San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-09-22

AT Jur TOOL uI the small stone stair
Casc-brtDTe they 90 through the first
irOn-bOuud door that leads 90 the cor
TidOr withOut-they find Ethel Eilliers
awaiting them. She had been looking.
round her in the dimly lighted stone
/ passage, and has discovered another
door fixed mysteTiOuSly in corner,
that has excited her curiosity.
Where does this lead to, Sir Adj
rian% she asks now, pointing to it.
"Oh, that IS an old door connected
with another passage that leads by
dark and weaTying staircase to the
servants corridor beneath! | am afraid
you won't be able TO open it, as it is
rusty with age and diSuse. The ser
wants would as soon think of coming
up here as they would of making an
appointment with the Evil One; so it
has not been opened for years"
Perhaps l can manage it." says Ar
thur Dynecourt. trying with all his
might to force the ancient lock to yield
to him. At length his efforts are
crowned with success; the door flies
creakingly open, and a cloud Of dust
uprising covers them like a mist.
All" exclaims Ethel, recOiling; but
Arthur, STOPPING forward, carefully
examines the dark staircase that lies
before him wrapped in impenetrable
gloom. SpideT-nets have been drawn
from wall to wall and hang in dusky
clouds from the low ceiling: faint,
stale, sitting smell greetS his nOstrils,
yet he fingers there and looks carefully
around him.
You'll fall into it. if you don't
mind" remarks Captain RingwOOd.
zone would think unCanny spots had
an unwholesOme attraction for you"
RingwoOd, ever since the memorable
night in the smOking-rOOm, when Sir
Adrian was so near being killed, has
looked askance ut Arthur DynecOurt,
and, when taking the trouble to adj
dress him at all. has been either sharp
or pointed in his remarks. Arthur,
contenting himself with scOwl at him,
closes the little door again, and turns
away from it.
AT night" says Sir Adrian, in an
amused tone, the servants, passing by
the door below that leads up to this
one, run by it as though they fear some
ghOstly ancestors of mine, descending
from the haunted chamber, will pOunCe
out upon them with their heads under
their arms, or in some equally unpleas-
ant position. You know the door,
don't you, Arthur-the second from
the turning?"
NO" replies Arthur, with his false
smile, II do not; nor, indeed, do | care
to know it. l firmly believe | should
run past it too after nightfall, unless
well protected"
THAT looks as if you had an evil con-
science" says RingwOOd carelessly, but
none the less pUTpOsely.
st looks more as if were a coward,
/ think" retOrts Arthur laughing, but
shooting an angry glance at the gal
liant captain as he speaks.
well, what does the immortal Will
lam say" returns RingwOOd COOlly.
conscience doth make towards of us
ALI"
"You have sharp wit, sir" says Ar
thur, with apparent lightness, but pale
with passion.
Il say, look here" breaks in Sir Adj
rian hastily, pulling out his watch; ut
must be nearly time for tea. BY JOve,
quite half past four, and we know what
Lady FitZAlmont will say to us if we
keep her deprived of her favOrite bev-
erage for even five minutes. Come, let
us run, or destruction will light upon
our heads"
So saying, he leads the way, and soon
they leave the haunted chamber and all
its gloomy associations far behind
them.