The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-08-27


US unperceived as we stood chattering in the
gallery at the head of the great staircase
He shook hands with me in friendly fash
ion, and then, continuing his speech, said;
you will not only sleep In the haunted
room tonight-that is, il you are not afraid
but in one which, / am told, nobody has
venturei to sleep in for more than a GEN.
| tury.n
$50 much the better. / ought to have
story to tell tomorrow.
yes" said Daisy, 1--WE shall think very
poorly OF your imagination IL you cannot
make our nerves tingle at breakfast time
with the horrors you have TO relate"
And may 1 SEQ the torture cnamper!" 1
asked, resolved TO keep up the jest
"Oh, ce,tainlyi" said Mauleverer Even
his usually equable temperament, which was
pervadei at most times by mild melan-
| choly, seemed to have caught the spirit Of
the joke. But, with his accustomed kind
ne's, he added, "Perhaps You may not like the
room when you have seen it, don't know
that 1t is altogether kind to ask you to sleep
in tit may be damp, or disagreeable in
other ways, you know; so If you would
prefer another"
"But, my dear Mr. Maueverer there is
no other room in the house which l shall
L
above all things"
And having said this, started Off with
the rest of the merry littls rarty 20 look at
my destined dormitory. The room. discov-
cred. did not lie on the same IL OF n, the
drawing room, on which most of the sleeping
chambers were to be found. We passed along
a corridor from which number of bedrooms
opened. until we came to a heavy oaken door,
back with age, which barred one end Of the
passage On opening this we found our
selves on a landing in another staircase
worm-eaten and silent, which descent ID into
black depths below us, and wound its way
above our heads for several flights. Up this
staircase we went still gayly. More than
once we found an oaken door like that by
which we had come upon the stair, but in
every case the door.was heavily barred and
padlocked Some faint perception Of the fact
that the haunted chamber had other dis adj
vantages besides the presence of n suppositi-
tious ghost began to enter my mind.
"You will be quiet enough here, mt any
rate" said Branksome "Unless tho ghost
comes to trouble you. there will bn nothing
to disturb your sleep"
"And 1 suppose l shall at least bear the
ghost-in the shape of rats"
"Rats!" cried Daisy. II don't think they
have mounted as high as this, but in the
kitchens they are to be found in legions and
armies Every house has its special draw
back 1t is not the ghost that is tue draw
back here-it is the rats"
"You will need to summon the Ped Piper
to your aid" 1 said
"Better try strychnne!" was Branksome's
commentary on my jocular remark.
But we had reached broad landing at the
top of the lonely flight of stairs / could see
that we were in one of the more remote
wings of the house; for the windows which
gave us light looked down upon the sullen
river
"Herc we are" said the doctor. who now
took the lead, probably because Mauleverer
was breathless after his climb.
We entered small anteroom the walls of
which were panele1. There was a quaint
old fireplace in one corner of the apartment,
and the mullioned window gave compare
lively little light. Tbs room had been
newly furnished in the French fas hion, with
heavy chairs, gilded mirrors and girandoles,
q beautiful ormolu writing table, n richly
carved bookcase and all the accessories of a
delightful little salon such as bachelor
might rejo:ce to own.
A curtain of velvet hung over the door
way which led from this antechamber into
the sleeping room. There was nothing
ghostly here. 1t was large, bright, airy
apartment, with big window commanding
a matchless prospect along the valley Like
the sitting room, it was furnished in the
French fashion, and all the appointments
were sumptuous. The only feature of the
room that seemed to suggest the idea of age
was the embossed leather which, hanging
heavily from the ceiling, covered all the
walls.
81 think you will agree with me, Mr.. Fen
ton," said Branksome, "that n man has no
occasion to complain OF his quarters here
This is by far the finest room in the house,
to my thinking. Just look at the view from
the window. It is rather curious, by the
way. that these should be the original
hangings of the room. All the tapestry
downstairs has been bought in Paris within
the last two months; but this old leather is
genuine. 1t must have covered these walls
for couple of hundred years at least"
We all turned to admire the hangings
The gliding had nearly disappeared from
the surface of tho leather, but the designs
embossed upon it were still plainly to be
seen. They were elaborate and beautiful.
Nothing, I felt, could be better than the
rooms allotted to me; and yet, even then, /
confessed in my innermost heart that /
hardly liked the way to them.
II was five o'clock, and when, our inspec-
ton of the noble old house being finished
we went down to the great hall, we found
tea awaiting u.s.
"Had you a pleasant journey" 1t was
Branksome who put the question to me-
co,ored To tell the truth, had for
gotten all about the journey and my strange
adventure in the excitement of my arrival
at Great Lorton and joy OF Daisy's pres
ence. Now it all came back 10 me, how
ever. l hesitated in visible confusion, pain
fully conscious of tho fact that Branksome
was regarding me steadily.
at was not so pleasant as it might have
been" l said at last II had disagreeable
companion for part of the way"
AT that moment, to my great relief Daisy
proposed that she should show me her
flower garden while there was still light
by which to see it. She hastily !
threw wrapper of some kind around
her shoulders, and led the way bare
headed. 1 followed her, delighted ut the
thought that at last l should see her for |
few moments alone; for Mauleverer and !
Branksome remained behind.
The flower garden was at the end of the |