Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-03-13
HAUNTED.
A True Story of DevOnshire County
House.


cover anyone more entirely devoid of su.
perstition than myself Nevertheless
when was seventeen years old, an event
happened which caused me to believe
mine haunted life.
l was staying in Paris at the house OF
my guardian, Sir Charles c., and dress
ing for my first ball-a ball at the Ameri
can Legation.
My dress, triumph of Partisan taste
had been fastened, and l stood before the
glass while my maid arranged the flowers
in my hair. A splendid bouquet lay be-
side my gloves and fan upon the toilet
table.
"Ah, now, mademoiselle is beautiful
exclaimed my maid, Justine, in French
as she stepped back to survey her work
admiringly.
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 these flowers!" !
said, taking up the bouquet preparatory
to leaving the room.
.'Mademoiselle will doubtless discover
her admirer among her partners tonight,
was the girls reply.
At this moment there was a knock at
the door. A telegram was handed to me.
Mrs. Northcote is dangerously i'll, and
wishes to see her stepdaughter before she
dies.
l dropped the paper upon the floor.
Bring me railway quick!" l said
to Justine.
Mrs Northcote was my stepmother, but
we had never met. My father had made
a mesalliance out in India by taking d
half caste for his second wife, and when
he died he left to his widow, for her life,
the family estate of 'CrowSreSt, to which
he had only just succeeded.
l found by the railway guide that if 1
changed my dress with speed there was
time to catch the last train that night
from Paris By noon next day L should
reach DevOnshirein which county Crows
nest is situated.
Justine" cried, excitedly. bring me
my travelling dress. You must go with
me tonight to England"
"Mon Dieu, mademoiselle! Would you
take off that ravishing dress that suits
you to such marvel? Would you give
up the BALI"
l looked at my reflection in the glass.
Once more took up the railway time
table to study it's contents. At 8 o'clock
next morning there was another train
Meditatively l raised the bouquet to my
face. Who was it said: THE woman who
heSitates is loSt?'
The sweet perfume of the flowers per
meated my senses. Who had sent them?
Curiosity prevailed. l would wait till
the morrow, go to the ball, and solve the
mystery.
Sir Charles and Lady c. were waiting
for me when l descended the stairs. L
did not say anything about the telegram,
we entered the carriage, and were driven
to the Embassy.
The ball was brilliant in the extreme,
and L completely intoxicated with the
adulation l received. Lajolie Angaisev
The new debutanter was on everybody's
lips.
The night was half over before even
the avOwed object of my de-
ferred departure for England-namely,
to discover the sender of the flowers.
"Of what were you thinking so pro-
foundly, Miss Northcote?" asked a gen
tleman in a way that made me start. The
speaker was Mr.. Weston. He had been
introduced to me a few days before at my
guardians house.
Il was thinking of the sender of this
lovely bouquet, and wondering who he
is. See, my name, Nina is spet out in
the white violets," | answered, holding
the flowers toward him.
Il hope you were thinking kindly of
the donOr?'
Indeed was"
Thank you. Will you always so think
of him-of meT
My surprise was too great to frame an
immediate reply. Besides, his manner
me- 1t inferred SO much
more than the mere words. l danced
with him more frequently than with any
one else, aud found a new and strange at
traction in his presence.
On returning from the ball, l told my
kind host and hostess of the telegram and
of my determination to start Tor England
on the morrow.
Lady c. looked grave when she read
the message.
"You might have saved few hours,
DEAR" she said.
only very few. And then / should
have missed the most delightful expert
ence of all my life'r l answered fervent-
ly.
"But it was case of life and death my
child" she added, gently. And | felt she
had given me "a reproof.
My trunks were soon packed by Jus
tine, who accompanied me to England
Sir Charles G =, as my legal guardian, also
insisted on going with me, and late on
the following night we were diving
through the moonless darkness of coun-
try roads to Gre CwsneSt.