The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-01-30

Ipscture-tAa sRogting, terrified hoEse, with distended nostxils and wide staring eyes, disappearing in the black dimness of the Gulf gave a stamp of horror to it which tho small headed Roman soldier would have failed to impart. Beneath this picture stood an ancient oak dover chest: the hall hricked-up doorway vas consequently entirely hidden trem view, and PAtience's mistake as 10 the condg- uity of her own room to the corridor could be easily understood.
 "if were you, doctor" Frank began.
 But the doctor turned sharply round the corner of the corridor, and cut his speech short by throwing open the door of his room,
 A bright fire in big, well.surniShed chamber was before them.
 Good night" said the doctor ;"" hope you'll sleep right otf like a top till morning" He ghted the candles abou, the room as he spoke, evidently afraid of losing a single moment oi hts precious hours of study.
 "l wish" said Frank, you'd produce from that dispensary ot yours down stairs a good, strong sleeping draught. I'm sure sha'nt get wink of sleep tonight, 1 darent open book the last thing Il, bewllders my head just now"
 The doctor laughed heartily.
 My dear fellow, you're as sleepy as a man can be; can sec it in your face, ] never give sleeping draughts have a rooted antpathv to them. Just pull ofi your boots, and turn in as quickly as possible. I'll undertake you'll be in the land of nod before I've had time to turn up my lamp and get to work. Good night"
 Frank kicked of his boots, seated him. self on the edge of bis bed facing the fire and began to soliloqui1e somewhat in this fashion:
 "fve seen Q few eccentricities in my time, but l don't think I've ever come upon one SO far gone as this old doctor. It's difficult to make him out; he seems all corners, and as hard as Iron, should say, when once he takes thing into his head. Wha, a life that girl will lead with him one way or the other l should say she'd marry the first man who came along, fl only to get out ofthis dead and alive hole. And ye. she's not ex- actly the girl to be had for the asking There are giris and girls. This one has kuG lluk Ot kuG huG uuCtdA lu hCh. Us a downright piece of cruelty to keep her shut up here in this dismal owls nest with it's echoes and half bricked-up cham Der. Why, that haunted room mus, join hers. It's enough to to give her bad dreams every night of her life. Let me see; her room is just the other side of this corridor, isn't 1t t2-and then comes the ghost-room. No; the ghost-room comes first, the fourth window from here no, the fifth window. remember count ing them from the botanic garden the third window from one end of the front age, the fifth from the other. Nov, which way did begin counting From my lief, hand, l suppose. But rom which corner was 1t third and which fifth Confound 1t Is my head gerting queer again, or is it, as the doctor said, that l am getting horribly sleepy2"
 Patience sat in her own room. her feet on the fender, watching her fire burn itself out. She had taken of her dress, donned red dressing gown over her blue pe.ucoat, let down her long black hair, and taken up her three-volume novel. It was lively modern story of fashionable lie, with thrilling situations of sentimental kind. But somehow It received but a scanty attention, the girl $ own undercurrent of thought hindering her eyes from feeding her brain. She had heard the doctor and Frank waking up the echoes of the old house on their way to Franks room.
 Dear me how did Uncle Richard manage to get rid of him so soon 2'' she wondered He must have told him right out. suppose, that he wanted to be alone. What an extraordinary thing to do! Nov, il had the chance of an hour or so with a man like Mir. Chartesis. l don't think l should have been in hurry to light the bedroom candies. Men d. ways have the best of everything in life If they like person they may sit up half the night talking to him while girls get sent up stairs to their rooms, and may think themselves lucky if they have a nice book to read when they get there"
 Here her novel slipped of her knee on to the rug at her feet
 Nov fl Uncle Richard and could have changed places tonight, 1 should have said to Mir. Charteris Eve lot Of splendid ciRzrs--' no, 1 don't think 1 talk with great puffs of smoke coming in my IdCc. suouiu nave SAiu. LSts bt ana talk till morning. I'm sure smoking is not good for you, you look so white , And he does look white and i'll, poor fel. low! l wonde, fl his mother and sisters look after him and fuss over him as they ought. Perhaps Uocle Richard will ask him to stay on here for change. But this isn't exactly the place to get strong and well in either-it's 90 big, and cold, and empty What an extraordinary idea of Uncie Richards te come and live here away from all the rest of the world. 1 wonder If there are any other two people in England who Lead the remarkable life we do here
 From herself and Uncle Richard her thoughts wandered naturally enough to that other two who had once, nov some two hundred years back, made their home within the same four walls.