The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-08-25

! the reign of Henry VII and was fregmenS
Of some ecclesiastical edifics which had been
sacked and confiscated at the Reformation
The most modern part was that In front Of
which now Stood and which had bean
erected in the reign Of James L
There was something very striking both In
the appearance and the situation Of the
house. It stood, as have said, close TO ths
village street; and yet the double gates, and
the great walled quadrangle, to say nothing
of the tall elm trees, seemed To shut it on
completely from the outer world. The river
ran so close 70 its northern walls that there
was hardly room TO pass between the house
and the edge Of the stream. Here, on tne
south side where had met my host and MS
niece, the broad walk on which we stood was
the only level piece of ground Immediately
beyond 1t the park land rose steeply toward
| the sky line.
/ A house at once beautiful and romantic,
thought. and unmistakably a house with
history 1 could imagine that in the dark
| DAYS of winter it wore gEostly aspect, as
| It rose amid the skeleton branches OF the
elms from the edge Of the sluggish stream
| that swept past its walls But to-day 1t had
| a pleasant appearance enough for the sun
/ was shining upon is richly timed oricN-
! work. and upon the mullionel windows en-
riched with numherless heraldic devices in
! stained glass
| @Do you admire the hcuseF said Daisy,
with smile that had something in II Of the
| pride of ownership.
AIndeed | do,S l responded @Bn: IS not
! the situation, so close to the village on one
| hand and to the river on the river rather
| peculiarl"
| II thought so myself, at first" interpOsed
Mauleverer, "but I find that we are az COM
/ pletely secluded here as It no village at all
| existed; and az to the river, you Know there
! Is no house so dry as one that stands on the
| banks Of a stream But come Daisy, we
| must not keep Mr. Fenton standing here.
| Let US show him something more than the
| outside of the house
We entered, through quaint stone porch,
a large hall. with immense open fireplace.
/ low paneled roof Of carved oak, and col
umns Of the same wood supporting the cell
ing. There were doors leading from this
hall in almost every direction. The apart
| ment itself was furnished in a style which
! corresponded with the architecture. There
| were heavily carved Jacobean chairs and
| tables, lounge or two, some magnificent
/ black oak cabinets, and an antique clock
which would have created a furore If It
could have been seen at Christy's An i'm
I ucIS9 ebdlICdsct up WA4CA AZ WONAA A1fS
been an easy matter to drive the traditional
coach and -four. led from the hall to the
/ drawing room floor The walls of the stair
case were hung with splendid tapestry.
/ From the gallery to which the stairs gave
| access was conducted by my host into the
drawing room, an apartment which corre-
sponded in size with the great hall below
/ At either end Of it were smaller rooms, one
/ fitted as q boudoir and the other as IL
/ brary; while beyond these again were suites
/ of spacious bed rooms, many with rudely
/ carved walls of paneled oak, and others
hung like the staircase with venerable tapes
try.
! could not refrain from giving audible
expression TO the admiration with which I
/ saw the noble dimensions Of all the aparf
| ments and the fine taste with which they
| were furnished.
"Yes" said Meuleverer, @it all does
redt to the PEOPLE who have made a ram
/ hackle old house habitable In a wonder
J ully short space of time When I saw il
hree months ago, nobody would have sup
| ,osed that it could ever again be made ht
live in. Yet we find it comfortable enough
now--do we not. Daisyl"
/ "Oh, it is n charming place. she an
swered "But you know, uncle, have
! already told ybu that ror some things-such
as brightness and life and society," pre-
feIred the Grand hotel at Scarborough"
| "Yes, my dear, I know you are always
throwing Scarborough in my teeth Never
mind; we shall see it again some day.
| had tried 10 catch Daisy's eye while her
uncle was sres.king, but she would not look
at me-
"You have something here, at any rate
| said, "wbich you can't get at the Grand
hotel"
"What is thilt9" asked Mauleverer.
"A haunted room-Miss Stancliffe told ms
Of it. suppose you have not seen the ghost
| YETI
"You do nc believe in such nOnsenses"
said the millionaire.
"If did I sllould not like to acknowledge
| it in the present day." I replied.
"Nobody has seen it yet" said Daisy with
an air of mock solemnity; Sbut we ali believe
In it-all but rby uncle and DIR. Branksome
And do you kIl low that, if you are not afraid,
you are to slBsp in the haunted chamberE
II is the best bedroom in the whole house
Afraid hould have been q poor crea-
ture, indeed II. in the presence Of the girl ]
/ loved, and as stood In the full sunshine.
/ which was streaming through the painted
windows from the cheerful day outside, 1
had for an instant admitted the thought of
fear to my hedrt
-Oh, nothing could be better than that
cried, with laugh: II shalt be able to in
vCstigate genuine case Of ghost seeing for
myself IL is not often a man has that priv
ilege"
"Aud very seldom that he has it under
such exceptional circumstances
turned with a sudden start; for it was
Branksome who had spoken. He had Joined
us unperceived as we stood chattering in the
gallery at the head of the great staircase
He shook hancs with me in a friendly fash
lon, and then, continuing his speech, said;
/ You viii NOT only sleep in the haunted
room to night that Is, II you are not afraid
but in one which, | am told, nobody has
Ee1atlirad 70 sleer IN for nsora thaa ee=s-
tury"
$50 much he better. l ought to have a
story to tell TO morrow"
yes said Daisy. I'VE shall think very
poorly OF your imagination il you cannot
make our ner YES tingle at breakfast tims
with the horrors you have to relate
"And may see the torture chsmberS"
asked, resolved to keep up the jest
"Oh, ce tahllyi" said Mauleverer Even
his usually eplable temperament, which was
pervaded at most times by mild melan-
choly, seemed to have caught the spirit Of
the joke. But, with his accustomed kind.
ness no added, Perhaps you may not like the
room when you have seen it. don't know
that it is altogether kind to ask you to sleep
in tit may be damp or disagreeabIe In
other ways, You know; so II you would
prefer anothel'-n
~But, my dear Mr., Mauleverer there Il
no other room in the house which / shall
prefer to this | shall like it. I am sure.
above all things
And having said this, startei of with
the rest Of tie merry little party 20 look at
my destined dprmitory. The room discov-
cred, did not lie on the same floor ts the
drawing room, on which most OF the sleepfug
chambers were to be found. We passed along
corridor from which a number OF bedrooms
opened, until Re came to q heavy oaIen door.
black with age, which barred one end Of ths
passage On opening this we found our
selves on landing in another staircase
worm-eaten and silent, which descsnled into
olack depths below US and wound it, way
ABOVE our heads for several flights Up this
staircase we went still gayly. More than
once we found an oaken door like tha BY
which we had come upon the stair. but in
every case tho door was heavily barred and
padlocked Some faint perception of the fact
that the haunted chamber had other di nd.
vantages besides the presence OF a suppositi-
ttous ghost began to enter my mind
You win be quiet enough hers. AZ any
SAID Branksone @Unless the ghost
':.rs to trouble you, there will be nothing
= disturb your sleep
And l suppose ! shall at least hear the
-4Na -