Litchfield enquirer., 1879-04-03


 parently gone to bed. Flint and the little Frenchman pursued their conversation. As for me, 1 had drawn close to the beautiful young woman, who was washing some quaint yellow mugs at the end of the long oaken table. Her name was Marie. In this primi- tive region conventienalities were set aside an earnest passion glided along like snow shoes. got over good deal of ground in a very short time. 1 began to believe this jour ney was marked out for me. 1 told Marie so, and lifted one of her long braids to my lips. 1 was just thinking what sensation that pc. culiar colored hair and her remarkable beauty | would create in eur circle at home, when Flint called out to me that he had resolved to go over and sleep in the haunted house.
 Don't you want to go along, Scott," he l said, ''or are you afraid ?"
 The latter part of his sentence held pecu liar sneering intonation 1 said l was not afraid, but thought it very absurd and infer nalIy uncomfortable thing to leave warm fireside and go plunging over there i'll the snow and the freezing air for freak of curiosity.
 Marie clasped her hands, and beseught of us, for the sake of the Redeemer, not to go that in that room up stairs, upon that very pallet of straw the murdered man had been found; and nobody had slept there since, or staid in the house.
 Except the ghosts of fChatelousse, " said her | father, Tn dry, WheeZy Velce.
 But Flint got his lantern ready. Of course 1 had to go. If one man ventures upon fool hardy freak, another must follow, or rest un- der the imputation of cowardice. Monsieur 1 Bernard helped us on with our overcoats. 1 looked into the sweet eyes of Marie; they were dilated with that expression of terror one sees in the eyes of fawn. took, her cold hands | in my own.
 ''Rest tranquil my sweet child" said, for I was touched by her tenderness Il will re- | turn to you.',
 We made our way through the binding snow, and found the house black and empty. The door creaked on it's rusty hinge the shut ters banged, melancholy wind howled throgh | the corridor.
 I've shall have our labor for our pains, said as we entered the room up stars; ''there | is nothing remarkable in few broken chairs and an old bundle of straw. 1 "We must be patient" sad Flint throwing the buffalo robe upon the bed, and blowing l out the lantern: i've must wait for the hour of midnight"
 There was nothing for me to do but to creep | in beside him. took the inner side, and, worn | out with countless emotions, must have fallen | asleep before the hay seed touched my hair. I was awakened by peculiar mocking laugh, seemingly close by my ear but, upon regain | ing the full activity of my senses, l found it distant and hollow. Again and again it seemed l to come from the very bowels of the earth. 1 began to feel a chill run down my verte- | br8.
 "Flint," 1 whispered, reaching over for him, | ''do you hear that?"
 But by hand wandered over an empty space at my side. Flist was gone. Twas alone in this accursed house. Strange noises came to me. 1 fancied heard groan, the clanking of chain Heaven knows what terrible | vagarieS beset me.
 Perhaps" thought I, ''Flint has been drag | ged away; my turn will come next" Dis tinctly l heard that hollow mocking laugh, and step by step foot ascending the stair. A cold sweat burst from every pore in my body. l sprang from the bed, and ran out the open door, down the stairs. It seemed to me a shadowy form fled before me, n-.a -s:-i',,oa fl, the corridor. plunged across the held, ana | at last burst into the low -ceiled roOm where found the miserable little Frenchman and my missing companion.
 ''Oh, you ran away, then ?" 1 said to Flint.
 "Yes, " he said, quietly, 'I thought it best l not to awaken you"
 | ''So you left me to be murdered, perhaps ?" l ''That was what wanted to avoid, he said. I saw that he was pale, and his hands shook little. 'I shall push on to Chatelousse at day break, |" he said
 | ''I thought you had more nerve Flint" I l house again to be junior partner with Frost < Co.,; but there is no reason for neglecting busi- ness opportunities. From few words ex- changed with the tall trapper-I think they call him Cameron"
 "Yes,' said Flint, with sudden eagerness l "what about him p
 ''I think he can put me in the way of lucra- | tive stroke of business here"
 "How? In what way?" said Flint.
 n Iron 0f I ror1Iip ''n the way of skins"
 The light died out of Flnt's face. He sank back in his chair, and stroked his thin beard | contemplatively.
 Suppose you remain here, then, till come back" he said. II shan't be gone more than two or three days"
 'All right" said, with alacrity. In truth, 1 hated to leave Marie"
 At daybreak Flint drove away, with stable boy of Bernard's for guide 'He's the last man in the world I'd take to be such coward, said to the tall trapper, Cameron, some hours later on. 1 invited him to breakfast with me, and related to him our adventures of the previous night. "I don't l know anything about ghosts" l said, "but certainly heard the metallic clanking of chain, and hollow mocking laugh-a footstep, too, mounting the stairs; and as fled down, a | phantom-like form disappeared before my very eyes in the hallway" l "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreampt of in our philosophy" said l Cameron '.An we can do is to keep clear | conscience and lead stainless lives" He went on talking in this way till I began to look upon upon him as kind of evangelist. His | face had the guileless look of an infant, and yet he had keen eye and brain for business. l He explained to me a method for curing skins that was very interesting Even Marie paus- ed at her work and listened to him; her eyes l were fixed upon his face with an eager, yearn- | ing expression, so beautiful that I wondered it did not attract his notice but he was absorbed | in his subject
 l That short Canadian day was the sweetest of my life. Before night-fall was fully per- l suaded there was but one woman ia the world for me; but all could get Marie to say in re- turn was, ''Oh, monsieur ]" This she repeated | over and over again, each time with different infection, till it formed whole sweet lan- | guage in itself. | At night-fall of the second day Flint came back looking rather pale and worn. He said the air was freezing; he hoped the air would be milder in the morning; that we must get off as early as possible.
 ''f you go tomorrow Flint, '' said, 'syou'll | have to go alone. 1 must remaln while" l '1 shall not go alone" said Flint shall have plenty of company. But why must you remain P Af
 didn't care to speak about Marie to man like Flint, but told himof the opening in trade offered me by Cameron. | ''The tall fellow with the blonde beard ?' said Flint, going over and shutting our cham 1 Der door, Then he came close tom me and whis- pered in my ear, He is the leader of the gang. ] Hush don't reply. I have unearthed troop of counterfeiters. I.saw them at work that night in the haunted house. They are the l ghosts of Chatelousse. In six hours we shall have help. Tomorrow we will all start of together. Bernard gave them up. That was l my business here"
 Trapping? l said.
 Exactly said Flint. ''In six hours every thing will be ready. The officers will come armed; be prepared" and the willy Jesuit slip ped out the open door.
 l sat there for don't know how long, completely stunned and bewildered. When gathered my senses agaln, resolved upon one thing-not to 20 without Marie. We