The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-10-25
BEHIND THE TAPESTRY

The first part OF tile stranSs St,rg
which 1 am about to tell happened some
ten years ago.
Ten years ago was in the first sor-
row of my widowhood. | was child
less, too; and when the grave closed
over my husband thought that there
was no place left for me in the world.
Twas rich, young; and my friends,
and my own reflections in the glass,
told me that L was beautiful.
or course l had many acquaintances;
what rich young widow has notp But
acquaintances and friends differ widely
l did not care for the people who hai
tered and made much of me, but !
turned, even in the first days of my
trouble, to one friend.
She, too, was young and beautiful
We were schoolfellows; we were EN-
gagged at the same time; we were mar
ried in the same month Of the SAINT
year.
During the three years of my married
life we had seen little of each other, bu'
when my husband died, and Mary Chf
ford wrote to me tenderly out of hel
fulf heart, answered back her love
She asked me to stay with her, and
went.
How peaceful were those days spent
in her beautiful homeI The house ant
place were called Aspen's Vale. Tht
house was many centuries old. IT.!
architecture was remarkable; and III
rooms curious. 1t was rambling oil
place, and Of course it had ghost. Il
stood in the midst of very lovely
grounds, overlooking wood and river
Altogether, it was one of the show-place'
| in --Sblre.
stayed with the Cllffords a couple
Of months. During that time the houst
was quiet, visitors few-they eschewet
company for my sake.
At the end of two months 1 left
them, comforted and helped, and witt
many promises of a return by-and-by.
Circumstances, however. too varied
and too many to mention prevented thai
second visit taking place for couple
of years. at the end of that time 6
great longing came over me to see Mary
Clifford again. l must write to hei
and promise visit. did so.
By return of post got short, but
characteristic reply.
DEAREST HONOR: Of course l long
to see you, but unfortunately the house
is full. Large as it is, it is crammed
from cellar to attic.
My dear, don't want to refuse you.
do long to see you. Will you SLEEP
in the Tapestry roomp for of course il
is empty. 1 dare not put any body else
there, but 1 don't think you, Honor
will be afraid of the ghost. If the
Tapestry will do. come, and thousand
welcomes. can put up your maid
Your loving friend.
MARY CLIFFORD.
To this letter l made short answer:
do not believe in the ghost. The
Tapestry room will do beautifully. Ex.
pect me tomorrow.
The next evening l arrived at Aspen:
Vale in time for dinner. The Tapestry
room looked charming. l fell in love
with 1t on the spot, and vowed laugh,
ingly that the ghost and would make
| friends.
My maid, however, looked grave ovel
my jesting remarks; it was plain that
she believed in supernatural vlsitations
Gayety of heart, however, was ovel
me. 1 could not resist the cheerful in,
fiuence of my old friends company. ]
felt happier than had done since my
husbands death, and after a very de.
hghtful evening, retired to my room
feeling brave enough to encounter any
number of ghosts that might choose tt
visit me.
The Tapestry room was quite away
from the rest Of the house-it was al
the extreme end of the wing.
No other bedrooms were in the wing.
There we're asmoking-room, morning
room, and little oriel chamber, which
Mrs. Clifford in her early married life
had curiously fitted up for herself. but
now seldom occupied. Neither did she
believe In the ghost, but she confessed
that this oriel chamber had an eerit
feel.
The morning-room opposite, cheerful
and pretty enough, was unused. It's
furniture was antique, it belonged to q
by-gone day, and It's inhabitants were
dead. The smoking.room also was de.
serted; even the fumes of tobacco had
| left it, the squire preferring more cen
tral apartment In the modern part Of
the house.
Altogether, this wing of the old houst
seemed dead. Visitors came to it ou
Of curiosity; they paid brief visits, ant
preferred doing so in broad daylight.
It must have been quite hundred
years since the Tapestry room In thi
far end Of this wing had been slept In
!, Old ~ the other rooms In the winl