The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-02-21

Get up I cried, rushing unceremoni
ously into the Cores room, which was Of
course in total darkness. There are
thieves in the house. They cannot have
got very far yet. Mr., Gore, do wake; gel
up
'To do him justice, though, when he
did understand the purport of my visit Mr.
Gore lost no time in answering the sum
mons. Before five minutes had elapsed he
assumed the lead of the search party, and
| was left behind to explain matters in de-
tail to my astonished hostess. Consider
ing her impulsive manner, was surprised
to find that after the first shock she took
my story very coolly, and was indeed in
clined to pooh-pooh my somewhat inco-
herent narrative.
"'You've been dreaming she said,
laughing. 1T was so wrong of us to tell
you all sorts of things about that room.
The thing is clear You were frightened,
you went to sleep and had the nightmare.
One is so apt to fancy things when one is
in a strange room and alone
"'Fancy things cried angrily. ANY
one who knows me will tell you that I am
not a person to fancy things. 1t was not
ghost, of course it was robber, or some
one dressed up to frighten me. Besides, I
tell you, Pinfold saw it too. Looking for
my diamonds, of course, which she always
keeps safe under my bed
"Mrs. Gore looked rather bewildered.
"'Under her bed she repeated softly :;
what a very droll idea So you are not
altogether unprepared for these adventures?'
"'Not unprepared!' l cried, with a
glance at the wrapper which [ had hastily
thrown round me before | had taken
flight. why, if had expected to appear
before society in the middle of the night, l
should at least have taken care to have my
dressing gown on. As it is, [ wonder if
you would lend me yours ? 1t might be
as we'll to look a little respectable, to say
nothing of its being rather chilly. Why,
you have got yours on how very odd !!
Do you always wear your dressing gown in
bed?"
''Mrs. Gore burst into fit of laughter
You forget, she said, "that I've had plenty
of time to put it on while you were fright
ening Harry to death. You will find my
fur cloak in the wardrobe. We may as
well make ourselves as comfortable as we
can, for your burglar may want a great
deal of catching.
"But long before the search was over
my strained nerves had given away. The
utter want of sympathy, nay, the absolute
incredulity with which my story had been
received, affected me so much that, in spite
of all attempts at self-command, | burst
into fit of hysterical sobbing.
'And in fact the return of Mr.. Gore
with the news that the whole house had
been ransacked from attic to cellar without
even a trace of an open door or window
added to my discomposure, and it only re-
quired his politely expressed condolences
and his wife's less thinly yelled contempt
to render my collapse complete. [ felt
that to spend the rest of the night by my
self was a simple impossibility. Aided by
Mr.. Cores strong arm took refuge with
Pinfold, and in her room, with both the
doors locked and perfect blaze of candles,
we sat and 'longed for the day. There
was consolation in the knowledge that Pin
fold had also seen the apparition, and was
prepared to bear witness to the truth of my
story, although, like many other excellent
people in similar predicaments, it was our
fate to be disbelieved.
"Of course no amount of arguments or
chaff could ever induce me to deny the tes
timony of my senses. Besides, was there
not the confrmatory evidence of that half
opened drawer in my room?
"On one point my mind was fully made
up, and that was, not to stay another night
in the house and neither arguments nor
ieers sufhced in the least to shake my res
olution. Both my host and hostess en-
ployed each method of persuasion in turn,
and found each fail. My nerves had been
too severely hurt, to make the thought of a
prolonged sojourn at Manibere Court for
one minute endurable. The Cores, on the
other hand, united in imploring me to re-
main My flight reflected on their house.
they said. 1T would create an unpleasant
impression among their guests, The ser
wants would not stay, (already two or three
of them had declared their intention OF
leaving and forfeiting their wages,) and all
these misfortunes would be averted if only
would consent to pass a few more nights
under their roof
''But, as you all know, I can be terribly
decided and even though it should lead
to positive estrangement- in fact
it did felt that l could not nerve my
self to stay Up to the last moment Mrs
Gore never ceased pressing me to change
my mind, and at last went from entreaties
to absolute rudeness when she found she
could not gain her point.
'You will all readily believe that it was
with light heart that | heard the gates
clash behind me as l took leave of Mani
bere Court. Years passed before saw it
again. The Cores chose to make my re-
fusal to risk repetition of the horrors of
that night the ground for quarrel.
only heard at second hand that no solution
of the mystery had ever been arrived at,
and I did receive one formal note from
Mr.. Gore, hoping that would not mention
my adventure in society, as rumor of it
had already frightened several people from
coming to stay with them"
Mrs. Venables's voice stopped.
sob, thanks so much! from every
body.
''But was that quite the end did you
really never hear ANYTHING more ?"
''That was the end of my adventure. L
thought you wanted to hear ghost story,
and ghost story with an explanation is
no better than one of those conjurors who
says he will show you how all his tricks
are done-which, by the way, he takes
very good care never to do
'sThere was an explanation then ?" from
one of the young ladies. "Oh, do tell us
I am so nervous, l shall never sleep all
night"
cit was more than year afterward, re-
sumed Mrs. Venables, "that [ was staying
at Brighton, when I caught glimpse OF
face I knew in carriage at shop door.
At once [ recognized the dark eyes and
brilliant complexion of Mrs. Gore, and I
doubted whether [ should be the first to