Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-08-23
The Turret Door.

toward the end of summer, when in
the course of my wanderings about
the ancient city entered the quiet
and solitary close of the grey cathe-
dral. The rocks were gathering in
the old elms which stood around. A
ruddy light WI rapped the great grey
towers which rose far up into the
evening air. The sounds of the city
from without came family and at in
tervals to the ear as I walked slowly
| across the close towards the low,
wide steps which ascended and were
lost in the shadow of the noble
porch.
On reaching the great door of the
cathedral found it closed. But in
the centre of this there was another
l<5paaller door which still stood open
and here party of visitors, to whom
l was stranger, were endeavoring
to persuade the ancient verger that
the hour was not to late too permit
them to inspect the interior. 1t so
happened that just as l came up
they succeeded in overcoming his
hesitation, and he turned to lead the
way into the building.
The party followed him and 1
among them.
Inside, the stiffness was profound !;
the lightest football awoke echoes.
The evening light fell. laden with
rich and colored gloom of painted
windows, on the dark carving of the
stalls, on the great tubes of the silent
organ, on the scrolls of the epitaphs.
on the marble images of warriors,
priests and kings. The silence of
the antique nave, the colored gloom
of the painted panes, the sense of
antiquity in all the air, impressed
their influence upon the mind with
even more than customary power.
/ had had no other motive IN entering
the cathedral than to indulge the
ordinary incidents of such a visit.
No mortal could have been less pre-
pared for an adventure. How could
l dream that a strange, a wildly
strange experience was to befall me
before | should stand again without
those grey and ancient walls?
And yet, so it was.
The truth of this extraordinar y
story is known to many persons, and
my veraclty may be easily verified.
The facts of the case are these:
The party of visitors to which ]
had joined myself had completed,
under the guidance of the verger, the
customary tour of inspection round
the ancient fabric, and were now
preparing to leave the building.
had fallen for moment behind the
rest IN order to examine a fine and
deeply interesting specimen of. an
tique carving which covered the
whole of the wall near which [ stood
The great door of the cathedral, al
which the rest of the party was now
standing, was not visible from this
spot; but could hear their voices
plainly, round the angle of the wall
Aware that / had not much time te
linger unless | wished to be locked
up all night, cast last glance al
the rich tracery of the woodwork
and prepared reluctantly to turr
away.
Suddenly my eye was caught by 6
portion of the carving which seemed
to stand out slightly from the rest
| put my hand upon the carved heaC
of the Apostle Peter and pulled i
outward. To my amazement dool
opened In the carving, showing he
yond it dark passage. l stopped
forward and looked in. AS | did so
the door, which was thick and mas
sive, and which was hung slantingly
upon its hinges in such a manner as
: to close with its own weight, swung
heavily back from the position into
which l had pushed 1t, and coming
unexpectedly upon me as l stoopee
forward, projected me into the open
ing and shut behind me.
, The suddenness of the inciden
and the total darkness IN which
: found myself entombed startled an(
confused me. But at first / felt NJ
positive alarm. / attempted at one,
to push open the door, but to m,
surprise it did not yield. l pushet
? harder-harder yeti exerted all ~,
2 strength, but the door remained i'm
movable.
; AT last finding all my efforts use
less, endeavored to attract the at
tention of those outside. [ raised
! my voice and called loudly for as
sistance, at the same time beating
e vigorous tattoo with my stick agains
the door. | then paused and listened
in the expectation of being speedil,
q released. But to my surprise ant
alarm the minutes passed and ther
was no response.
, With vague terror at my hear
l renewed my endeavors. | raised
: a clamor that awoke the echoes o
!, the building. But still no voice re
j piled from outside my prison, M
- hand released the fastening of th'
. door. Gradually the conviction
forced itself upon my mind that
had delayed too long. While | hae
, been trying to force open the doc
by my own efforts, the party of visit