Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-07-01
The Haunted Corridor.

|
Rebecca.
The wine-like glow of sunset yet illumin
ed the great bay window but the rest o
the apartment was already enshrouded il
the gray shadows of the night, in who's
carved OAK looked ike gigantic monster
from some foreign shore.
81 don't believe word of itl' repeated
Aunt Rebecca, with more emphasis thai
before. ga ghost story, indeedp'
'"Tell me about it Violet" said youn:
Hazlewood.
cit is not much of story" said Violet
''only years ago, long before my grea
grandpapa built this house, the site was al
one unbroken wood, and there was tradi
tion that beautiful girl was murdered b!
her lover. Her grave, they said, was. be
meath the foundations of the house, but
scarcely credit this part of the legend.''
"Ofcourse not" interrupted Miss Rebec
ce, with toss of her false curis. II have
no patience with the relics of superstition. ;
"What are you looking for aunt? Have
lyeu dropped anythingP Shall | call fo1
I Harris to bring candle?" asked Violet, ;
moment afterward coming to her aunt's side
"Nothing, nothing said Miss Rebecca
with little embarrassment in her voice
"Come-don't stay here any longer in the
biting cold unless you both want a weeks
medicine and doctors visits"
"It is not cold, Aunt Rebecca," pleaded
Violet, 'and the starlight is SO beautiful on
the stone. pavement. "
But peremptory summons from Colonel
Orme himself, who had just walked from a
comfortable nap beside the glowing fire in
the library to sort of vague wonder as to
"where Rebecca and the young people could
possibly be- speedily settled the matter.
"Never mind, Violet" whispered
Charles Hazlewood; 'by-and-by, when
your father has gone to his room and Aunt
Rebecca is busy with her curl papers in her
own special dormitory, we can have star
light stroll through the ghosts territory"
Violet gave him an arch glance as she
tripped after Aunt Rebecca into the hall
which led to Colonel Orme's brilliantly
lighted library
II wish Captain Hazlewood wouldn't re-
main out there" said Aunt Rebecca, anx-
iously. ''He will catch his death of cold;
and, besides
"Besides what Aunt Rebecca?''
"Violet," said the maiden lady, 81 wish
you would 60 down and see if the house
keeper has prepared that posset for my sore
throat; that's good girl, think shall 60
to bed.
Violet went to execute her aunt's behests.
How peacefully the distant hills and val
leys slept in their snowy mantles that glori-
Gus December night! 1t reminded one of
a lovely painting executed with brushes dip
ped in liquid pearl, and shaded with PEN
clls Of glimmering silver! At least, so they
seemed to Charles Hazlewood. But then
Charles Hazlewood was in love.
The tall old-fashioned clock in the hall
was striking twelve, when Aunt Rebecca
emerged from her door, treading on tiptoe,
and carrying dim light in her hand. Now,
Aunt Rebeccn, in nodding false curls, lace
coiffure, and 1S-year-old style Of dress was
very different sort of parsonage from
Aunt Rsbecca, with her head tied up in a
silk handkerchief her false curls laid aside,
and a long white dressing robe enveloping
her lank figure; and the latter was by no
means the more prepossessing of the two.
Probably some such consciousness swept
across the good spinster's brain, for she
.shuffled with accelerated rapidly past the
solemn eyes of the grave old family por-
traits on the wall.
81 am sure 1 dropped them somewhere
the bay-window. elbow provoking! There
goes my candle out! But I believe I can
find them, however. the starlight is so bright.
Mercy upon us! What is that! The ghost!
the ghostr'
Aunt Rebecca fled shrieking down the
corridor, her hands clapped over her eyes,
before which was imprinted the appalling
vision of a tall figure sweeping past all in
white, with crimson stain at its pal1id
threat. The house was aroused into instan-
taneous commotion, lights flashed into
brightness at the various doors, and an
eager circle of inquirers surrounded Aunt
Rebecca.
cit glided past me like gust of wind!''
she slrieked-"all in while with, that
dreadful mark of blood upon its throat
It's a warning-I know it's warning that
| haven't long to live. Oh, what shall l do?
What shall l do?'
"But I don't understand what You were
doing in the ghosts corridor at this time
of night" interrupted Col. Orme' staring
at his sister.
"Well, if you must know" said Miss Re-
becca, with a little hysteric sob, 81 dropped
my false teeth there, just at dusk, and L
didn't like to look for them there, with
Violet and Captain Hazlewood standing by;
and so-and So"
s'Oho! that's it, eh?'' said Colonel Orme,
laughing. "Upon my word, Sister Becky,
you are rather over-particular for woman
so years old
ssOnly 40, James," interrupted Miss Re-
becca with shrill accent of indignation.
ssBut the ghost? inquired young Halle
wood, who had just arrived on the scene of
action, with rather flushed brow and en-
barrassed air. Upon which Aunt Rebecca
gave way to the combined influence of her
brothers. unkirfd remark and the fright of
ghost-seeing, and fairly tainted, without
further notice. According to the usual Gus
tom of womankind on such occasions, Col
onel Orme and all the other gentleman
were hustled out into the hall, while the
victim of the female officials was deluged
Eau de Cologne, stifled with burnt feathers,
and vigorously treated with hot flannel.
''6he's coming to, poor dear creature?'
was the final verdict hurled at Colonel Orme
through q crack in the door.
"Well Pm glad of it, Pm sure' said the
Colonel, dolorously, rubbing his hands,
"for it's cold out here in the hall. Why,
hilloa! is this you, myllittle Violet? What's
the matter? You haven't seen a ghost, !
hope?''
"No, papa" faltered Violet; ''but-"
'Suppose we three adjourn into that
library, Colonel Orlne, and will undertake
the task of explanation" interrupted
CharlesI Hazlewood, while Vio!et's cheeks
grew like flame.
'Well, may venture to inquire what all
this means?" interrogated the bewildered
Colonel, when the library door was safely
closed.
1T means, SIR" said Charles, laughing,
yet little puzzled how to proceed,
''that Violet, your daughter, and I were
just looking out at the stars, in the embra-
sure of the great hall window, when we
saw some one approaching with light.
Violet went to see what the apparition
meant, when Miss Rebecca (whom it prov
ed to beg dropped her candle, and ran shiver-
ing away"
$50 Violet was the ghost, eh?'' said the
colonel, repressing very strong inclination
to laugh.
"You see, papa" interpesed the young
lady, Il wore my long cashmere mantle,
for I was afraid of taking cold, and it was
tied at the throat with red ribbons, and
.'And Aunt Rebecca took it for granted
that you were the murdered heroine of our
family ghost story" said the colonel, archly.
But allow me to ask you, young people,
what you were SO much interested in?''
ssWell, sir" said Hazlewood, 81 had Just
asked her if she would mt marry me-don't