The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-11-01

money nau once Deen spent over III. line
stone was pretty rough; but the house was
all pointed gable ends and queer-shaped
long windows. The high-peaked overhang-
ing roof and the diamond panes reminded
me of houses I'd seen in England when |
was young man."
"The pointed gables were faced with
carved oak; and heavy oaken beams, black
with age, formed the framework OF the up
per stories; while the spaces between were
rough-cast with shingle and plaster. The
wickedest old faces were grinning and leer-
ing at us from the carvings above the win
dows and we could see the whole place,
every stick and stone about it, plain as day
light. We had been riding in darkness
through the Devils Panniken, a darkness
that grew blacker as we went on, and the
light from this house fairly dazed us at
first"
every window famed as though there
were jolly fires in each room, and hundreds
of candles. The place seemed all afame
inside and out; the walls were as bright as
if the moon was shining her clearest and
strongest full on the house; yet, said Old
Grizzly, dropping his voice impressively,
''there was no moon at all that night We
stopped and looked at one another in won
der, and then stared at the house again."
We could hear sounds inside now quite
plain, mems voices and women's too. Ugly
sounds besides, that | couldn't understand;
such bowling and shrieking as though all
Bedlam were let loose inside -wailing like
some creature in pain, and roars of mocking
laughter turned deadly cold, and shiv-
cred as if it were mid winter
"For mercy's sake, let's get away from
this madhouse-ifit's not something worsel'
said l. "All's not right here; and I'd 60
afoot all night before I'd rest in that place.
''Nonsenser y returned Vermudyn in his
impetuous way. "I'm going in anyhow;
and you'll stop to see fair play, | know"
"The upshot of it was he seized my arm
and led me into the honse; while gypsy
looking fellow came out for our horses after
we'd unloaded our knapsacks and blankets
My gold was sewed in a belt round my
body, and determined to fight hard for
dear life, if need be; while [ was equally
determined to see Vermudyn through the
nights adventure, as far as it lay in my
power.
''If the outside of the house was strange
to us, the inside was still stranger. The
furniture appeared to be hundreds of years
old The presses, chairs and tables were
all of polished black oak, which reflected
the light of many candles; while big fire
roared in the open fireplace, near which a
table was laid for supper, and everything
on it matched all we'd already seen.
'There were drinking-hor mounted in
silver; cups of the same; such a load of
plate as I'd never seen in my life, and such
as, was pretty certain, belonged to no
country inn in wild district where the
only travellers were miners, and the only
natives Injuns. On the top of carved
press in one corner there was fine show
of bottles-long- -necked, slender TASKS,
crusted over with age and cobwebs; anI
short squat bottles that held Hollands and
Kirchwasser, Vermudyn told me.
'Well, while we took stock Of the room
and the contents, there wasn't soul to be
seen, yet the noise and hubbub continued
still all around us; the clatter Of hundred
voices rising and falling far and near like
the wind; laughter, screams, low moans, all
together, or following each other quickly.
"The longer listened the less | liked
it; yet, as sat in corner of the big
chimney, l seemed to grow drowsy and
stupid like, as if had no power of my
limbs or my voice. | think | couldn t
have walked a dozen steps for thousand
pounds; yet l could hear and see all,
through a light mist that fell betwixt me
and everything looked at
"Vermudyn didn't appear afraid or sur
prised in the least; and the SPELL can
call it nothing else-that was over me had
no effect on him. He stood in front of
the fire, warming his hands, and looking
around him quite gaily, and pleased with
all he saw"
"'Wake up, mate = he called to me;
we've fallen in luck S way this time, surely.
You've no cause to fear. 1t seems to me-
that must have been here score of times
before, know the place so well and yet
he stopped for minute and put hi
hands over his eyes-'and yeti can't i
4 know it. That press, he went cl,
should hold the green suit And stepping
across the room, he opened worm-eten
cupboard in the far corner, and took oit
suit of faded green velvet, the cut of which
reminded me of old pictures I had sen at
home; and when Vermudyn took them
out and looked them over carefulF, the
whole thing struck me so absurdf that l
began to laugh like a maniac, thigh still
I had no power to speak. inted to
tell him he would look like gtumbllng
mountebank at fair if he rig himself
out in velvet suit, but | only he'd and
nodded at him silently from tBe chimney
corner, like some driveling olTdotard.
However, he didn't put on but, as
if struck suddenly by anofier thought,
threw it aside, and opened Stupboard near
the fireplace. He smile( IN. i knew
it was here he said soft ls he returned
to the fire, and, stOOpin g F1 ,..11 held i some
thing to the light. 1t tya little box OF
carved ivory, yellow WI ge and strangely
shaped but Vermudy emed as familiar
with it as he was witt rest OF the Won
ders in that house, ff z pressed spring
and the lid flew up, losing a sparkling
chain made like axe, with SHINING
scales of beaten COL at gllttered IN the
fickering freight
"whiIe Ver@u Twas still looking at
its twisted coils a nuttering to himself,
the door opened ID a troop OF figures
crowded into tn ON.
"Of the tro, 1f figures who came flock
ing into that Age and mysterious house,
| observed n come of those behind held
more lights kagh the room was bright
enough all 4 BY, while the foremost carried
dishes. b had no eyes for the meat
and drink hey brought, or for anything
but Girl their midst; and it was Just
the same ah Vermudyn, saw in an in,
slant; on ilwhile I was full of horror and
I -.