Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-09-09
MY NEIGHBoR OPPOSITE.

selves and be a source of suffering to
every one around them.
But / had struggled through all the
sicknesses which ever beset all the chill
dren of the world, for naturally sickly
people are not in the habit of dying, /
observed; and at twenty-five | had q
tolerable degree OF health and strength,
though | was easily excited, and was
what is called impressionable.
My Aunt Mary insisted upon it that
this faculty in my nature, which made
me aware when storms were coming,
when fair weather might be expected,
when evil was at hand, when death was
near, and when ill-luck was on the
rampage, was only the result of my
prying disposition. For Aunt Mary in
sisted that was fully equal to Paul Pry
in everything except sex.
But when | was about twenty Aunt
Mary died without giving any warning
of her intention, and was left the mis-
tress of myself and fortune quite
ample to keep me in idleness. | do not
know whether it was lucky or unluckv
for me that had wealth. Work hardens
the muscles, and makes person think
more of his dinner than of metaphysics,
and between YOU and me | am of the
opinion that it is far better to speculate
over the first than over tile last
| Presided in great roomy house in
Bath: but every summer | went to the
east coast sometimes to one locality,
sometimes to another, never twice to
the same place. / wore one place out,
exhausted its resources, in the course of
q season.
This summer of which | am writing
[ Glanced to select Placeford. Nothing
influenced me in the choice except the
fact that l had casually heard it re-
marked that Placelord was celebrated
for old houses Aud, like AL other in
terested imaginative persons, | had a
passion for old houses.
Placciord | found to be very much
like hundred other old towns
. | boarded with Mrs. Brown, vino oc-
cupied Il large shaded house in May
llowor-road, which was u dark, quiet
street
Most Of the houses were painted in
sombrc colors, to adapt themselves to
the solemn character of their surround
ings, and the majority Of them were old
and dilapidatcd.
My chamber was in the southern front
OF the house a very charming room
whose windows looked into the yard of
the house on the other side of the street
No. 1S
That house attracted my attention ut
once. 1t was 4 very ancieni-looking,
oblong building, constructed entirely of
greyish stone. The windows, which
were not many, were deep set and close
" covered with heavy wooden shutters
bound with iron. The gate which led
from the street was also barred, and
the cham secured by rusty paddock.
The grass grew ranl,ly across the
path TO the hall door up near to the
very doorstep: and nettles, burdocks,
ever-blooming pinks, and adventurous
candytufts hourished in heterogeneous
confusion in the deserted ward.
1t was very plain that No. 10 was I'M
inhabited Then | began to form
theories concerning it. | looked upon
ii with Il sort OF awe ut which most
people would have laughed.
| knew the place had \ history. Pos
sibly il was a tragedy
| asked Mrs Brown about it one
morning at breakfast
Lawful hearth said she shaking her
head; Its awful. You'll lay awake
nights a-thinking of it, Miss Frances!'
Not ]. Now begin at the begin
ming"
"Wcll, No. 10 belonged to Colonel
Frampton. His father built the house. 1t
was one of the first houses ever put up
in town The colonel was Il high-blood-
ed chap. and his wife was good deal
more high-blooded than he was, but
they We're rs nice people us ever you see.
The worst that ever knew against EN-
was they would have dancing at their
house when any of the young people
him two children, " went on Mrs Brown,
"a son and a daughter. The girl was
as pretty a thing rs ever you see, but
the measles took her off when nine
years old. Duke, the boy, grew up. lie
was fine, handsome young man, and
rs good as wheat. Generous us a prince,
too, and never ashamed to speak to a
body because that body happened to be
poor The Framptons always spent
their summers at No, 49, About tive
years ago Mrs. Frampton died, and tor
two or three years there was only the
colonel and Duke To come down. Two
years ago they brought 4 lady with
them-Miss Annabel Stanley, Duke
cousin. She was an orphan and hadn't
no property | should judge from the
way things appeared Annabel was one
of those tall, queenly women, with grey
eyes, and lightish hair. that men &C
crazy over; but Duke had too much
sense to fall in love with her. | don't
think he would if he'd wanted TO even
so bad, for she was too big for him.
Most men is q little shy about making
love to women that's bigger than they
are. And they amt 10 blame. a little
man and a big woman always look to
me like beginning Il sentence with a
small letter, and putting tho capital ~
the end Of it. But then everyone to his
fancy.
Before that summer was out. Colo,
mel Frampton died very suddenly. anC
after the funeral Il will WAS found b,
which all the property fell TO Duke, OK
cept about five thousand pounds that h,
gave to Aunabel; and If Duke diod with
out legal heirs, then Annabel, if sh,
outlived him, was to have the whole.
"Nhea Duke went back 10 town tina
autumn, he took Annabel with him, anC
/ never heard anything about any o
| 'em until late next summer, for they die
not come back 10 No. 10 as usual, at thu
approach of warm weather. In fact
nobody exactly expected Duke; for o
course it seemed onnatral and lone
some like for lin alone, and Miss stan
ley wouldn't like 20 come with hin. ant
no women folks about ~ house. yol
know. Well, the fust news we hear,
was that Duke Frampton was missing
and that Annabel Stanley was marie,
to man by the name Of Lampson
This Lampson was low sort of chap
according to all accounts, and not GOO,
for much at a living.
.'By-and-by there was a letter come t,
Annabel from man in London tina
was her story-saying that Duke ha,
died suddenly in n hotel there. and de
string to know what disposition Shout,
be make of his remains. Annabel anS