Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-05-20

/ were gone.
Gervase and Hilda, recovering their equa
nimity, began to discuss their sketches TO
the Christmas book.
| noticed that my brother made no fur
ther allusion to the ghost
we retired at our usual time.
| expected to be awake for hours
The moment my head touched the pillow
| was asleep.
In the middle of the night l woke sud
denly as if a hand touched me.
Hilda was sleeping soundly.
Our room was double bedded one.
could see her quiet face by the light O.
! the moon, as it came out from behind &
cloud
In the silent heuse-in the shut-up rooms
of the Saxon family-I plainly heard foot
ksteps.z -.sa-s--;.ss.s.-,s-...s .s,z-.sls
A woman's voice, low and sweet, spoke
| first.
A mans deeper tones answered.
Then came the sound of bitter wailine
and weeping.
And the footsteps went YEARLY up ant
down, until the morning dawned.
Ahd still I said nothing of what I hac
seen and heard.
wanted to be more certain; wanted tc
find things out.
Hilda was not very strong in health, eth
er, and should not be needlessly frightened
In the afternoon, while my brother ano
sister were busy with their pencils, 1 went
into the closed rooms to look around.
The walls were mostly of black oak ex-
quisitively carved.
Some of the upper chambers had tapestry
hangings.
In the lower apartments were spindle
legged chairs, tables, and sofas, with Jap
anese cabinets of curious china worth its
weight in gold in these aesthetic days.
No tenant, as VIC afterwards heard, nc
caretaker, no servants could be induced tc
remain there.
crossed the great banqueting hail. with
painted ceiling and musicians gallery
suspended from wall.
Opening an arched door beneath this gal
lery, found myself in vaulted corridor,
lighted from above by skylights, and hung
with the portraits of the Saxon family.
They were handsome, stately race; fair,
! with blue eyes and golden hair, as beseem.
ed their name.
At the lower end of the corridor, facing the
door, | came upon two portraits in dou-
BILE frame, placed quite apart from the rest
and utterly unlike them.
A lovely woman attired in the garb of 6
nun, with sorrow and heart break looking
out from her beautiful dark-grey eyes; and
tall stalwart man of thirty, dark as Span
lard, wearing the armor of a knight
His large eyes were bent upon the lady
his face was sad and stern, clouded with the
disappointment of restless and unsatisiec
heart.
On double shield above the portraits
were carved the names, Sir Raphael ant
Lady Aloysia Saxon
| While single shield below the frame
bore, in raised letters, the strange and ter
rible legend:
''DooMED, BUT TOGETHER"
could hear the roar of the wind among
the trees beyond the lake.
A heavy rain came beating down upor
the skylight roof.
Yet still stood there, gazing at the pic
ture.
The gallery darkened, and the coloring o
the picture grew obscure
Suddenly sensation as of a great feal
came over me, and made all haste to de-
part.
In crossing the banqueting hall, on my
way back to the western wing, turned te
glance up at the music gallery, though l
know not why.
| 1t was no longer empty.
The two figures stood there, a dull strang,
light shining around them.
In its gleam, as the long dark garments
foated aside, I thought saw the shining O
armor, and the white wimpfe and black
veil of a nun.
Dinner was ready in the parlor.
And after dinner, GeIvase and Hilda,
wishing they could drown the noise of the
storm that was raging outside, again open
ed their beloved sketch books l left then
toit
Mrs. King passed me in the hall, with g
beaming face.
No fear of them hussies this evening
I'm glad to say, Miss Kate she remarked
Even for my Johnny, they'd not come
trapesing about here such night as this
when the winds bowling like mad. l car
give my mind to his reading without wor-
riting myself about them.'
'Of course you can.'
Unable to rest, had come out to wander
uneasily about the spacious hall, wondering
what ought to be done, what would come Of
it.
By and by, l. took Gervase's thick plaid
from the stand and putting it on, over my
own waterproof, let myself silently out at
the porch door, which was not the large en-
trance door, and stood ON the terrace, in the
storm
The sweep of cold fresh air and the steady
rainfall calmed my eyes and cooled my
brain.
l began to hope, almost to think, that
the half of what l had seen was but i'm
agination; I felt glad that l had kept my
own counsel, thus far.
If these were really only foolish and
superstitious fancies, hard work, such as
Gervase and Hilda were beginning to do,
and I meant to begin on the morrow, would
speedily dispel them.
My eyes were bent upon the ground as !
turned towards the house mentally debat-
ing the question.
On the very first step of the porch, the
icy cold, the deathly odor enveloped me like
a garment.
Looking up, I saw the two dark figures
facing me, within reach of my hand, and
knew them for the doomed pair.
The cloaks seemed to fall back.
saw the glistening armor of the knight
1 saw the purple robe of the nun, a bleeding
heart, surrounded by golden rays, embroid.
cred on it's breast.
l saw them by the palest, strangest light
that ever shone on mortal eyes.
The porch was dark.
No ray from kitchen or parlor windows
could shine upon this part of the terrace.
Those unearthly faces were revealed at
last, and were those l had admired in the
painting; the stern, brave, and handsome
knights, the sweet and lovely one of the
nun; but alas as they looked at me here
they were the faces of the dead.
But a second, as it seemed, and they
were gone; the figures and the pale light
had vanished.
How got in know not.
| managed to open the parlor door
quietly and beckoned to Gervase.
He came out, with one of the wax lights in
his hand.
"Why, what is the matter with you,
Kate?" he asked. "You look white and
scared. You are trembling"
"Gervase! Come with me, before Hilda
misses us. want you to tell me whether
l am awake or dreaming, mad or sane"
Grasping his arm for protection, 1 led
him to the picture gallery, and held the
candle up in silence before the two por-
traits.
"Sir Raphael and Lady Aloysia Saxon, -