The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1888-11-16
A LONG SLUMBER.

which afforded a subject of gossip; and tn
died out, revived and died out again, accort
ing to circumstances. We had wealth-fe
were richer than the ~Trelawneys. All AZ
mitted that we were just and even generor
in our dealings with others; but we had n
intimate friends, and kept apart from GU
~neighbors. We neither made visits nor n
ceived visitors. No invited guest ever crosse
our threshold, and those who came on bus
ness were courteously bowed out when thei
business was concluded. A meal in til
kitchen, and sometimes a trifle of money
was given to a mendicant; but, the mea
eaten, and the money taken, the recipien
was u~nceremonious]y turned out. Our serv
ants had been with us from their childhood
they served us we'll and faithfully; they re
ceived good wages; their duties were light
they had kind treatment; their children wer,
born and reared upon the place; when super
animated, their wages went on until they
died: but they formed no attachment to us
nor We to them. We used our fortune liber
ally for public purposes, but grew richer
every year, for we never lived up to half oul
income, and with every generation the Ire
lawney property increased in extent, while
It shared the general appreciation Of value.
The T~rclawneys were longed lived, few
dying young But there were few of them
born. For six generations, with one excep.
ton, but one child followed each marriage,
and that was always a son. The exception
was with my neutrality-suspicious., who
had a brother, two years younger than him
self, named John. His birth was set down in
the family record as occurring in 1772, but
what struck me as singular was the absence
Of any mention of the year of his death. He
seemed to have disappeared, and died proba-
bly, in some place and at some time unknown.
For some reason or other, a large amount of
personal property, supposed to have been his,
was held in trust by my great-grandfather,
and that trust had been renewed regularly
from father to son. l once asked my father
about this missing grcat-granduncle. A
deeper gloom than usual overcast his face at
my question. "You will know all about it
some day" was his reply; and then he went
on to speak of something else.
Certainly both my father and grandfather
wore n troubled and gloomy look on their
faces. They were a prey to settled melan-
choly. never saw them smile. Every one
noted their careworn expression; but none
knew why.
There was a mystery. Next to the library,
in the northern wing, was a large chamber,
as laid down in the architects plan Of a cent
ury before. Its shutters were always kept
closed, and a light was seen there all night
long. In the rest of the house gas had been.
introduced from a small generator on the
premises. This solitary lamp was filled and
trimmed by my father or grandfather, oil
being kept in the library for the purpose. No
one but they was allowed to enter the cham
her, which was kept locked, and each carried
a key. And three times a day, no matter
whether they had breakfasted, dined or sup
ped, or not, there was q slight rejection, not
enough for more than one, brought to the
library. It was either milk or bouillon-
something liquid. They partook of it in
secret, the library door being locked until
the repast ended. And another remarkable
fact was observed, my father and grand
father never went abroad together. If one
went out, the other remained at home, as
though to guard the secret of the chamber.
Concerning this mystery there was much
discussion among the servants. It was a
theme of never ending interest. But, as
either boy or man, when I happened among
them it was not touched, and I only inferred
their talk by the fact that when I appeared
the conversation was hushed. It was more
talked about after my mothers death. The
idea somehow got abroad that the chamber
was q storehouse Of treasure. This led to
the visit Of burglars. But my grandfather,
who always slept in the library, having a
cabinet bedstead there, shot one Of the burg
lars, and the other escaped. After that there
were no attempts Of the kind.
So I grew UP, often wondering about, but
never knowing, the secrets of the closed
room. Unlike the rest, l went abroad a
deal, and, ON my return from the university,
Travelled in this country and Europe, in
which mode of amusing myself I was en-
couraged. I had an ample allowance of
money, owned a fast horse, kept a yacht, and
some other things not quite SO innocent, until
I exhausted the resources OF a mild dissipa-
ton. Suddenly my grandfather died, and l
was called home.
found my father looking moro gloomy
than ever. Between him and my grandfather
there had always existed an intimacy more
like that of brothers than that between
father and son. He asked me into the library
as soon as I came, locked the door and babe
me be seated. Then he said:
"Your grandfather's death makes it neces-
gary to impart to YOU CHASTITY secret, which,
through %precaution, should be kept by two.
You have looked over our family recordY 1
nodded. "You remember, then, there is no
account of the death of YOU g~reat7grand-
uncle John, who mysteriously disappeared
eighty years since. The reason is that be
never died at all. He still lives, if his condi-
ton may be considered life"
He arose, and, taking a key from his
pocket, opened the door of the great room
and entered, bidding me follow. The cham
her was long and lofty. The floor, which had
once been waxed and polished, had evidently
been neglected, and bore on it neither carpet
nor rug. There were a half dozen of heavy,
old fashioned chairs, an old fashioned table
ornamented with marquetry and a heavily
curtained bedstead. My father threw aside
the bed curtains and pointed to a form upon
the bed.
At first I thought it was the wax figure of
o very old man, but a second glance showed
me that it breathed. The eyes were closed,
the face wrinkled and pallid. It seemed less
like one asleep than as a man whose anima-
ton was nearly suspended. The features, in
spite of the deep wrinkles, and the fact that
the lower part of the face was hidden by
long white beard, were those of the Trelaw-
neys-all of whom had marked and peculiar
faces. I supposed that I looked inquiry, for
my father replied to my thoughts, though I
had said nothing.
"This has been the secret curse of the
family for eighty years, and will continue
until that poor old frame wears out. Come
back to the library and I will tell you ALL"
With the evidence before me, and the fact
it was told by my father, whose truth
fulness no on could doubt, I was forced to
credit the story. Thus it was.
Guy and John had been very much attached
10 each other, and when Guy married John
till remained in the house. They were CO.
heirs, but that mattered little; they practi-
ally had but one purse. The fatality at
ending the family came. My great grand
mother died, leaving my grandfather, a boy
# 2 years. My great grandfather did not
marry again, though time soon softened his
,rief. One day, when he had begun to re-
GIVE company, his guest was a French gen.
leman, a NJ. Delille. After dinner the guest
happened to mention that he was a pupil of
y. Mesmer and was well versed in his system.
good natured skepticism being evinced
to the power Of producing hypnotic sleep,
70 offered to experiment. On his host, and did
o successfully. Then he proposed to try it
N John, who assented. He was equally
uccessful there. He put a number of ques-
to John while in the mesmeric state,
which were answered, to his brothers great
lelight. The windows were open, as the day
vas warm. They were what were called at
he time French windows, opening to the
on q narrow balcony with a low railing.
)ne OF the nsw seemed so comical that
he Frenchman fell into a fit of laughter, SO
iolent that he lost his balance and fell back
Hard out Of the window and over the balcony
0 the ground, the chamber being in the Sec