The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-07-13
THE SECRET.

/ HE DEUEL..
f'But how Is it that you know more than
! the rest OF the worldE'
"'I was there when it happened" Miss
/ Artois quietly replied, "but 70 this day
| they have not the slightest suspicion that
/ Miss Artois IS an acquaintance"
Belle Hampton opened her eye wider
! than ever.
| s'What on earth do you mean, Blarche2'
| she exclaimed.
.sOnly that was there as parlor-maid," ;"
| Miss Artois COOL y responded, her naughty
| eye sweeping the magnificent width Of
| the handsome conservatory through
| which they were sauntering.
las parlor-maidr' echoed Belle, upset.
/ ting n rare exotic as she hastily turned 20
| look at her companion
"A parlor-maid! What would mamma
say?"
At this a little ripple Of laughter parted
| Miss Artois' handsomely curved lips.
| But the next moment she said grav. y:
| ''You need not tell her. am IN the
! confessional to you alone, re- ----- 5e-,"
! and then she commenced abruptly.
"WLen the world said I was rust eating
among the Yorkshire hills I was playing
/ paror-maid at Red Moor. Wherefo-e7
] That is my secret.
| The three old ladies at Red Moor re-
| minded me more Of three little sprites
/ than aught else. When properly disguise ed,
| aproned and capped / was presented for
! their approval. But, fortunately for me,
! their keen, bright eyes rested favorably
upon me, and with my good star thus ia
! the ascendant entered upon the some
/ what prouiscuous duties assigned me.
| Il had not been in the house three
! weeks before discovered that it concealed
| q mystery.
"The discovery was made in this way.
| One night, after restlessly tossing for
! hours with an aching face, 1 rose, intend
/ ing to go down to the library fire.
| q softly crossed the upper hall, always
| kept dimly lighted, and was about pro
ceeding downward, when the weird sight
of old Mrs. Vassar (the eldest of my three
mistresses) suddenly arrested me-
! ''Instinctively paused and Eazed. She
was standing with her back toward me in
| a dark, narrow angle Of the building, at
the extreme end of the hall, her splendid
waves of snowy hair floating in wild dis.
| order over her blood-red dressing gown
! sweeping far behind her. But the spell
| binding me was broken by what aT-eared
to be her sudden disappearance through
/ the solid wall
q sStranger exclaimed under my
I BEEdLA- At SEL ants iDitA l-AI NA-tAA pa
of Red Moor was fearfulIy haunted, and
! consequently, had been walled up and
| rendered wholly inaccessible.
! ''Of course I was curious; but returned
TO my bed and fell asleep.
a month later / was passingalong one
| of the many narrow winding corridors in
| which the house abounded, when at 4
| sudden turning, l came upon the old gray
| headed butler, bending under the weight
| of a large tray filled to Overlooking With
( all the lUxuries OF the season
| " Jasperr I iuvoIuntariiy exclaimed,
| where in the world are You taking that
! repast2 Everybody in the house has been
! served
"Silent and motionless he stood gazing
| at me in blank dismay. The next instant
there was a soft rustic OF silk and tine old
| housekeeper's voice rang sharp and stern
from the other end Of the corridor:
jasper, attend To your business
| Myra, come EereH adding still more
| steruly, as I obediently approached, and
| do you attend TO yours, girl. What brings
| you here at this hourP
"She listened 10 my explanation and
then sharply dismissed me.
1.-Two days after as Bradley and sip
ped our tea together, we were startled to
our feet by the sudden clanking of heavy
! chains in the adjoining room, and the next
instant the door iiew violently open, and
an old man of herculean proportions
dashed IN upon Us, his trailing chains,
| wild, bloodshot eyes and disordered ap-
parel proclaiming too plainly the fright
ful truth.
Not here, eitherr he shrieked, stamp
ing his foot in foamingrage, as his glauce
rested upon rs. Not here. Not here"
Bradley, apparently parilyzed with
horror, looked aPpealingly at me, and
said:
Your mistressesl Save theml Runr
81 got TO the drawinG-room door when
the creature seized me by the shoulders
and sent me whirlinG to the floor. was
on my feet in an instant, but Ills Wild eye
had caught sight OF poor A3rs. Nassar,
who, with her sisters, had started upuud
stood gazing at him ia petTiGed horror.
The next instant he caught a-l, WITH q
fierce shout Of triumph and d-!isi- IL hiz
| arms.
''Swift as lightning be DO. her ont &c
the great winding staircase. You know
the rest. In a seconds tiuIe she lay dead
below, and he, in leaning over t. balus-
ter to gloat over his tr8rful work, lost bis
balance, and before the hurryiug servants
could reach their poor mistress hG lay,
with broken neck, upon the staiys.
''He was Albert Nassar her husband
but pride kept, and still keeps, the Red
Moor secret we'll TO this day tho world
thinks the maniac was q Wdudere- from
some asylum"