Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-12-01

at any hour Of the night than DO KEPT
In suspense, and added "As soon al
the day began to close, ! looked ioI
you but as you did not come,
thought Frank must have called foi
you, aud was lionizing you In the
town. Bat when tollynn hour after
dinner was ready ho came back with
out you, and rushed of like mad
man when ! asked for you, was for
Il moment bewildered, bat thinking
YOU must bave been taken III, and that
Frank would want help and a light, l
hurried to the kitchen for q lantern,
and told one Of the girls 10 put on
her things and accompany me to the
dukes house, for you were there aud
must have been taken ILL., But would
you believe IL She hatly refused,
saying It served you right for going
there you would never be found for
never o person going near that house
aite: dark was ever seen atterward,-
ridiculed her nonsense, and appealed
to the Others but neither would 60
so hnd no other alternative but to
come alone"
When we reached home | went
to the cellar and got bottle OF Mos
sellc and made Mary drink half a
tumblertul, and then we sat down to
dinner. We were just settled 10 des
sert when a friend dropped in for a
game ut whist, and wondered at our
being 80 late. | told him the reason,
and then asked Mary for her story, as
I had forbidden her talking about it
until she had got her diuner.
She began. After you left me l
worked on for long while, until feel
ing hungry, I looked at my watch
and found it was past 2 o'clock. l
then feat my sandwiches, and after
taking turn through some Of the
rooms, settled into work again. |
had not been long thus occupied when
was aroused by strange, irregular
noises which seemed to come from
the landing above. I then awoke to
the consciousness that I had been
hearing scuffling Of feet for some
little time. The scuffling commenced
again, and l got up, moved cautious
ly to the door, which was ajar, end
looked out just in time to see an old
hag disappear in a doorway above,
and the door close softly behind her.
stepped up and noiselessly opened
the door and peeped in but to my sur
prise, the room was empty. l walked
in to see ifthere was any other door
through which she could have passed;
but there Was not, nor was there a
window she could have got out Of
was fairly puzzled, for you know |
do not believe in ghosts. | went
down to my room, but could not set
tie to work. went up again and
again, but could discover nothing, nor
could detect a sound. 1t was broad
day when / saw her, and now saw
it vas getting too dark for me to do
any more of my painting, so l gath
cred all together and put them in one
corner, ready for to morrow morning,
and sat down to wait for you. AS it
was now getting dark and l had been
expecting you since three o'clock, l
thou'ht you had forgotten me, so went
down to see if I could find any means
of eeress. AS l could not / returned
to my room, where 1 could watch for
your coming for it was not so dark
but could see any object crossing
the court. Whilst was thinking
whether l should tell you about the
old woman tonight or wait until to-
morrow, the wind rose moaning
amongst the trees, which made it
very dreary but soon l heard sounds
above the soughing of the winds,
strange heavy thuds below and the
legends you told me as we walked
through some of the rooms in 1.-The
morning rushed to my mind but l
soon banished such nonsense. know.
ing it must be produced by living
beings."
"What did he tell you !" osked my
wife.
"Why, he told me about a very
wicked duke, who, for some baletul
reason, whipped his unfortunate wife
every night through the house, her
lamentations being heard by any one
who had the 'temerity to be near the
house after dark. Well, all was quiet
again for little while, when l heard
voices and tho sound of something
being shufHed and dragged up the