The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-06-30


visited no one in the neighborhood; and in
due course of time the will was read. Il
left everything to Arthur Haywood, only
son of her deceased brother, Selim Haywood,
and with but one proyiso The garnet
should remain as it was, fastened by bolt
and lock and bar-never to be opened OF
any pretext whatever. " / do not choose tc
nay why" wrote the testator. Unless my
nephew will agree to this, be cannot inherit.
shall leave codicil to be read, in case
that he refuses. directing the disposition 10
be made of the house."
Bot Arthur had no hesitation in agreeing
70 this whim of his dead aunt, who, doubt
less, had consigned to the garnet some treas
ures of her youth which she did not wish to
destroy. And he took possession of the
estate, and soon married and brought home
wife.
Years brought them family, and still the
garnet remained closed. A garnet is great
loss to housekeeper; but whenever Mrs.
Haywood made this remark. her husband
would reply that " the estate would be
greater onen
"Who viii ever know ~ she would urge.
Who cares y''
"a codici. which have never seen
remains" Arthur would reply. Who
knows what might happsa?"
And 30 his Fatima did no more than peep
through the keyhole of this Bluebeard'k
chamber.
The mystery was greater, however, to the
,hildren and when the eldest boy was ten
years old it had occurred to him that not
ing could be SO delightful as to peep into
that garnet, in which might be hidden oil
sorts of wonderful treasures And so one
day, by means of ladder some fruit-picker
had left near the house, he gained the slop
ing roof, and reached the dormer window
Perched on the sill. he peeped in; but at
the moment lie ladder slipped. He remain
ID on the window LEDGE screaming for help,
and the fruit-pickers, hearing him, ran TO
bis assistance. However, though the child
had crept up the sloping roof, the men could
not reach him, and knowing nothing of the
taboo which forbade the opening Of the gar
ret door, one of them babe the child remain
where he was until he come, and rushed up
the staircase, followed by oil the house.
hold. The door was soon broken In, the
window opened, the child rescued. And
then the woman, who until now had forgot
ten all but her boys danger, took breath
and looked about her.
The garnet was bare place, hung with
old garments and smelling hideously. In
one dark corner lay what looked like o bed.
Upon 1t, whata To approach, to gaze, and
to rush wildly from the room was the work
of q moment.
II was skeleton dressed in a gray gown,
and with cap upon its head, still covered
With long black hair, that lay there.
Arthur Haywood was absent from home
It the time. When he returned he found
she long sealed garnet door opened, heard
his wife's story amidst her sobs Of terror,
and proceeded to the spot. There he stood,
transfixed with horror and establishment.
The skeleton upon the bed wore the gray
dress, the white cap, and had the straight
black hair Of the woman who had appeared
to him thrice in vision, demanding the
execution of his aunt, Maud Haywood.
Whatever this meant, the discovery had
been public one, and 80 must the explana-
ton be. Arthur sent for the proper authori
ties, and also for the lawyers in whose pos
session was codicil Of the will which had
given Arthur possession Of the estate. This
eodicil had been enveloped and sealed by
Miss Maud, who alone knew the contents.
It contained these words:
This paper will only be opened if tho
garnet is opened also. In that case my secret
viii be known to those who are of my own
age, for there was much excitement when
Jane Jarvelle disappeared. She was we'll
known in the neighborhood, and but for let
.ers which wrote myself and exhibited TO
curious folk, the truth might have been
suspected at the time.
@ Jane came to live with me as house.
keeper when was but twenty, thirty years
ago. was betrothed to q man / adored.
My brother Rupert hated him. He placed
Jane Jaryelle In my house as spy. She
intercepted letters and worked in such
way that my engagement was broken OF
and my life embittered. My lover left me
with scorn, believing false tale, and mar
ried another. One day discovered Jane
Jarvelle's treachery. went in search of
her. found her in the garret. There we
had scene, and there murdered her.
stabbed her to the heart. She lived only
long enough to shrek
60 will haunt the house until you art
hung for this =
"She has done it. have seen her. But
I shall not be hung. The secret Is all my
own. / locked the garrett, dismissed my
servants in body, and gathered new ones
about me. told people that Jane had been
dismissed for dishonesty. / did not lie.
my brother, Rupert, cross-questioned
me, and made great search for Jane JAR
velle; the others were never good to me-
Ours was an unkindly race; but Selim,
though stern, was just man. To his only
son have left all. Let him pity me.
"Driven by desperation to an awful
crime, haunted by the ghost Of my victim,
never at rest, never at peace, pursued for
ever by dread of q horrible death on the
gallows, and assured of future punishment,
what has my life been? Again say--pity
me, and pray for me."-xary Kyle Dallas.