The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-10-31
THE BLUE CHAMBER.

a snail party Of ladies and gentlemen eB.
gagged in conversation were sitting after din.
ncr In the spacious grounds Of an ancient
manU..
The door Of tho mansion TODD vide open.
The evening breeze whisper md rUgfIel
throu ID tn' branches Of IT, Auoe isi.hn.a.
the iIalows grew longer anu longer itlk-
blaea uencuth the leafy roof of DoJz s.,
Hnaicr on the lla'rn"s of turf.
~ wH. MIDI sImru"r evening silI vet
full Of ttrar~" ltyst"'1ous snund~: 10" soft
breeze fn'trI ritu a." dpors. barng with Il
the h-avy fragrance u the iiowers in the
gathering Gu-k tN# m.HnbsTr Of the group
could srar 4" a,o rnQA. pther.
Convcr,aI % Ia Al. i, passing from sub
jeCt 10 u .,C . u ofM 4saea incingd TO en-
ter upon % ny by d. 1Aesou.
Suiden Y one Of the party began TO relate
an anori,t" Of ghost he had scen on an
evening like this. Tho plan was successful
several tales followed; but the young dargh-
Ter OF the house. Anna, continued 10 ask for
moro. Ii was 80 amusing to hear these mar
o vcous storcs imagine the white and black
" G tiers moving noiselessly i'm dense shadow
or dazzling moonlight, feel strange horror
chill her blood, and tEen lean against her
mother, finding safety in her embrace. She
could not endure Candidate HOSTS way of
taking these stories; his scornful comments
tore ugly rents in the dreamy veil In which
she wrapped hergelf
io was m"1ita student and had wit
Messed many similar Kings in the hospital
II was owing TO = k.esI acting upon differ
ent individuals. Either the patient, when
his imagination was excited mistook "A
towel on which the moon was shining, for n
phantom, and the shriekiug Of the wind in
old houses for ghostly cries and the clank of
chains, or the whole affair was pure halluci-
nation. A person in n healthy, normal con
ditiOn never saw ghosts.
The whole party opposed his view There
was sur-ly some truth at the b, com Of all
these tales There were thousand things
which could not be explained by natural
causes
Anna wa warmly second, by Holst's
younger brother, Victor, who lad arrived at
the HOUSE. with him that morning, though he
was infiu mead more 10y courtesy to Il pretty
young girl than because h. really felt any
fear Of ghosts. He could not bear 10 have
his brother appear TO place him elf ia such
contemptuons opposition to a air e such
beautiful bright eyes, 80 he fought n tout
battle again t his own nvict!ous
THE history Of such ihingS," sGi Il g Cal-
didatc sis contrary TO sound stnse and
reaion. 1hey are miserable relics of the
darkness of th9 mid lie ages which can only
check IrogrCsS 1t would lie an utterly
idiOtic prGcesln NJ for dead folk to walk
abroad ard tci rify III living. Tradition car
ries sIch talei from neraton 10 generation,
and IL not sui jecte 10 eyege sci ntifc criti-
cism they retain the VITALITY ard are To-
level. II Is tie same kild Of superstition ms
that which makes s mp!e folk afrail TO siS
thr esn at table. In n ne cgss out Of ten
nothing happens, AMI toe INIT even one
person whD th.nis If ths matter In
the ten ID, perhaps. On, Of the company Gi3s
viii IA h certGinly in rec ruance with tho
cOurso Of nature. Instantly IL ~ aid: You
remember: you remember, we sat th,Ttean at
tall that day So tbs sup rstition obtains
nourshInent for long time. No, thank
God, ito fr.%h reele of ln)wledge will
sweep aWaT II such things lilo dank, uu-
whole ONE [, gS.'
ayes, we Il / people must he parloaed,"
the msIo OF Tie hou'e gently in erplsed:
1--WE don't come 80 mu,h in con, u It with the
fresh traezs of scion as perhaps We ought
We live, they cay, Wholly In tradi-
ton, and this thrves n0wher. 80 we'll
as in an old man'iCn Ike this IL l.
very difficult 10 release ourselves from the
ideas la which we were reared, AM which
our ancestors believed | am far from to-
ing what is called superstit'ons; have
never len IN contact with thea strange
spirits -yeS not for all tho 500. Il w,,uld
sltep in the llue chamber
TIE blue chambert cr!ed the VIII eImrty
in tones of astCni shmen..
"Hes, We have here, ms IN 80 many old
manor house, a room that IL said Ia lie
haunted. Many hundred years agon man
was murdered there and since then the
ghosts have taken possession of IL. Tho
servants talk Of strange sounds and sights,
none Of them like to pass it after dark"
Il was sitting thinking that should bs de
lighted TO occupy real haunted chamber"
said Hoist quietly. at is n sin tn have il re-
main unused forever Perhaps | can help
dispel this foolish superstition, for am con-
WINGED shall sleep undisturbea."
At first the mistress Of the house would not
listen TO such plan, but when the whole
party urged, and Anna clasped her arms be.
.eschingly around her neck, she at last
yielded.
Anna thought the scheme wonderfully in.
teresting.
1T Is really terrible that you dare venture.
Candidate Hoist" she said "but hope you
will look really frightened when yon come 10
DTeakInsL I'D tEe morning"
After supper the whole party went TO the
"blue chamber" which meantime had been
put in order 10 receive the guest Every
corner was examined With the utmost care.
The atmosphere was scmew Int oppressive,
though the windows were now open. The |
room was seldom ventilated, and the half |
moldy Dir took the liberty of settling in the |
furniture and curtains. 1t had evidently |
"A hpt1na ha NJ fba ghn, |
her," although the thick carpet was now
faded. Tho furniture was very scanty. but |
what articles remained were old.fashioned. |
While time had transformed everything else |
in the ancient manor, making the stiff carved |
chairs give way to comfortable armchairs,
and the old chimney pieces 20 tile stoves,
this room seemed to have preserved it,
former appearance IL was delivered over
10 the spirits Of the past: no one had at
tempted 10 drag it into the present An arti-
Gle that did not contribute least in enabling
IL 10 retain Its ancient character was the
huge eXquisitely carved four-post betlstead
which occupied n large portion of the ROOM
The apartment was the last In one wing of the
manor, looking out upon the grove, but so
near the ground that person. by the display
of some little agility, might climb up
at is not impossible" said Hoist, after a
examination of the chamber, that
the nocturnal noises mentioned may have
been made by vagabonds, who settled them
selves here for n comfortable nights rest.
Victor, do me the favor to get my pistols;
they are in my travelling satchel; but don't
NEEDLE with the triggers, they are loaded
Victor vert away with light and soon
after brought the pistols TO his brother The
latter primed them freshly, put on new caps
and laid them on the table.
snow, goodnight, ladies and gentlemen. /
wish you all as comfortable rest as expect
30 have myself"
Good night, wicked Free-thinker," said
ANN, half admiringly; II hope you viii have
different opinions In the morning"
As they all went out, Victor whispered TO
Anna: "Ill answer for 1t that he shall be
u roughly frightened"
Tho door wEs 10 ked, and Candidate Hoist
ellainel acne IN tie blue chamber Tho
cunt of footsteps ana VOC 4 casa away, ne
lisicn,,i at u . door, but aii wis sui.
Going TO The window, he stood there few
minutes locking nj grove. TIE soft night
Jfee2e stirred The leaveS and bsances. Cn'y
-hc uearer trees could DO dImly s.!ngushsd
Iiey nj all was dense, impenetrable darkness,
Tor tLe-e was neither moon nor sars IN the
~.
ITS rally very rlrc TO be fires from
Ma am Luna," said he, sshe II w. fond of IN.
riding aud playing the spy on sen sible folk,
~ b. Of drawn curtains For the rest. this
\ AN uncommonly comfortable room. IrJb-
by o. one Of the whole Marty will laya 80