Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-12-23
The Haunted Chamber.
BY "THE DUCHESS"
Author Of Monica" "HonG Scatlly,"
'.PhuLJiS,'' etc. etc.

fe9Cttc, olC'f CCt'
He speaks bitterly. Tt seems to him
that she is indeed cold not to have
CUES led before this the intensity of his
love for her. However much she may
have given her affection to another, it
still seems to him ineXpressibly hard
that she can have no pity for his suffer
Ing. He gazes at her intently. Do the
mystic mOonbeamS deceive him, or are
there tears in her great dark eyes? His
heart beats quickly. Once again he re-
| members her emotion of the past even
ing. He hears again her passionate
sobs. Is she unhappy? Are there
thorns in her path that are difficult to
remover.
Florence, once again / entreat you
to conide in me-" he says, after a
pause.
Il can not" she returns, sadly but
firmly. "But there is one thing | must
say to you-think of me as you may for
saying i'll am not cold as you seemed
| to imply a moment since; / am not
made of stone; and, alas, the grief you
| think me incapable of understanding
is mine already You have Wronged
| me in your thoughts. / have here" she
explains with some vehemence, laying
| the hand in which she still holds the
dropping lily upon her breast, what
| NOUlu NC u6dlU.
Nay" says Adrian hastily; you for
get. 1t is no longer yours, you have
given it away"
For an instant she chances at him
keenly, while her breath comes and
goes with painful quickness.
"You have no right to say So" she
murmurs at last.
mo, of course not; / beg your par
don," he says apologetically. 1T is
your own secret"
There is no secret" she declares
nervously. None"
Il have offended you. [ should not
have said that. You will forgive mew
he entreats, with agitation.
you are quite forgiven" and, as a
| token leans little further out of the
window, and looks down at him with
face pale indeed, but full of an unutter-
able sweetness.
Her beauty conquers all his resolu-
lions.
"Oh, Florence" he whispers in an
impassioned tone, eff I only dared tell
you what"
She starts and lays finger on her
lips, as though to enforce silence.
."Hush!" she says, in trembling &C
cents. "You forgetl The hour, the
surroundings, have momentarily led
you astray. [ ought not to have spo-
ken with you Go! There is nothing
you dare to tell me-there is nothing I
would wish to hear. Remember your
duty to another-and- goodnight
"Stay, L implore you, for one mo-
ment," he cries; but she is firm, and
presently the curtains are drawn close
and he is alone.
! Slowly he walks back toward the
smOking-r00m, her last words ringing
!, 1o l,,+T 70
| another" What other? He is puzzled,
but, reaching the window Of the room,
he dismisses these thoughts from his
mind, and determines to get rid of his
guests without delay, SO as to be able
to enjoy little quiet and calm for re-
Election.
They are all noisily discussing q sui
| eide that has recently taken place in a
neighbOring county, and which had
| from it's peculiar circumstances, caused
/ more than usual interest.
One of the guests tonight is an army
| surgeon, and he is giving them an eX-
| PLANTATION as to how the fatal wound
had been inflicted. 1t appeared at the
inquest that the unfortunate man he'd
shot himself in a peculiar manner as to
cause considerable doubt as to whether
he had been murdered or had died by
his own hand. Evidence, however, of
a most convincing nature had con-
frmed the latter theory.
Captain RingWood, with revolver
ID his hand, is endeavoring to show
that the man could not have shot him
self, just as Adrian re-enters.
BE careful with that revolver" he
exclaims hastily; 1T is loaded"
"All right, old fellow, I know it," re-
turns RingWood Look here, doctor,
how could he make a wound here?"
why not? Sir Adrian, take the re-
yolver for moment, will you?" says
the surgeon, anxious to demonstrate his
theory beyond the possibility of doubt.
L want to convince Ringwood. Now
stand so, and hold the weapon so"-
placing it with the muzzle presented in
a rather awkward position almost over
his heart.
Il thought fellows always put the
muzZleS Of their revOlverS in their
mouths and blew their brains OutWhen
they committed suicide" Ringwoodre-
marks lightly.
"This fellow evidently did not" says
the surgeon calmly. "Now, Sir Adrian,
you see, by holding it thus, you could
quite easily blow yourself to"
Before he can finish the sentence,
there is a sudden confusion of bodies,
a jostling as it were, for Arthur Dyne-
| court, who had been looking on aCten-
| lively with one foot on foOtsto0l close
to Sir Adrian's elbow, had slipped from
the stool at this opporture moment,
and had fallen heavily against his
cousin.
There is a shout from somebody, and
then a silence. The revolver in the
scuffle had gone off! Through the
house the sharp crack of bullet rings
loudly, rousing many from their slum-
bers.
Lights can be seen in the passages;
terrified faces peep out from half-open-
! ed doors. Dora Talbot, coming into
the corridor in a pale pink cashmere
| dressing gown trimmed with swans
Gown, in which she looks the very per-
sonifcation of innocence and youth,
screams loudly and demands hysteri-
cally to be informed as to the cause Of
| HE unusual noise.
The servants have rushed from their
(! quarters in alarm. Ethel Villiers, with
a pale scared face, runs to Florence
| Delmaine's room, and throws her arms
round that young lady as she comes
out, pale but composed, to ask in
| tlear tone what has happened.
| AS nObo6v RnauC and EIo1nr1