New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-29
Ill.


W
"'Whaf II goose you are was the answer, AM in
few ruinutcs more by the stiffness which egned
in her room | knew she had betakcn herself to her
Test. 1900 ,
Icould not sleep ana kept blaming myself had
not told Ra'Th. he would have ridculed the idea
of ghosts. bnt wonld never have let Nelly sleep so
| was 80 uneasy that about 3 o'clock. despite
my timldity, stole out of bed and crept through
the passages tn listen at Nelly door, All was que
Besides there seemed SD much air stirring about.
that the light in my hand burnt unstrad'ly. ana
dre,ding least it sho1d 90 out aug he 10y IN .e
dark returned To my room, bnt was so lar easier
in my mind that Sc ON fell asleep ana Slept Till Jay
break. Then, | awoke suddenly, feeling very
frightened. | was sure / had heard Nelly calling
for me 1t must have been arcy of course for except
Mrs. Harvey's snoring in the next room all was
still However. | was 40 disturbed. that irelnS
further slumber was impossible rose AMI dressed
myself Then mpelled as by some invisible power.
| again went tn the door of the Odd aud End Room
When there was once mora struck by the pocu-
lIarlv lev feeling only it even colder than
before 1T won't startle Nelly now if peep in. |
Thought, go l turned the handle and entered Why
it was like gale Of wind blowing The window
was wido open that winter morning, the nj cur,
tainS lapping everything blown into disorder ana
no Nelly anywhere. The bed had not been slept ~
the fire was long ont. the candles only little
burnt and long ago eXtnRuishcd. the char pushed
aside from the small table and there were no
traces of Nelly anywhere. That was the horror Of
the thing The one living inmate of the room had
vanished. q,
q lost no time bnt flew TO Ralphs, room. aud
Knocked loudly. Who's there 2 said sleepy voice
Let me in Il cried 1T Is !. Annie then ran
in saving. Ralph &c: up quickly. Nelly was last
night in the Odd and End ROOM and don't know
where she is. Tho bel has not been dept in. the
window IL wide open. and don't know where sho
is Ralph was awake now with n vengeance:
4'Why should Nelly be in that room Who let
her go thcref Harvey told me there was some
horror attached to il. All stuff no doubt but ne
did not wish You girls to know. OF course Nelly
was frightened. and has hidden herself IN one OF
he sitting rooms. Run, Annie. and look throngh
the house. | shan't be three minutes l dld IA !
was bid. IL was possible that overcome by ner-
vousress she might have gone to the drawing room
and passed the night there, aud that the WIND had
Buoycd up by hope. | searched everywhere. !
did not trouble the bedrooms. Nelly had promised
To come To mo If afraid. aud knew she would 20
nowhere else. Alas! | found no trace of her
anywhere md returning met Ralph dressed and
hurrylng 10 the fatal rpon.
Welt he SAID shook my head We were
soon In the deserted apartments where INV brother
seemed most uneasy ut the evident tokens that 10
must have been early In the night when Nelly
vacated II.
Ralph rushed down the staIrs into the garden. |
after him stop. there Is something flutterng
from yonder branch. cried. We hastencd 10 II, u
was n strip of white cambria rent aud torn which
hung there 1t isa part OF Nelly's dressing gown
groauci. Ralph's face was pale ana haggard ~ he
mntt-rcd. My sweet Nelly. what can 1t be which
has driven YOU out here into the cold bitter night
Annie. go rouse them all, make them look every
where. | will search the Dlnutaton.' Then he
turned from me. walking slowly. carefully anXionS
find some other trace OF the lost one 10 guide MS
steps. II was soon done. that waking them all
Neiv was So loved that they only too anxious
to fnd her and end the fearful suspense.
Having done my mission flew after Ralph and
found him In the plantation, sti seeking; Though
only half an hour had elapsed since left him.
was shocked nj the change anxiety Lad wrought In
him even in that short time
90 Ralph. she may not have come this way; we
shall trust find her nearer home.
q. Look was his reply. In 80 hoarse a voice
me IN his crnc ned hand a dshrvellct tre-s of long
dark hair Look, have found this clinliig 10
shrub only few minutes ago. mnst he IN the
right direction and shall soon Ind her dead or
alive
IL shuldered but said nothing. Our suspense was
soon ended. for his quick eyes. which were looking
in oil direction saw somrth ing %h,te on ,ng
WHAT Couli that be- Nelly that white confused
mass on the wet grass with the dark hair falling
round IL and hiding the poor face. Aias' A'hs' ~
Sns and with uuspeakahlo dread Ra ph pushed
away the hair and looked ut her She seemed Ike
one dead seemed ~ II she mist have been dead for
hours and the agony OF terror which was stamped
like a fixed CONFUSION on her lovely features VIII
never Ice elnced from my recollection Near her
the grass was torn mp by tn" root N large pitrhr-
and tufts of II were cllnsnR 10 her tender hands
one foo was bare while the soft flesh had bled pro
fuscly from the thorns which she must have trod
In MS a,,.ful this iuv4tcrious Journey.
Ralph flung himself beside her, like one dis
tranrt hc eau ,ht her 10 hi- breast. moaning over
her with wild iuarticulato CT g. " hich were aw nj
I %.
dead. supposed all hoPc wa over But ,eizGd hun
by the arm cr ny wildly. Ralph, SIC ~ not dead
am sure She is not tor saw the eyrl'd1 move Just
now ! had never turned my hoTr fed gaIr away
from the face 50 had seen this FAINT sign OF rrtuIn-
In ono mon cnt Ralph had rcsaincd h'' usual
calm IIe laid h.r gently down ana felt her heart
hc. pul,,. There is FAINT spark of LIE hc Il.
and IN. sob of r,lIcf was almO,, As painful ~ the
former frenzy. He took his coat AMI my shawl and
wtap thcnl round her, then raised the dear bnr IN
IN hi. arm, ! ran forward aud n soon rs possible
met him with mattuss which the servants
carried. By this time l'aiph was Keeling almost
Ikea drunken man, as he still strugg ed T. bring
hen sooner g. Warmth aud life We wrapped her IN
blanket, an LAYING her Oh the couch she Wls borne
swiftly 10 the house
"Mr, Harvey met us weeping and wringing her
hands Take her to my room, put be: IN my bed
oh dear what can have happened Z Then n Size
caught sight 81 the awful face she siirnnk back half
fa!utiag Hut no ore he del Ter. a. We busted our
scvc, with poor Nelly. II was long before We cOul
bring back vitality. and whom at Hast II returned
when she opened her beautiful ewes, NeSlw to our
iurNIc.siaio Grief that reason had lett H. 10, and
we almost wished for the former unconsclousnosS.
So fearful was il to listen to her wild rawlings.
The doctor cane INT coud do little She was
uoW IN a burning fever aud tho state OF BODY ana
mind alike la eI his skill There was however.
tpMr Slight COnsCinn ness even amidst her de
liiIum, for If for u NOM. mt one oi rs lposrI her
hand, she Womb cry DON'T leave me-i2r tn loyr
of oar dear God don't leave me- ALI! anI then would
fall hack. TIE large eye, tINcl always with awful
stare on one corner OF the room.
Those were the most DISTRESSING days, Doris.
which / ever rrm,mrcr We did not attempt 10
keen Ralph ont OF her room. for every CONFUSION
lnigh' bc tho In and who had better right than
he 10 Joe there. he whose biile al" was So soon 10
have brcug Nr. II lrNcY and N'Iys uncle were
both with us now. The other guests had all lett
The miserable house. which no lone echoed to
pleasant voices bnt which lay in rh1sil $ sti lnc-s
save when the slfel,1 Of the poor Inaddcn"d girl
rang through hall and corridor. For ONE llr
Harvey made his wife feel the weight Of his dis-
plrnsuro. lie told uS ho knew nothing about the
hat Air a. a
had begged IT should only bo nsed in the dlyiimc:
Mr. Grant had assured HIM nothing mp casant had
been seen or known about the room FOR ages. that
was more IA ira ittun tlal anyth NJ elsc with him.
mi, father and his grandfather. that IL should not
he used after dark and 50 he preferred tho rule
being kept to. -, ,,,,,,,,.
for what has passed.. Nv wfo's fault is to a Ger
tain extent NV fault also / am more unhappy