The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-05-23
SELECT STORY.
THE HAUNTED CORRIDOR.

II dOn Delleve WORD or IL! SAID
Aunt Rebecca.
The wine-like glow of sunset yet il
lumined the great bay window; but
the rest of the apartment vas already
enshrouded in the gray shadows of twi-
light, in whose misty indistinctness the
huge chairs of carved oak looked like
gigantic monsters from some foreign
shore. From the walls frowned down
dark old family portraits, and the
crimson hangings above the arched
doors waved restlessly back and forth
in the draughts of wind that swept
through the vast corridor
81 don't believe word of it !" re-
peated Aunt Rebecca, with more en-
phasis than before. "a ghost story,
indeed !"
"Tell me about it, Violet" said Ha-
zlewood, to whom the deep bay win,
dow, with its far-otf prospect of snowy
hills, veiled in gathering twilight, to
say nothing of pretty Violet Orme' $
close vicinage, were infinitely more at
tractive than the more modern regions
of Alnwick Place.
sit is not much of story said
Violet, flushing up to her very eye
lashes at the sound of her own soft
voice, ''only years ago, long before my
great grandpa built this house, the site
was all Ole unbroken wood, and there
was tradition that beautiful girl
was murdered by her lover. Her
grave, they say, was beneath the foun-
dation of the houses but l scarcely
credit this part Of the legend"
"Of course not" interrupted Miss
Rebecca, with a toss Of her false curls
81 have no patience with the relics Of
old superstition"
"What are you looking for, aunt ?
Have you dropped anything? Shall ]
call for Harris to bring candle ?
asked Violet, a moment afterwards
coming to her aunt's side.
"No,hing, nothing said Miss Re
becca, with a little embarrassment in
her voice. "Come-don't stay here
any longer in the biting cold, unless
you both want weeks medicine and
doctors visits
'It is not cold, Aunt Rebecca,'
pleaded Violet, Sand the starlight is SC
beautiful on the stone pavement. Jus,
let us wait until that fiery plane,
mounts little highel.'
But peremptory summons from
Colonel Orme himself, who had jus,
walked from comfortable nap beside
the glowing fire in the library, to a
sort of vague wonder as to "where Re
becca and the young people could pos
sibly 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 cur
papers in her own special dormitory
we can have starlight 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'
brilliantly-lighted library.
81 wish Captain Hazlewocd wouldu'
remain out there said Aunt Rebecca
anxiously. "He will catch his deatl
of cold and, besides"
'Besides what, Aunt Rebecca 2"
"Violet,' said the maiden lady, :.
wish you would go down and see i
the housekeeper has prepared tina
posset for my sore throat, that's
good girl. | think shall go to bed
Violet went to execute her aunt's be
hests.
How peacefully the distant hills an,
valleys slept in their snowy mantle
that glorious December night. 1t re
minded one of lovely painting exc
cuted with brushes dipped in liqui,
pearl, and shaded with pencils of glim
mering silver!
AT least so they seemed to Charlie
Hazelwcod as he stood in the deel
recess of gigantic bay window, ,nearl,
hidden by the curtains, the fadet
splendor of whose tarnished embroid
cry carried the mind unconsciously
century backward on the stream o
time. But then Charles Hazelwoo,
was in love.
The tall, old-fashoned clock in tn
hall was striking IL, and the colony o
crickets under the warm hearth-ston,
were falling into dreamy, sleepy sor
of chirp, as if their small lungs wer
fairly wearied out, when Aunt Rebec
ca emerged from her door, treading ol
tiptoe, and carrying a dim light in he
hand.
| Now, Aunt Rebecca, in noddins
false curls, lace coiffure, and eighteen
lyear-old style of dress, was a very diff
terent sort of parsonage from Aun
ltebecca, with her head tied up in
silk handkerchief, her false curls lai,
aside, and long white dressing rob,
enveloping her lank figure and tn,
latter was by no means the more pre-
possessing of the two.
Probably some such consciousness
SWEET across the good spinster's brain
for she shutiied with accelerated rapid
ity past the solemn eyes of the grav,
old family portraits on the wall.
~ am sure l dropped them some