The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-09-03

Her smile answered me, and she then signed
to me to open the window and come out.
Placing my lamp on the floor SO as to be out
of the draught, / got over the low sill and
stood at the edge of the moat. The spirit
foated yard or two further, and pointing
down to the ground, wrung her hands pit
eously.
aDid some one die there?" 1 asked in
whisper, for 1 felt that my power was want
ing, and it was no longer difficult to speak.
The pale hands pointed to the breast of the
figure, which was already fading, rs though
her desire was accomplished. ~
"Tell me-" / cried, finging myself down
before her, ..if search the panel and this spot,
will you be at rest?'
She bent toward me once more with
smile of intense peace on her face, and melt
ed entirely out of my sight.
Whether tainted or whether / fell into
the deep sudden sleep that sometimes follows
mesmeric exert;on, can not tell, but when l
came to myself day was breaking and my
lamp was burned out below the open window
After breakfast / gave Bond an account of
my adventure, and could easily see that the
good man thought my brain was affected.
"You will help me to search the panel,
Bond, and that will prove whether my story
is true or only dream" said /.
To the window we accordingly went, and
Bona inquired W0etucT ne WIS 10 break the
wainscot.
Certainly not" 1 replied, "If there is a
hiding place here, there is some way of open
ing it which shall try to find before allow
the wood to be broken.
Inch by inch 1 examined the wood, and
compared the holdings carefully with those
on the opposite side. My attendants incred-
ulity was so manifest that / should greatly
have preferred to prosecute the search alone
but by doing so 1 should have lost the testi-
mony of an additional eye witness to the dis
covery felt confident of making. After a
long and patient scrutiny l found in the
lower corner of the panel an inch or so of
molding that fitted into the rest. Another
quarter of an hour passed ere, by chance
movement, l gave it the turn required to
loosen it. When it came out, and showed
a spring concealed below it. my excitement
was very great, and Bond himself began to
share the feeling, and hurried off for oil with
which to clean the rusty metal. We soon
discovered the secret of the bolt, and por-
ton of the panel slid back below the mold
| ing, revealing small recess in which lay a
| roll of manuscript, tied with black ribbon.
Dust and damp had made the writing diff
cult to decipher; but when the sad history
lay spread before me, decided to give it to
the world, along with an account of my
| DeSUeTlc experiment nave TnOucrUlZeu
the spelling, and supplied a few obvious
words that were either blotted or illegible in
the original. The date was eaten away, but
from family papers know it must have been
| August, 177S. The manuscript ran as fol-
| lows:
81 am gong to write down what has hap
pened. 1t may be that no one will ever read
/ what l write; but, should this paper fall into
| the hands of any pitiful persons, surely they
will grieve for US.
MIR. Fairfax is bad man. Heaven for
give me if ought not to think him sol but
must needs say it here. My father says he il
not worse than his neighbors, and that it il
the habit of most gentlemen to drink an(
swear in his fashion. If it be so, it is an il
thing for women that have to bear Herewith
My father is a poor curate in Stepton. III,
has as good blood in his veins as Mr. Fairfa,
himself; but then he is very poor, as / hav,
said. Ny mother and Mrs. Fairfax wer
friends; and when Mrs. Fairfax died m,
mother took charge of the little baby she left
along with me. That baby was my Harry
Harry Fairfax of this Tower of Morcar. H
and | learned our first lessons together from
my mother; and when we grew older m,
father taught us both. Old Mr.. Fairfax tool
but small notice fhis son. He was usual,
hunting, or quarrelling with some neighbor
or having drinking-bouts at the Tower.
will say it again-he is a bad man. 1 feare,
him much, he looked so big on his blacl
horse; and he had rough voice. l remem
Der how Harry and l were gathering rushe
to plat one day when he rode by on the mar
row path that goes down to the white inn
The willow and rushes were high; but tn
black horse was so much taller that we coul,
not hide, as we sought to do. Mr.. Fairfa,
called out with a strange oath that sounde'
loud and terrible, and jeered at Harry 70
playing with the parsons brat. Then h
rode on; and Harry was in great passion
the like of which / had not seen before
When l was l A my mother died, an
thereafter l had to take charge of our house
Harry always came for teaching from m
father; but he looked older than did, for
had no money to buy new clothes, and wa
forced to continue in childish frocks when
might have worn gowns. At last an oil
and good friend of my father sent none
wherewith to supply me with sundry needfu
things; and / remember that / was vexe
because. when he saw me in my new attir,
Harry did not kiss me as was his wont. ii
loved books greatly, as did my father; an
he hated wine and oaths, and all the evil dc
ings at the Tower Mr. Fairfax was angr,
and called him clerk; but he did not intel
fere with him. And by and by he love
something more than his books, and coul
not believe that it was so. But it was true
and no creatures were happier tina
we when we sat among the osiel
and talked of what we would
by and by. Father was Nsorely trouble
when Harry told him; but he was Away
reading, and had not time to think much
us. Besides, he loved Harry as his son, an
all the more because he would not join in h
fathers wicked ways. We were just 20 whe
Mr.. Fairfax babe his son marry young ger
tlewoman, whose father would dover her wit
certain lands that adjoined those of the Towe
When Harry refused, his fathers anger ws
very terrible; but as he gave no reason ft
his refusal, Mr.. Fairfax let him go, thinkin
to persuade him in time, and with softt
: words. He, however, made speed to OF
house. and demanded that my father shoul
marry us privately. This he would not he,
5 of ut first though Harry urged It saving