The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-12-11
THE MYSTERIOUS HOUSE.
[eoNrlNuEp FROM rIRsr rAaE.1


in which you were disturbed last night p
I conducted him thither, the Joiner fol
lowing; and after he had ascertained where
to use his own expression, had first seen
the "party," and where and how the party
had disappeared, he at once intimated his
plans. He said / was to retire to my room
as usual, seat myself in my chair by the
fire as on the previous evening, and either
sleep or appear to sleep, as was most agree
able to myself. Beyond the window stood
a large wardrobe, in which, after the house
was all quiet, he and the joiner would con-
ceal themselves; the blacksmith and the
gardener being set as guard upon the
door of the housekeeper's room below. The
village constable, he had arranged, would
keep watch on the outside of the house,
but so as not to be readily discovered.
The duties of the household, in the alb
sence of my servants, fell somewhat heavily
on the ayah and myself; and the time passed
quickly for me as I hustled about, seeing
the children put to bed; after which the
ayah also retired. During all this time,
everything had been carried on in our Gus
tomary way. Mr. Burrowes and the rest
of his helpers betook themselves for the
time to distant apartment up stairs, and
the house had resounded all the evening
with the mingled sounds of laughter and
noise inseparable from a large family of
children such as ours. But now all was
silent; the men had slipped quietly to their
different posts; Mr.. Burrowes and the joiner
were, l knew, in the wardrobe at the other
end of my bedroom; and was seated in my
lounging chair, as on the previous evening.
As I sat in this position thinking, l
could not help observingto myself how near
we were all making ourselves ridiculous.
The old woman whom l had suspected, was
out of the house; no one else but the ordi
nary members of the household and the
watchers, could possibly be in it; and here
was I, sitting at my bedroom fire, making
believe to sleep, with two men concealed in
the wardrobe, all hoping to catch-we did
not know what. The humor of my situa-
ton so strongly affected me at one time,
that could scarcely refrain from bursting
into laughter. But the thought of MIR.
Burrowes having put himself to SO much
trouble on my account, combined with a
remembrance of what 1 had experienced
during the past twenty-four hours, grad
ually sobered my feelings, and shortly
found my thoughts floating away in dim
remembrance to my life in India; to my
distant husband; to our long separation; to
the terrible nights and days of that fearful
Mutiny, whose horrors still rose up before
me; to-
There was a thud on the floor, and l
started. I had been asleep, and in my
slumber had knocked book off the small
table at my elbow. The fire was burning
low, and rose in a confused state to trim
it, when my eyes fell upon what l had seen
on the previous evening. In the imperfect
light, it seemed taller and more CHASTITY
looking than before, and was approaching
me from behind. As my eyes fell upon it,
1 gave loud shrek, and caught hold of
the chair to support me. As LdidsQ, [
saw the figure gradually recede from me,
and tho room seemed to grow suddenly
darker. am certain that, left to myself,
should at that moment have tainted right
away, for the whole thing had been so sud
den, and found me so unprepared, that In
my confusion l forgot all about the bust
ness of the night. But just as the white
figure seemed to be approaching the cur
tanned windows, I saw two dark figures dash
quickly upon it from behind, then sharp
and violent struggle, in which all three
rolled on the floor, as if locked together in
a deadly embrace. The white figure had
managed to wrench one arm loose, and in
another moment there was the sharp click
of pistol. Thanks to our forethoqght.
the weapon was harmless. By this time
the noise of the struggle that was going on
had brought the blacksmith and Andrew
up to my apartment; and with their help,
the white figure was in few seconds man.
acled and led forward to the light, his white
garment-an old surpliee-hanging in tat
tiers about him. He was at once known to
the majority of the company-it was the
steward He turned his back on me with
a stihed oath.
, Leaving him, now helpless, with his
hands fast behind his back, in charge of
the blacksmith, Mr. Burrowes led the
way to the housekeeper's rooms below, the
door of which was found to be locked. 1t
was at once burst open, and taking candle
with us, we entered. The outer room was
in the same condition as l had seen it dur
ing the day, but the inner room showed
the bed drawn forward, and the paneling
of the recess which we had discovered
standing open. Nobody was there. TAX
ing the candle forward, to examine the re-
cess, Mr.. Burrowes found that the box had
movable bottom, in addition to that which
we had discovered, and that by its removal
an opening sufficient for one person at a
time led down trap-stair into the cellars
below. Mr.. Burrowes and the joiner at
once descended, taking the light with them,
the rest of us waiting as directed in the
outer apartment, or watching the lobbies
that led to it. In few minutes | heard
sudden footsteps in my bedroom, and rush
ing thither found that Mr.. Burrowes and
the joiner had reached it from the cellars,
into which the trap door led, the whole of