The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-06-25
ROOM WITH THE STAIRCASE.
BY ELEANOR coRBET.

In the fall of 1884. my husband and.
! were making IA trip through the north
ern part of North Carolina. in search
of a long missing relative, for whom .
considerable legacy, was waiting;
which legacy, in ease of his death, with
out heirs, would fall to us, as next of
kin. A clew to his whereabouts had
been hard to obtain, and when at last
it was found, the following of it kept
us zigzaging about from one little town,
to another; and many of these being
miles from any railway, we had con-
sidered it advisable to possess ourselves
OF horse and light buggy, and drive
ourselves wherever the trail might lead
us. In pursuance of this plan, we had
been on the road for many hours, and
had obtained some valuable informa-
zion, when in endeayoring to follow di-
rections and take short cut, we found
ourselves on lonely road, apparently
very far from the town we were aim
ing for, and our horse had begun to
limp little, and seemed quite tired
out 1t was dark and chilly, too be-
ing now the last of October, and there
was a rising wind. moaning and whist
ling about our ears, and plainly warn
ing us to seek shelter before the night
should be upon us. We drove along in
silence, looking eagerly for some signs
of human habitation, and feeling as
though fire and food were blessings not
properly appreciated heretofore.
AT length there was slight turn in
the long, straight ro, = we had been
following fer the last hour, and little
way ahead. we caught the welcome
glimmer of lighted windows, and in a
few minutes more, Fred drew rein in
front of large, weather beaten, wooden
house, which seemed to promise shelter
and warmth. at least. And his promise
was more than fulfilled, when we made
our presence and our wants known, for
we were received with as much hospi-
! tality as though we had been invited
guests, or friends of long standing.
| Strangers were evidently a rarity in
| this section of country, and were well
come diversion from the monotony of
| everyday life. We had arrived very
! opportunely, just in time for the even
! ing meal in the great roomy kitchen,
which seemed to be the headquarters
and general rendezvous of the farmer s
large family. Here we were hidden to
draw up and partake of the bounteous
and appetizing supper, and when that
was over, we exerted ourselves to make
the next hour pleasant one for our
entertainers, by giving them news of
! the outside world, and such gossip of
the country side as we had picked up
meal and the increasing heat of the
fire, joined to the fatigue of our long
drive, soon combined to make me very
drowsy; and seeing this, my husband
requested that we might be allowed
to retire, though it was not set nine
/ o'clock.
sPut u.s. said Fred, wherever il
will least disturb yourselves. We shall
be thankful for bed, anywhere.
well! I'm afraid we can't give you
| a very warm room, You see, Sister AL
miry's here with all her family, and SO
we haven't but one empty room left,
and that's in the corner which GETS the
northwest winds. But it's got good
bed-two on 'em, for that matter, so ys
can take your ch'ice. And with this
the farmer handed lis a tallow; candle,
and with another in his own hand, lee
the way upstairs, and. turning into {
narrow intersccting hall, with doors OF
each side. he unlocked the one belong
ing to the corner room.
] Up to this moment, everything con
nected with the house and its occu
pants, had been of the most prosai'
and matter-of-fact description; but will
that opening of this locked door, al
this was changed, and different atmos