The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-12-29

portraits Sir George had pointed out to me.
but, happening at that moment to turn my
| head, 1 saw thin stream of light shining
| through chink in tho door. reached IL at
| a Ocund and, catching up a lamp some one
I had left burning on the stairs, returned 10
| my room to find every thing as usual. told
Sir George and we thoroughly explored tho
deserted wing of the Towers, but could find
no room In the least resembling tho one OF
my vision"
As | concluded. page-boy brought in
coffee, and when had drunk mine the cur
| ious feeling OF constraint under which had
| been speaking passed off, and l said quite
| oheerfully: There, Mr.. Pallatti. l have
made clean breast of II, and now. what do
you prescriber"
IA dog" said Mr.. Pallatti.
"What' to eatp laughed.
mo, to sleep with. There is no cure but
| death for the wonderful giftof second sight,
and it is a gift if too much used, full of
danger to brain and nerves. But prcven-
tion is better than cure; so buy little dog
| and let him lie at the foot of your bed, and
you viii not be troubled by visions again,
even if your 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.
had just returned to London, and was
| intending to look him up, when received n
| letter from Sir George Gillinghum, begging
| me to go at once to the Towers on 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 Us drove under the
great portico He looked so worn and
harrassed that 1 could not help whispering
"Good Heavens, Sir George, what is it!
Has that question to the title-deeds cropped
up again, after all"
"Yes, it has, with vengeance" said Sir
George. shut go dress now, and meet us in
the dining room. There arc 10 ladies-only
Pallatti who says he has met you before"
entered the dining room with the soup,
and shook hands cordially with Pallatti. He
an6 were in ordinary evening dress, but
Sir George was arrayed as for some great
state function. He wore black knce-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 chet down with him, and we sat
down to dinner fit for the gods. The wine
he gave us was scarcely ever brought out
except when some royal prince accepted
the hospitality of the Towers for night,
and was almost priceless. / know it and
Mr.. Pallatti soon found it out, and our eyes
twinkled Sir George saw il and was glad
He drank to each of us in the old fashioned
way and said 81 am making little feast
tonight, my young friends, for reasons OF
my own. II is the old story, lot US eat drink
and be merry, for rto-morrow-well to-mor-
row we'll do the same, let US hope" he said,
turning it of with laugh.
Mr. Pallatti was certainly well worth
good dinner Without seeming to monopo-
lize 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 at
fair. Amongst the subjects we discussed
was the last new trick of the last new con-
iurer, which was puzzling all London and
giving learned judges aud doctors and par
SONS sieepless nights in the endeavor to find
II out
seWhy, don't you know how that is doner
said Mr. Pallatti, and he proceeded TO solve
the riddle in a dozen words.
sMost extraordinary exclaimed Sir
George 'Do you mean TO say you found 1t
out yourselfF'
"Yes," returned Pallatti; "the very first
time | went. There never has been and
never will be trick OF any kind that am
unable 10 unravel. suppose 1t Is kind OF
gift, but l have never made any use of IL
except sometimes to have a little fun" And
he gave me peculiar look out of his black
eyes.
Exposing all rascally fortune-telling and
rspping and table turning and such knaver-
les, suppose" observed. composedly.
I'll nzl H.
"And now, gentlemen" said Sir George
as the last bottle of claret was emptied, and
we were ashamed even to look as IL we
should like some more ''if you please we
will take our coffee in the dining-room, rs
there are no ladies there" and he rose from
the table aud walked toward the door. AS
we followed Pallatti whispered in my ear:
''Mr. Houghton. should like to be modern
Clarence and be drowned in a 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 hugo saloon, with its frescoed
ceilings and profuso gliding, was lighted up
by hundreds of wax candles in great chande-
liers, In sconces, brackets, and lusters; the
walls were entirely covered by full-length
portraits of old Gillinghams; over each
portrait a powerful lamp and reflector threw
SO strong a light that every gallant knight
and gentle dame seemed to have come to
life aud be gazing at the black coated
intruders iuto their gay assembly. Two
enormous fires were burning. one at each
end of tho 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
powering. 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-
Tar night wish TO recapituiate some Of the
main facts.
''In the year 1745 my great-grandfather,
| Sir Hugo Gillingham, after being many
years a widower, married 9 young and beau-
| tiful girl and brought her to the Towers.
| There are his portrait and hers" pointing
10 them; 'go up to them and inspect them
closely y--learn them by heart Who knows
what may come of your doing SOL" he said,
| almost fiercely.
.sThe girl was faithess 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
sauandered 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 l745 brought ruin
| aud misery on many noble house, and Sir
| Hugo did his best TO involve himself In the
samo fate. Gentlemen, 1t Is fact that the