Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-12-27

portraits Sir George had pointed out to me
But, happening at that moment to turn m.
. head, / saw a thin stream of light shining
through a chink in the door. reached 1t a
bound, and, catching up a lamp some on
had left burning on the stairs, returned q
my room to find every thing as usual. toll
=, Sir George and we thoroughly explored tn
deserted wing Of the Towers, but could fint
no room in the least resembling the one o
my vision.''
AS / concluded, page-boy brought ii
coffee, and when l had drunk mine the cur
ious feeling of constraint under which hat
been speaking passed OF, and l said quit
cheerfully: There, Mr.. Pallatti. l have
made clean breast Of it, and now. what d.
you prescribe'"
"a dog" said Mr.. Pallatti.
"What! to eat?" laughed.
''No, to sleep with. There is no cure but
death for the wonderful giftof second sight
and it is gift, if too much used, full OF
danger to brain and nerves But proven
ton is better than cure; so buy little dog
and let him lie at the foot Of your bed, and
you will not be troubled by visions again,
even ifyour light does go out"
We parted with mutual promises to meet
soon, but was ordered away on duty, and
it was six months before / saw him again.
l had just returned to London and was
intending to look him up, when received a
letter from Sir George .Gillingham, begging
me to go at once to the Towers on a matter
OF the deepest Importance. | lost not a
minute in obeying the summons. and, full
of anxiety and misgiving that something
was very wrong, arrived at the Towers as
the dressing gong for dinner was sounding.
Sir George met me as / drove under the
great portico. He looked so worn and
harrassed that could not help whispering
| "Good Heavens Sir George, what is 1T!
Has that question to the title-deeds cropped
up again, after all!'
| Yes, it has, with vengeance" said Sir
| George, but go dress now, and meet us in
the dining-room. There are no ladies-only
Pallatti, who says he has met you before"
l entered the dining-room with the soup,
and shook hands cordially with Pallatti. He
| and were in ordinary evening dress, but
Sir George was arrayed as for some great
state function. He wore black knee breeches
and silk stockings and great diamond buck
les in his shoes, the broad ribbon of the
Bath crossed his white waistcoat, and he
wore half dozen orders as well. He had
brought his chef down with him, and we sat
down to dinner fit for the gods. The wine
hc gave Us was SCdTCcIy ever DTOuSuG OuI
except when some royal prince accepted
| the hospitality of the Towers for a night,
and was almost priceless. 1 knew it and
Mr.. Pallatti soon found it out, and our eyes
twinkled. Sir George saw it and was glad.
He drank to each of US in the old-fashioned
way and said: Il am making a little feast
tonight, my young friends, for reasons of
my own. 1t is the old story, let US eat drink
and be merry, for to-morrow-well, to-mor-
row Wen do the same, let US hope" he said.
turning it off with laugh.
Mr.. Pallatti was certainly well worth a
good dinner. Without seeming to monopo-
lie the conversation, he always had some
thing original to say upon every topic that
was started, and his fun and wit were so
keen and spontaneous that our solemn little
dinner party became quite a rollicking al
fair. Amongst the subjects we discussed
was the last new trick of the last new CON-
iurer, which was pulling all London and
giving learned judges and doctors and par
sons sleepless nights in the endeavor to fiud
it out.
"Why, don'tyou know how that is donei"
said Mr. Pallatti, and he proceeded to solve
the riddle in dozen words.
''Most extraordinary! exclaimed Sir
George. do you mean to say you found it
out yourselfr
Eyes" returned Pallatti; ''the very first
time 1 went There never has been and
never will be trick of any kind that am
unable to unravel l suppose it is kind of
gift, but l have never made any use of it
except sometimes to have little fun" And
he gave me peculiar look out of his black
eyes.
Exposing all rascally fortune-telling and
rapping and table turning and such knaver-
les, suppose 1 observed, composedly.
quite So" replied Pallatti, dryly.
"And now, gentlemen" said Sir George
as the last bottle of claret was emptied, and
we were ashamed even to look as if we
should like some more, ''if you please we
will take our coffee in the dining-room, as
there are no ladies there" and he rose from
the table and walked toward the door, AS
we followed Pallatti whispered in my ear:
"Mr. Heughton, 1 should like to be modern
Clarence and be drowned in hundred
dozen Of that claret!'
To my surprise Sir George led the way to
the great state drawing-room and as we
entered perfect blaze of splendor was be-
fore US. The huge saloon. with its frescoed
ceilings and profuse gliding, was lighted up
by hundreds of wax candles in great chande-
Tiers, in sconces, brackets, and lusters: the
walls were entirely covered by full-length
portraits of old Gillinghams; over each
portrait powerful lamp and reflector threw
so strong light that every gallant knight
and gentle dame seemed to have come ITO
life and be gazing at the black-coated
intruders into their gay assembly. Two
enormous fires were burning, one at each
end of the room, and before one of these
Sir George stood and motioned us to be
seated. He looked so grand and so stately,
and the brilliance of the scene was so over
towering, that Pallatti and listened for his
words with kind of awe.
Gentlemen, am not going to detain you
for any length of time by telling you over
again the history which you have both heard
already from my lips. But on this particu-
lar night wish to recapitulate some of the
main facts.
''In the year 1745 my great-grandfather.
Sir Hugo Gillingham, after being MANY
years widower, married a young and beau
tiful girl and brought her to the Towers.
There are his portrait and hers,n pointing
to them, Ego up to them and inspect them
closely-learn them by heart Who knows
what may come of your doing sol" he said, |
almost fiercely.
THE girl was faithless to him-faithless |
from the very day she was wed, and her |
lover was her own husbands vagabond, |
worthless cousin, the son of man who had |
squandered his birthright and willingly |
parted with all the great estates of Gilling- |
ham to his younger brother and his heirs |
forever. There is the mans portrait in that |
corner; study his face and figure as closely, |
both Of you. The year 1745 brought ruin |
and misery on many a noble house, and Sir |
Hugo did his best to involve himself in the |