The Red Cloud chief., 1881-04-28

y ou ulat fua prefer IL : suc oeu0tr
when I tell you hat ever since Hsurfs
death it has been reputed to be haunt
ed. Strange noises are heard there
night-after night. There Is no denying
this fact, for I have heard them myself
from outside the door,
"And has no one slept tbere?" /
asked.
"No one has courage TO do So" re-
piled NJ. Dumas. "In this part OF the
country the people are easily alarmed
at such things; indeed, two Of my do
mestics have left me in consequence OF
what | have mentioned"
"If you have no objection to my
occupying poor Henri's room, 1 would
rather have il than any other" i re-
piled. The fact was, my curiosity.
though not my fear, was aroused; the
more so that L could not but see that
my host was himself convinced that the
room was haunted By his sons spirit,
and however dear he had been 10 him
in life, he had no desire to continue any
intercourse of this nature.
Il will order il to be prepared them"
he said; 81 see you are a man OF stout
nerves"
Il am not in the least afraid" / re-
piled, and | shall ike TO sleep where
Henri did. We were just like brothers
at school, and he SO often spoke 10 me
of his home that | feel almost as If |
were no stranger here"
Nv host took me into the grounds.
During our walk Hcnri's old favorite
spaniel, Fanchette, came up. remem-
bered her directly, and she appeared TO
recognize me in n manner. for she smelt
my coat, and ended by licking my
hands.
Poor Fanchette-' said n. Dumas.
"the blow Of my sons death fell heavi-
" on her; she has never been the same
dog since he was carried TO the grave.
She was, as you know, his constant
companion, and now she roams about
caring for no one, and unable to rest
anywhere for long together. She viii
not come into the house rs formerly; it
has no attraction for her now her mas
ter is gone. She prefers the stables.
where she has attached herself 10
Henri's horse, by whose side she sleeps
at night; for her bowls were 50 distress
Ing after we were all gone to bed, that
she had TO be SEN every.evening out OF
hearing.
[ tried TO coax the aIectiouate crea-
ture TO follow us in our stroll, but she
would not come, and walked off in
another direction. with alanguid, drOop-
ing air very unlike the buOyant, frisky
Fauchette of former days.
NJ nup,a- nnipfab nnt tn n1a CarinuE
improvements he was making. eSpe-
cially in the house, where they were
adding several rooms; but he remarked
that he had comparatively little interest
in what was being done, now that he
had no son to inherit the property,
which was entailed on male heirs, and
would therefore 60 To 4 nephew OF
whom he had hitherto known but little.
When L was shown to my room |
looked round me with very Saddened
feelings. for there were SO many things
TO remind me of Henri-his caps; the
picture of our school-house, where we
had spent many happy days together;
and. what was touching to me, a like
ness of myself. framed and hung on the
wall.
When bedtime came 7 saw looks
exchanged between Monsieur and
Madame Dumas, and he former
asked me il / were sure | had
no misgivinSs about sleeping in 4
haunted room. assuring me it was no,
too late 10 change my mind and 60 TO
the attic before named.
Il feel" said he, las if it were
Iaaraal- hncnfahfn ~ nlfnu- t-ntl 10
sleep in q room in which no member OF
this household would dare TO DO So. Re-
member. the sounds spoken of are no
traditions which have come down from
ancestors, and which may or may not
be true. but they have been heard only
since my sons dea.h-not, it is true,
every night, but so often that the
chances are you will not sleep undiS-
turbed."
| do not at this distance of time mind
confessing that | felt less brave at this
hour than | had done in broaddaylight;
but not for anything would / have
owned this to NJ. Dumas, who, finding
| was resolved. lighted my candle and
accompanied ME 10 the room TO see that
everything had been provided for my
comfort. As soon as he was gone | eX-
amined the apartment infinitely. IL
was of large size, with an old-fashioned
French bedstead and curtains. a chest
of drawers. and numerous chairs. There
was 4 large folding screen ut one end.
and thither | carried my candle that |
might look if any second door were be-
hind it; but no, | could see nothing but
the wall. which was papered with 4
dark green and yellow flock paper,
making theroom look somewhat gloomy
in the light of two candles.
1 was tired with my journey and not
sorry to get into the very comfortable
bed. l had had a momentary parley
with myself as { 20 whether | would keep
the candles burning all night, but felt
rather ashamed of letting it be seen
that l had done so; yet l defy any one
not to feel rather glad to draw the bed
clothes snuglv over him when he first
finds himself in the dark in a room re-
puted to be haunted!
| did not get to sleep Immediately
l could not Keep my thoughts from GO
ing back again and again TO my school
DAYS. and to many a wel-remembered
incident connected with my old friend;
but at length I lost consciousness. for
how long L do not know. but l was
suddenly aroused by a noise in the
room. and | was aware of the presence
of some other than myself. l sat up in
bed and listened. 1t was no dream. no
fancy, that there were footsteps; they
were in the direction of the great
screen. and | fancied the sounds came
from behind it. To say that my heart
beat quite as calmly as usual would not
be true: on the contrary, il went very
fast, indeed. especially when a minute
later 1 distinctly heard something
breathe. and the steps approach nearer
the bed. Another moment, and l felt
the bed-curtain being not only touched,
but. as it seemed to me. actually
shaken. for the rings at the top ratified
on their rod.
NV situation at that moment was not
an enviable one altogether, but l sum-
moned up my courage and called out,
"Who are you?"
No reply, but 1 thought l heard the
sound of footsteps as if ~retreating from
the bedside; the next moment I felt
something or somebody spring upon
the bottom of the bed. out of which l
as Quickly darted. not beinv st all de-