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

looked, the Tapestry room bore qulte
the palm of ancient appearance. There
was not an article OF furniture in it,
not chair, not table, which must not
have seen the light of centuries.
The furniture was all Of the blackest
oak, the bedstead the usual four-poster
on which our ancestors loved to stretch
themselves. But the curious feature
Of the room, that which gave it its
name, was the tapestry. Not an inch
of tire walls was to been seen; they
were hung completely with veryancient
and very faded tapestry. One Dame
Clifford, of long, long by-gone days,
had worked it, with the help Of her
maidens. She had come to an untimely
end on the very day on which the great
work of her life had been completed.
1t does not matter to this story what
became of the proud and fair dame, but
1t was her ghost which was said to
haunt the wing, and the Tapestry cham
Der in particular. Warden, my maid,
as she helped me to undress, looked
quite pale with terror.
: "They do say, ma'am, as Dame Glare
Clifford appears with her head tucked
under her arm, and threads from the
old tapestry hanging to her skeleton
fingers. She's dressed in gray silk,
that don't rustic never bit, though
'tis so thick it might stand all alone,
they do say. IT'S awful lonesome for
you, madam, to sleep here alone, and
IN stay with pleasure If it comes to
that, though my nerves aren't none of
the strongest.
thanked Warden, however, and as
sured her that 1 was not in the least
afraid; and she, with a well relieved
face, left me alone. heard her foot
steps echoing down the corridor-they
died away. was now out Of reach Of
all human help, for in this distant wing
no possible sounds could reach any other
inhabitants of Aspen's Vale.
think | have implied that was
brave. In my girlhood, in my short
married life, even in the sad depression
of my early widowhood, L had never
known physical fear, nevertheless, when
the last of Warden's footsteps echoed
out and died, and that profound still
ness followed which can be oppressive,
had curious sensation
did not call 1T fear, did not know
it for that grim and pale-faced tyrant;
hut it made me uncomfortable, and
caused my heart to beat irregularly.
The sensation was this-I felt that
was not alone.
OF course it was fancy; and what had
to do with fancyp
determined to Danish this uncom.
Portable feeling from my mind, and
stirring the fire to cheerful blaze,
drew one Of the black oak chairs neal
it and sat down.
Warden had looked so pale and
frightened before she lert me, that out
of consideration for her feelings L had
allowed her to leave the jewels which
had worn that evening ON the dressing
table.
There they lay, a set of very valuable
brilliants. There was an old-fashioned
mirror over the mantel-piece, and as
sat by the fire 1 saw the reflection Of
my diamonds in the glass. AS 1 no
ticed their sparkle, again that strange
sensation returned; this time more
strongly, this time with a cold shiver.
1 was not alone.
Who was in the Tapestry chamberf
Was 1t the ghostp Was that story true,
after alp OF course l did not believe
it. 1 laughed aloud as the idea came
to me. felt that 1 was getting quite
silly and nervous. There was nothing
for me but to get into bed as quickly
as possible.
/ was about to rise from my easy.
chair and go over to the old-fashioned
four-poster, when again my attention
was attracted to the glass over my
head. 1t was hung in such way as tc
reveal large portion of the room, and
1 now saw, not the diamonds, but some
thing else.
In the folds of the dim and old-world
tapestry [ saw something move and
glitter. 1 looked again; there was nc
mistaking TIT was an eye, a human
eye, looking fixedly at me through g
hole in the canvass. Now knew why
1 felt that was not alone.
There was some one hidden between
the tapestry hangings and the wall o.
the chamber Some one-not a ghost
That eye was human, or l had never
looked on human eye before. I wal
alone with thief, perhaps with worse
and gems of immense value lay within
his reach. was absolutely alone, moi
a soul could hear the most agonized CRY
for help in this distant room.
Now knew--if had ever doubted
it before--that L was very brave wo
man.
The imminence of the peril steadied
my nerves which few minutes before
were beginning strangely to quIyer.
never started nor exclaimed. l fell
that 1 had in no way betrayed my knowl
edge to my terrible guest. L sat per
fectly still, thinking out the situation
and my chances of escape.
Nothing but consummate coolnes,
could win the victory. I resolved tC
be very cool. With fervent and pas
sionate cry to One above for succor,
rose from my chair, and going to the
dressing-table, 1 slipped several costly
rings off my fingers, 1 left them scat.
tered carelessly about. denuded my
self of all but my wedding ring.
Then put the extinguishers on tn,
candles-they were wax, and stood il