The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-02-10

 and after dark, would hurry past the door {; in full dzyligh, they would stop and listen, treinbliag, II by chance they might hear the younger members of the family were brought up to feel doubly grateful to an ancestor who had not only restored the fortunes of the house, but mad endowed ii with haunted room.
 One day, however, when Laura, the eldest daughter, ~as in her fathers study looking for something else, she found hanging up in a cupboard the key of the haunted room. It was a bright sunny morning there could be no fear of ghosts on such day she looked al the key, she remembered the solemn inJunc- ton, which of course everybody knew, bu, the sight of the key filled her with strange and irresistible curiosity and a longing such as she had never before knowa she took 1t down with trembling hand sine crept like thief out of the study and up the broad star to the door !; she put the key Tn the lock and turned t. l, was little rusty, but the boi, flew back and she opened the door. Strange. how hard sine had to press that door with her shoulder before II opened she went in and looked round euriously, yet for single moment a grating noise behind her caused her 10 turn quickly 10 her horror the door was closing of its own ac- cord, and great bar was slowly rising behind II. She shrlekcd and lied; there was just time: the door closed as she rushed through. there Was a noise of a falling bar, and Laura fainted away. When she recovered the maids were running up the stairs and about the house, wanting to know who had been ringing bells and who was making such A strange noise Tn the house.
 When Laura told her story, her father put on semblance of great wrath, but secretly he reJoiced because here was proof positive of the haunting. No farn- ilv of vesterday ever got ghost. In tasl i; IS only the members of an old family who can be got even to believe m ghosts
 t, .th IL is a eurioas tiigag that m poor and new neishborhoods, lke the east end oi London, there seems nc place for d ghost. Now, tor Il tE.Cs population oi ghosts, give me Northumberland.
 he next dag Laura sai! .hat she had fcl; | cold breath upon her cheek.
 Iae day after, she s4.d th..i Il be..y ;. ,A had fallen apoa hes Cal Ii, she ;le,,
 The day after tl...,, sac sad lh4, tl,c j, u was faint wa.sger ei ,He words Ny dear child.
 |, was enough. The ghost ~as esiaB- ilshed. Heneciorh unpleasant iAings might De sad oi money made IT trade, bul the old family iIalluon would not be a;t4eaed There Was the evidence of the bar. there was the door closed by an invisible hand, there was the voice. there was the ringing oi bells. there was the strange noises heard by the maids while Laura was lying supine and uncon- scious. No ancient Scottish house ever had such ghost. The Squire, how ever, pu, away the key in his strong box, among his valuables. The door, he said, should never agaln be opened in his life tune. But Laura used to stand outside like Peri, listening for another message from the other world, and It became rec ognired in the family that she was her great-srandfather's favorte. This gave her kind of rank. Respect was due to one thus singled out by an ancestor who had been such benefacior as to become not only the res,orer of fallen fortunes (which in itself is romantic), but also the family ghost. All the Memblings aiked more upright than before; they stuck out their ehins, so to speak; they believed in their coat of arms what was better, other people believed in ii as well.
 They entertained people al the hall. and when they offered them quarters for Inc night spoke with reserve of the haunted room; they laughed. but with affection and reverence. not with seorn. ai their ghost the girls bade their friends, when they left them after brush ing. have no fear, because ther ancestor worked very quietly and disturbed no one outside his own room. though. they added. as might be plainly heard by any ~ho listened al the door after dark, he was always at work. IL was. in fact. one of Laura tictions ,ha, she could hear the lathe al work. and the Squire. who good-humorcdly received the avowed ,n- credulity of his friends. always finished the conversation by saying that the key of the room was in his strong box, where he intended ii to remain.
 Things might have gone on in this quiet and peaceful manner until now but for a misfortune. the nature and extent of which will become presently apparent. All misfortunes, said the sage (who mar ried his cookh proceed from love-
 Yet, who would have that the humbling of the Memblings would have followed upon so simple and natural thing as the engagement of young Dalmahoy to Laura? Certainly not she herself. nor her father, nor her sisters and brothers. because Dalmahoy wasin every respect a most eligible bayn, being not only young, tolerably well of, and handsome. a good wal,zer, good rider, good shot, a good actor, and one of those gallant headlong lovers betore whom feminine courage breaks down, but he was also-a point naturally insisted upon by the Mernblings-a man of undcniably good tanity. There was no trace or taint of trade in the long line of Dalmahoys.
 When Jack Daimahoy came to Memb- ling Hail-the girls almost believed that the place had never possessed any other name. SO that they could if they pleased call themselves the Memblings of Memb- ilng-onS of the first things they did. aE