The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-07-31

as you can. Every outer door in this great
house is always locked; these people run
no risks of intrusion now. To this door l
have key, unknown TO them, which have
sometimes used.
He inserted it in the lock, turned it soft
~. and held the door slightly aiar. My
first glimpse into this abode of mystery,
perhaps of crime, showed narrow stair
way just beyond the door, and faint, dull
glimmer OF light beyond it.
Now attend, sir, to the directions,
whispered Staples. as he grasped my hand
and wrung II hard "Get TO the top of
these stairs-follow narrow hall about ten
PAGES, and you come 10 "a large passage
way. Turn TO the right, follow along the
right hand side to Abe third door-that is
Master Whalleys chamber. Do you I'M
derstand2"
could not fail to understand; in that
moment of preternatural excitement all my
senses were sharpened. / whispered back
the directions, word for word.
That's well, sir. I'll leave the door a
little, just little, open, and wait awhile
here"
| was inside the house Softly, noise
lessly, l tiptoed ny the stairs; softly, noise
lessly, | walked along the narrow hall To
the wide passage-way beyond. Here |
paused moment to reconnoiter. Some
what beyond where | stood, To my right,
hung large lamp from the ceiling, its
light half obscured. | crossed the width
of the large hall, and, dim as was the light.
/ counted three doors on the right hand
side. Before the third door | plainly saw
a female figure, seated i'll q chair-the SEN
tinel outside the chamber of sorrow and
mystery. Crouched in the shadows for
M | watched nay
sibly some slight noise that | had made,
alarmed her. She rose and walked toward
me, standing for an instant so near that |
could have reached out and touched her. A
thin shawl was drawn tightly over her
shoulders, and her long, bony fingers were
clasped over it on her breast Her hair
was gray; her face was punched and
wrinkled; her eyes-I never saw but one
such pair before, and they were the eyes of
Clayton Ferrers. | could not doubt that
she was his mother. An instants pause
seemed to satisfy her that there was no
cause for alarm, and she moved back TO her
post
/ could not hesitate; every fiber of my
body was still strung for action. Rapidly
| walked along the hall and stood before
her. She saw me, and uttered loud cry,
at the same time planting herself right be-
fore the door. Her face looked scared, but
it was hard and resolute.
Stand aside" l said. sternly. She put
out her hands to repel me. | am not
ashamed to say that | forcibly thrust her
aside and abruptly opened the door.
A low groan was the first sound that Sa-
luted my ears, then deep, passionate
curse. l closed the door and advanced
into the room. Near the wall opposite was
the bed; a table stood near it, on which was
L l.. II Al -1,~1o 1
by the table was Clayton Ferers; leaning
over the footboard was DR.. Beaumont The
faces of both were turned toward me; and
never, though my years should reach those
of Methuselah, can l forget the mingled
expression of CONSERVATION, terror, and
rage that appeared upon both of those sim
lister faces.
For the moment needed them not: the
| occupant of the bed engrossed my atten-
! ton. | went strnight to the bedside and
| my heart quickened with compassion at the
pitiful spectacle exhibited there. 1t was an
old man, with thin, white hair, his thin face
drawn and pinched with agony. his eyes
staring and his arms tossing outside the
| bed covering. Moan after moan came from
| his lips; he was too far gone for speech.
| Indeed, he was too far gone to see or to
know who was near him, or to make known
his wants by words or signs; but it needed
not the eye of physician to discover what
was the torment that was vexing his dying
moments torment that was Dives.
when he lifted up his eyes in hell, and saw
| Lazarus afar off in Abrahams bosom.
| l turned to the monster who hung over
the footboard, apparently counting the few
remaining moments of the sufferers life.
My wrath waxed hot; could not contain it.
"Merciful Cod" l cried. Are you a
man, or a fend, to stand here and see a
fellow creature suffer such agony, without
an effort TO relieve him? Get him water
| for the love of heaven!"
To BE CONTINUED.