The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-04-30

plenty Had she really done wrong
BY fixing herself in the Shore HOUSE!
Would thegirls really have had brisht.
er chances, II she had carried them to
q mole fashionable locality Her sis.
ter Mary was wise-worldly-wise. And
she looked round on the spacious,
dear old room. How the old furni.
ture looked just the thing in IL, how
the very shabbiness Of the deep Grim
son draparies looked venerable and
respectable in such q spacious dignity
Of o room! No, she could not have
been wrong.
So she unused, comforting and wor.
rying her soul by turns.
Then the girls came in, and very
soon Michael Clint came too, and
there was no more dreaming over
good or i'll, but in its place glad, hope
full planning.
Clint had been from the Saturday
to the Monday down at his godfa.
theirs, in Northanptonshire. This
was only Monday evening, and he was
full of all he had seen and done. He
had a bright way with him; he could
tell n story well, and he could make
amusing pictures out of very small
suggestions.
One thing we have to pick out of all
OF his telling, because it fits into what
we are trying to give as the story Of
the Shore House.
"A very goblin chamber!" he had
said.
"Why a goblin chamber? Did you
see anything" Nan asked.
NO; but l heard"
"Oh!"
"Rats-nothing more. Do Iseem to
you the sort of man who would be-
lieve in ghosts?" and he drew up his
tall figure, making the most OF his
broad chest, and taking a step or two
across the hearthrug.
'Do presume to know the hidden
beliefs of-ot-your inner self" laughed
Nan.
"Nobly expressed. my dear!"
oo Don't sguabi'ble. you two" Bess
goblin chamber. Was it like this?
with the gas turned down, and the
barges on the river creaking as they
do on q windy night, this is asghostly
as you please"
"Hum! 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, ut the deep recesses of each side
of the fireplace.
NvVoI1on Nroft ,>,o,, l>o o1do.
can't say. But there's more than one
room wonderfully like this"
"And we may have CHEST! How
highly respectable"
"But the goblin chamber!!" Nan
insisted: 81 want to hear about that.
What's the story?"
"A murder, and q ghost, and a hid.
den treasure-thcy are all in i'll"
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.
"I'll get the details all correct for
you the next time l 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 a 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?"
ooh no, ! should say not"
''Let us try, inumsie!" Bess cried.
Clint took up an umbrella belonging
to one Of the girls. and using its handle
as q hammer, went knocking by the
side Of the old black mantel.
inquired. "fhe clink of gold?"
Every MUCH" he answered; "but
first, want hollow sound-there i.
only hard brick there. Let us try tn,
other sids." He moved from the left
to the right-hand side, pushing asid,
q big cushioned easy-chair, and stand
ing well in the deep recess. Then h,
again began hammering. Hard, echo
less brick-lower on, the same. Ther
a foot more inwards, brick still. All
The sound changed. There wa.
wood, and an unmistakable hollow
sound.
"Mumsie!" was Bess' ejaculation
and she clutched at her mothers arm
Clint felt the wainscot with critica
fingertips. Again he tapped, ant
again he felt on both sides of tn,
chimney.
The two sides were not alike
Most decidedly there was q hollow
space on the right side.
Mrs. Lanes calmness was over
ruled altogether, and to rest as they
had done was no longer n possibility
There was u hidden cupboard, ant
in the cupboard was q paper packet
On it was written in the smallest
writing:
~ hope Elizabeth will never so re
pair the Shore House as to find this
A stranger would repair; she won't
But l cannot forget Jane. Shall
think more ola dead woman than O
g living friend? No. The past com
pels me-compels ME, q dwelling do
tard now, to write the sealed paper
but l say again pray that Elizabeth
Lane may never find this. If she doe.
she must unseal the Enclosed.
JOHN SALE"
"It is to give the Shore House t.
that Jane Lucas!" Nan cried. "Wht
was she? Was old Sale her lover?"
Mrs. Lanes calmness was broken
How her hands trembled us she hell
the dusty packet in them!
The whole was in so small a com
pass. The secret closet was bareI,
more than foot square, the packe
was nothing more than u good-sizet
ordinary blue business envelope will
pinched and cramped writing jus
covering the side where one would pu
an address.
II cannot open this without seein
Mr.. Goldingham first" Mrs. Lane be
gan to say doubtingly.
Nonsense, mumsie," Bess said il
her bright, practical way. Evidentl.
no one has anything to do with tn
thing except you.
"Jane Lucas, lie says is dead" Nal
put in.
II would open it," was Michae
Clint's advice. ave are all witnesses
if anything comes out of it."
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