Saint Mary's beacon., 1886-09-02

heep!nR' ioiIo"IuB IL Dy SOME renee
tions upon dreams.
At last, however, he was awakened
not by a ghost but by a rap on his
door. His aunt was dying-a ser
want had come for him. When he
reached her room she was insensible.
She never spoke to him again. He
could not mourn her loss, for she was
almost a stranger to him, but showed
every mark of respect possible to her
memory. The funeral was largely
attended rather from curiosity than
any other feeling. for Miss Haywood
had entertained no one, and visited
no one in the neighborhood and in
due course of time the will was read.
1t left everything to Arthur Hey
wood, only son of her deceased broth
er, Selim Haywood, and with but
one proviso The garret should
remain "a it was, fastened by bolt
bolt and lock and bar-never To be
opened on any pretext whatever. i
DO not choose TO say why, wrote the
testator. Unless my nephew will
agree to this, he cannot inherit. |
shall leave a codicil to be read, in
case he refuses, directing the DISPOSE
ton to be made OF the house.
But Arthur had no hesitation in
agreeing to this whim of his dead
aunt, who, doubtless, had consigned
to the garret some treasures Of her
youth which she did not wish to de-
stroy. And he took possession OF the
estate and soon married and brought
home wife.
Years brought them family. and
still the garret remained closed. A
garret is loss to housekeeper but
whenever Mrs. Haywood made this
remark, her husband would reply
that the estate would be a greater
one.
Who will ever know? she would
urge. Who cares ?
a codicil which | have never seen
remains Arthur would reply. Who
knows what might happen 2
And SO his Fatima did no more than
peep through the keyhole Of this Blue
boards chamber.
The mystery was greater, however,
to the children ard when the eldest
boy was ten years old it had occurred
to him that nothing could be so de-
lightful as to peep into that gar:et,
in which might be hidden all sorts of
wonderful treasures. And so one day,
by means OF ladder some fruit pick
ers had left Gear the house, he gained
the roof and reached the dormer win
dow. Perched on the sill, he peeped
in but at that moment the ladder
slipped. He remained on the win
dow ledge, screaming for help, and
the fruit pickers, hearing him, ran to
his 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 bale the child
remain where he was until he came,
AMI rushed up the staircase followed
10y all the household The door was
soon broken in, the window opened,
the yhild rescued. And then the wo-
man, who until now had forgotten all
hnt her boys danger, took a breath
and looked ahont her.
TIL" garret was bare place, hung
with old garments and smelling hide
onsly. In one dark corner lay what
looked lik" bed. Upon it, what .
To approach, to gaze, and to rush
wildly from the room was the work of
moment.
1t was skeleton dressed in gray
gown, and with cap upon its head,
still covered with long black hair,
that lay there.
Arthur Heywood was absent from
home at the time. When he returned
he found the long sealed garrett door
opened, heard his wife's story amidst
her sobs OF terror, and proceeded to
the spot. There he stood, transtixed
with horror and astonishment. The
skeleton upon the bed wore the gray
dress, the white cap, and had the
straight black hail of the woman who
had appeared to him thrice in vis-
ion. demanding the execution OF his
aunt Maud Haywood.
Whatever this meant, the discov-
cry had been public one, and so
must the explanation be. Arthur sent
for the proper authorities, and also
TOR the lawyer in whose possession
was codicil OF the. will whSsk had
given Arthur nossasSiop ~ tba o,.o.,