The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-04-30

| WA w.
with the gas turned down, and the
barges on the river creaking as they
do on a windy night, this is a sghostly
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, at the deep recesses OF each side
Of the fireplace.
"Waddon Croft may be older-I
can't say. But there's more than one
room wonderfully like this"
"And we may have a CHEST! How
highly respectabirfH
"But the goblin chamber" Nan
insisted. 81 want to hear about that.
What's the story"
ga murder, and a ghost, and a hid
den treasure-they are all in it,"
"Perfect!" Nan clapped her hands.
"Anddoes the ghost guard the hidden
treasure, or did the murderer carry it
Off" Maud put in, not quiteso gaiIy
as the others had been speaking.
"Tll get the details all correct for
you thenext time | 60 down. You see,
the point that interested me most
was where the ghost points out the
place of the hidden treasure. I'd like
jusSt such another ghost to come to
me. We could do with a bag OF gold,
could we not, old LADY," this to Bess.
I 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 youthinky you have one
here, Mrs. Lane?"
ooh no, i should say not"
let us try, mumsie!" Bess cried.
Clint took up al umbrella belonging
to one OF the girls. AMI using its handle
as a hammer, went KNOCKING by the
side of the old black mantSl.
what do you want to hear Nan
inquired. "The cEfnk of gold?" -,
Very much" he answered; "but
first, | want a hollow sound-there Is
only hard brick there. Let us try the
other sids." He moved from the left
to the right-hand side, pushing aside
a big cushioned easy-chsir, and stand
ing well in the deep recess. Then he
again began hammering. Hard, echo
less brick-lower on, the same. Then
a foot more inwards, brick still. Ahl
The sound changed. There was
wood, and an unmistakable hollow
sound.
"Mumsie!" was Bess' ejaculation,
and she clutched at her mothers arm.
Clint felt the wainscot with critical
fingertips. Again he tapped, and
again he felt on both sides OF the
chimney.
The two sides were not alike.
Most decidedly there vas a hollow
space on the right side.
Mrs. Lanes calmness was over
ruled altogether, and to rest as they
had done was no longer a possibility.
There was a hidden cupboard, and
in the cupboard was a paper packet.
On it was written in the smallest
writing:
81 hope Elizabeth will never SO re-
pair the Shore House as to find this.
A stranger would repair; she won't.
But / cannot forget Jane. Shall /
think more Of dead woman than OF
a living friend? No. The past COM
pels me-compels me, a d~rivelling do
tard now, to write the sealed paper;
but / say again l pray that Elizabeth
Lane may never find this. II shedoes
she must unseal the Enclosed.
JOHN SALE"
at is to give the Shore House to
that Jane Lucasl'' Nan cried. "Who.
was she? Was old Sale her lover?"
Mrs. Lanes calmness was broken.
How her hands trembled as she held
the dusty packet int.eml
The whole was In SO small a com
pass. The secret closet was barely
more than a foot square, the packet
was nothing more than a good-sized
ordinary blue business envelope with
pinched and cramped writing just
covering the side where ono would put
an address.
II cannot open this without seeing
gan to say doubtingly.
Nonsense, mumsie," Bess said in
her bright, practical way. Evidently
no one has anything to do with the
thing except you.
Jane Lucas, he says is dead" Nan
put in.
81 would open 1t" was Michael
Clint's advice. "We are all witnesses
if anything comes out of It,
How little could he dream ofthere
outcomel
Mrs. Lane was overruled.
A large sheet OF letter-paper was
folded within the envelope, and the
whole that was written upon it was
this, and the samecontracted, pinched
writing as was that on the envelope:
Jane Lucas, of Steveney, Bucks,
married one John Mills, ~organist-
cur"-thew word was underlined. "Jane
Mills had children, became a widow,
and died. in Dublin. in 1841.n