Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-04-29

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"Why goblin chamber? Did you
sea anything?" Nan asked.
mo; but / heard"
"Ohl'
''Rats-nothing more. Do Iseem to
you the sort of man who would be-
lieye in ghosts?" and he drew up his
tall figure, making the most OF his
broad chest, and taking step or two
across the hearthrug
do presume to know the hidden
beliefs of-ot-your inner self" laughed
Nan.
"Nobly expressed, my dearl"
commanded gaily. "Just describe the
goblin chamber. Was it like this?
with the gas turned down, and the
barges on the river creaking as they
do on a windy night, this is as ghostly
as you please"
"Huml never saw is in that light
But you may be right" and the young
man began critically to look at the
antique curiosities of the room-at
the black old mantel, and the high
wainscot; at the piedmont over the
door, at the deep recesses of each side
OF the fireplace.
"Waddon Croft may be older-I
can't say. But there's more than one
room wonderfully like this.
"And we may have a ghesti How
highly respectable"
"But the goblin chamber" Nan
insisted. ~ want to hear about that.
What's the story?"
"a murder, and ghost, and hid
den treasure-they are all in it"
Perfect" Nan clapped her hands.
"And does the ghost guard the hidden
treasure, or did the murderer carry it
OFF," Maud put in, not quite so gaily
as the others had been speaking.
CPL get the details all correct for
you the next time go down. You see,
the point that interested me most
was where the ghost points out the
place of the hidden treasure. I'd like
Just such another ghost to come to
me. We could do with bag of gold,
could we not, old LADY," this to Bess.
/ wish you could have heard old
Harper tell the story; he was quite
dramatic. | wonder whether many
houses were built with those secret
cupboards; do you think you have one
here, Mrs. Lane?"
"Oh no, should say not"
Let us try, mumsiei" Bess cried.
Clint took up an umbrella belonging
to one OF the girls. and using its handle
as hammer, went knocking by the
side OF the old black mantel.
"What do you want to hear?" Nan
inquired. 1.-The cink of gold?"
every much" he answered; "but
first, / want a hollow sound-there is
only hard brick there. Let us try the
other sids." He moved from the left
to the right-hand side. pushing aside
big cushioned easy-chair, and stand
ing well in the deep recess. Then he
again began hammering. Hard, echo
less brick-lower on, the same. Then
foot more inwards, brick still. All!
The sound changed. There was
wood, and an unm;stakable hollow
sound.
"Mumsie" was Bess' ejaculation,
and she clutched at her mothers arm.
Clint felt the wainscot with critical
fingertips. Again he tapped, and
again he felt on both sides of the
chimney.
The two sides were not alike.
Most decidedly there was a hollow
space on the right side.
lIrs. Lanes calmess was over.
ruled altogether, and to rest as they
had done was no longer a possibility
There was hidden cupboard, and
in the cupboard was a paper packet,
On it was written in the smallest
writing:
al hope Elizabeth will never so re-
pair the Shore House as to find this.
A, stranger would repair; she won't
But | cannot forget Jane. Shall
think more ola dead woman than OF
living friend? No. The past com.
pels me-compels me, dwelling do
tard now, to write the sealed paper;
but say again l pray that Elizabeth
Lane may never find this. If she does
she must unseal the Enclosed.
JOHN SALE"
at is to give the Shore House to
that Jane Lucasw Nan cried. "Who
was she? Was old Sale her lover?"
Mrs. Lanes calmness was broken.
How her hands trembled as she held
the dusty packet inthem!
The whole was in so small a com,
pass The secret closet was barely
more than foot square, the packet
was nothing more than a good-sized
ordinary blue business envelope with
pinched and cramped writing just
covering the side where one would put
an address.
81 cannot open this without seeing
Mr.. Goldingham first" Mrs. Lane be,
gan to say doubtingly. q
Nonsense, mumsie," Bass said n
her bright, practical way. Evidently
no one has anything to do with the
thing except you.
"Jane Lucas, he says is dead" Nan
put in.
~ would open it," was Michael
Clint's advice. 1--WE are all witnesses
if anything comes out of it."
How little could he dream OF the real
outcome,
Mrs. Lane was overruled.
A large sheet of letter-paper was
folded within the envelope, and the
whole that was written upon it was
this, and the same contracted, pinched
writing as was that on the envelope:
"Jane Lucas, of Steveney, Bucks,
married one John Mills, organist-
cur"-the word was underlined "Jane
Mills had children, became widow,
and died, in Dublin, in 184l."
A dead silence fell on ALL Verify,
the Shore House, and money as we'll
money to the extent of about one
hundred a year-wentf from Mrs. Lane.
The first remark was from Nan, who
evidently grasped the entire situa-
ton.
THAT goblin chamber has brought
us a nice stroke of luckl"
''Confound the pIace!" Clint re,
lieved his soul in this way.
"There is only one thing to be done'
Mrs. Lane was her calm self, also
her business-hke self-"and that is to
see Mr.. Goldingham tomorrow morn
ing"
Again we must push aside details
and bring about an ending.
In January Clint and Bess were mar.
ried, and up to that time the heirs OF
Jane Lucas had not been found. In
church register at a village neal
Steveney, they had found the rertiii,
cate of her marriage with Mills, but no
more. No children were born in that
quarter. Advertisements were sent out
broadcast, and q clerk from Golding.
ham and Trew's office was sent to
Dublin. That was like seeking the nee,
die in the bottom of the hay And the
course of family events at the Shore
House could not go on. We must,
however, say that this mystery was
an uncomfortable one, and though the
girls made light of it, it caused some
sleepless nights to Mrs. Lane. Already
she-careful woman that she was-be-
gan to think and plan, for she must re,
trench when she left the Shore House,
And go she must.