-arm forced
their way with some difficulty toward
the house.
It was a gloomy-looking building Of
stone, erected upon ledge of rocks,
which rose about twenty feet above the
sea. Long deserted, it had fallen into
gradual decay the walls were green
with moss long, dark weeds filed the
paths, and the crumbling fountains and
broken statues were covered with mould.
Far from all human habitations, sur.
rounded by dense wood upon the one
side. and upon the other by the sea, it
stood in solitary desolation.
Maud shuddered at the gloomy aspect
before her as she and Paul halted before
the crumbling steps.
"Oh, what dismal place! Don't
enter, Paul. am not superstitious, but
somehow thrill of fear and dread creeps
over me-"
"Oh, you are only depressed with
the melancholy aspect of decay, and the
solitary loneliness of the place. Shake
off your nervousness and we will explore
the interior. Nothing worse to be found
than owls and bats, I'll warrant"
And the better to reassure her Paul
put his arm around her waist and i'm
printed kias upon her lips.
Gathering up her riding habit Maud
took the proffered arm of her lover, and
they descended the broken steps. The
great hall door swung open with dismal
creak, and their footsteps echoed through
the dismantled hall. They wandered
through dusty corridors and deserted
rooms. Here and there patches of de.
cayed drapery or forgotten picture,
stained and blackened, clung to the
mouldy wall, and now and then broken
bust or statue showed ghastly in the
uncertain light. Owls and bats, dis
turbed in their hooks and corners, flew
about uneasily rats and mice, surprised
in their foraging expeditions, scampered
hastily to their holes and huge spiders,
suddenly deprived of their cobweb.
homes, crawled in all directions.
Maud looked with nervous fear into
he dim, dusty corners, and started and
shivered at every sudden noise.
"One fight MORE" said Paul, as they
paused at the foot of the last staircase,
"and we shall have splendid view oi
the sea to repay us for the ghostly sights
and sounds we have had to endure,
Why, darling, how pale you look Il
you really wish, We will go no further. y
No, Paul, I won't give way to my
fooishness but the house seems to me
like an immense tomb, and the moan oi
the sea like wailing lament"
my poor, little impressible darling
did not think you we're 50 easily al
fected. But come up to the room above
and you will get view from the window
that will brighten your eyes and bring
the color back to your cheeks."
They ascended the stairs, passed
through narrow passage, and entered
a room. It contained but one window
which reached the floor, opening to {
balcony which overhung the rocks below
The window was closed, and begrimet
with long-accumulated dust. and fes
tooned with the webs of busy spiders
Determined to have an unobstructe'
view, Paul tngged at the closed sash
Fer time u resisted, hut a. last |