Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-08-08


I cried, with laugh; II shall be able to
investigate a genuine case of ghost seeing
for myself It is not often man has that
privilege"
"And very seldom that he has it under
such exceptional circumstances.
turned with q sudden start; for it was
BrankSome who had spoken. He had
Joined us unperceiyed rs we stood chatting
in the gallery at the head of the great STAIR
case. He shook hands with me in friendly
fashion, and then, continuing his speech,
said; "You will not only sleep IN the
haunted room tO-nigIt-that Is II you are
not afraid-but in one which, L am told,
nobody has ventured 10 sleep IN for more
than a century"
so much the better. ought 10 nave q
story TO tell tomorrow.
YES" said Daisy, I'VE shall think very
poorly of your imagination If You cannot
make our nerves tinglc at breakfast time
with the horrors YOU have TO relate. "
And may | see the torture chamber:
asked, resolved to keep up the jest.
.'Oh, certainlyr' said Mauleverer. Even
his usually equable temperament, which
WIS perverded ut most times by MID
melancholy, seemed to have caught the
spirit of the Joke. But, with his accus-
TONED kindness, he added, Perhaps you
NAV not like the room when you have seen
il, | don't know that it is altogether kind
to ask YOU To sleep in tit may be damp,
OF diSagreeable in other ways, you Know;
SO if YOU would prefer another
But, my dear Mr.. Maulcverer, there Is
no other room in the house which shall
prefer to this. / shall like it, am sure,
above all things"
And having said this, started off with
the rest of the merry little party to look at
NV destined dOrmitOry. The room, l dis
covered. did not lie on the same h0Or as
the drawing room, on which most OF the
sleeping chambers were to he found. We
pasSed along n corridor from which num-
her of bed rooms opened, until We came to
a heavy Oaken door, black with age which
barred one end of the passage. On open
inc this we found ourselves on 4 landing IN
another StairCaSC-wOrm-caten ana silent,
which descended into black depths below
us. and wound its way above our heads Tor
several flights. Up this staircase we went,
still yavly. 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 disadvantages
besides the presence of suppoSititiouS
ghost began to enter my mind.
'You will be quiet enough here ut any
rate" said BrankSOme. Unless the ghost
comes to trouble you, there will be nothing
to disturb you in your sleep
And suppose shall ut least hear the
ghost-in the shape Of rats.
Rats cried Daisy. Il don't think
they have mounted rs high rs this, but in
the kitchens they are to be found in legionS
and armies. Every house has its special
drawback. 1t is not the ghost that Is the
drawback here-it is the rats.
You will need TO summon the Pied Pr
per to your aid, | said.
Better try Strychnine" was Branks )me' ;
commentary ON my jOcular remark.
But we had reached 4 broad landing ut
the top of the lonely flight OF stairs. |
could see that we we're in one OF the more
remote wings OF the house; for the win
dows which gave us light looSed down up
ON the Sullen river.
Here we are, said the doctor, who now
took the lead, probably because MaulcN-
crcr was brcathlcSS after his climb
We entered small antcrOom, the walls
of which were panelcd. There was Il
quaint old fireplace in one corner Of the
apartment. and the uullionrd window
gave comparatively little light. The room
had been newly furnished i'll tn" French
fashion, with heavy chairs, gildcd mirrors
girandOlc$. Il beautiful OrmOlu writing ta-
ulc. richly carved bookcase and all the
accessories of delightful little salon such
as Il bachelor might rejoice To own.
\ curtain of velvet hung over the door
way which led from this antcchambCr into
the sleeping room. There was nothing
ghoStly here. 1t was large, bright, airy
apartment, with big window command
ing Il matches prospect along the valley.
Like the sitting room, 1t was furnished IN
the French fashion, and all the appoint
mentS were SumptuOaS. 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.
Il think You will agree with me, Mr..
Fentun." saiu BrankSOme. that 4 man has
no reason 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 II is rather curious, by
the WAY, that these should be the original
hSngingS of the room. All the tapestry
downstairs has been bought in Paris with
l., This old ln.:t her
is genuine. 1t must have covered these
walls for Il couple of hundred years ut
least
We all turned TO admire the hangingS.
The gliding had nearly disappeared from
the surface of the leather hut the designs
embossed upon it were still plainly to be
seen. They were elaborate and beautiful.
Nothing. | felt. could do better than the
rooms allotted to ne, and yet, even then,
| confessed in my innermOst heart that |
hardly liked the way to them.
It..was five o'clock. and when, our in
Spection OF the noble old house being finish
ed. we went down to the great hall, we
found tea waiting us.
Had You 4 pleagant Journey 1t was
BrankSome who put the question to me.
| cOlOred. To tell the truth, | had for
gotten all about my journey and my strange
adventure in the excitement of my arrival
ut Great LOrtOn and JOY of DaiSy'S pres
ence. Now it all came back to me, how
ever. | heSitated in visible confusion,
painfully conscious of the fact that Drank
some was regarding me steadily.
1T WAS not 80 pleasant rs it might have
been. | said at last. II had disagree
able 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 wrap
per of some kind around her shoulders, and
led the way barehcaded. | followed her,
delighted N the thought that at last
should see her for . few moments alone; for
Mauleverer and Branks0mc remained be-
hind.
The flower garden was ut the end OF the
broad walk which passed along the front
OF the hall. We entered it through 4 door
I'm an old stone wall. ItSeemed TO ne that
everything at Great I.9rton WAS cut up
BY walls or barred by doors. | had seen
nothing like it before. But within the
garden. which was spacious and well laid
out, there We're no signs OF restricted liber