Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-01-25
THE HAUNTED ROOM.

1HE HAUNIL) KUHN.
1t would be almost impossible to dis
cover any one more entirely devoid of
superstition than myself. Nevertheless,
when l was seventeen years old an event
happened which caused me to believe mine
a haunted LIE. 1 was staying in Paris at
the house of my guardian, Sir Charles
c, and dressing for my first ball--a ball
at the English embassy. My dress,
triumph of Partisan taste, had been fas-
tened, and l stood before the glass while
my maid arranged the flowers in ny hair.
A splendid bouquet lay beside my gloves
End fan upon the toilet table.
"Ah, now mademoiselle is beautiful /"
exclaimed my maid JUSTINE, in French, as
she stepped back to survey her work ad-
miringly.
blushed with pleasure. 1t was the
first compliment that had been paid me,
and my glass told me it was true.
81 wonder who sent me these fowers2"
l said, taking up the bouquet preparatory
to leaving the room.
''Mademoiselle will doubtless discover
her adm1rer among her partners tonight" "
was the girls reply.
At this moment there was q knock at
the door. A telegram was handed to
me.
"Mrs. Northcote is dangerously i'll,
and wishes to see her stepdaughter be-
fore she dies"
Startled, dismayed, but beyond all
measure vexed at receiving such an un-
timely message, I dropped the paper
upon the floor. "Bring me railway
guide--quickl' I said to Justine.
Mrs. Northcote was my stepmother,
but we had never met. My father had
made mesalliance out in India by
taking a half-caste for his second wife,
and when he died he left to his widow,
for her life, the family estate of "Crows-
nest" to which he had only just sue
ceeded. l found by the railway guide
that if changed my dress with speed
there was time to catch the last train
that night from Paris. BY noon next
day should reach Dashshire, in which
county Crowsnest is situated.
Justine" l cried, excitedly, "brinQ
me my travelling dress. You must &c
with me tonight to England
'Mon dieu, mademoiselle Would yor
take off that ravishing dress that suit!
you to such marvel3 Would you give W
the ball-2"
Once more I looked at my reflection il
the glass. Once more took up the rail
way timetable to study its contents. A
| q a'olnnlY navt ronrnipor fhara xvoo ~ IN
train. y Meditatively l raiseC
the bouquet to my face. Who was i
said: "The woman who hesitates is lost 2
The sweet perfume of the flowers pe1me
ated my senses. Who had sent them
Curiosity prevailed. l would wait til
the morrow, go to the ball and solve tn
mystery. Sir Charles and Lady c.
were waiting for me when descende,
the stairs. did not say anything abou
the telegram; we entered the carriag
and were driven to the embassy.
The ha1 was brilliant in the extreme
and completely intoxicated with tn
adulatlon 1 received. "La joGe Ans
laisew "The new debutante!" was Q
everybody's lips. The night was ha
over before even remembered th
. avowed object of my deferred departul
for England-namely, to discover tt
sender of the flowers.
"Of what were you thinking so pre-
foundly, Miss Northcote ~ asked a gel
tleman in way that made me star
The speaker was Mr.. Weston. He ha
been introduced to me few days befo
3 at my guardians house.
81 was thinking of the sender of th
lovely bouquet, and wondering who
is. See, nv name, Nina, is spelt O.
in white violets," answered, holdir
the flowers towards him.
81 hope you were thinking kindly
the donor2"
"Indeed l was"
"Thank you. Will you always
sh think of him.-of me ?"
all My surprise was too great to frame
immediate reply. Beside, his mann
embarrassed me. 1t inferred SO mu
" more than the mere words. dane
i with him more frequently than with a
one else, and found new and stran
ho attraction in his presence On returni
A from the ball / told my kind host a
hostess of the telegram, and of my
termination to start for England on t
morrow.
Lady c. looked grave when s
read the message.
"You might have saved few hou
dear, =" she said.
"Only very few. And then I sho,
have missed the most delightful expt
m ence of all my life!" answered, ferve
~ ly.
'But it was q case of life and dea
my child" she added, gently. AND
felt she had given me reproof.
My trunks were soon packed by j
tine, who accompanied me to Engla
Sir Charles c., as my legal guardi
:l lcle also insisted on going with me, and
nn ,l.s on the following night we were driv
through the moonless darkness of coun
roads to Crowsnest. A stately hot
keeper met us in the hall.
miss Northcote, you came too LAT
she said, and there was more auste
than sadness in her tone. ''My d
mistress died three hours ago. If
In had left Paris last night you would b
been in time. My lady had comm
cation she desired to make to YOU"
"What was it2' asked in much
eral tress.
inu- 'That no one will ever know in
world,n was the answer. And felt +
that moment as though Mrs. Stevens
n my enemy.
. Sir Charles c. remained at Gre