Telegram-herald., 1888-07-29

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ele4r Lhe eaAsE II u bsf9rs xzyzal2< . sd
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Tas gropQs.rlaa ga "a o3d GO. - szy %
less q Il. III IA Szals sssnasd ~o~tA
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els nsaas syes 1ere i g. eac6Ee =.
Wat AS b. etsEe1 as 60 % Irselss4s te
49, & l1sr 1asisclasd nl11ssir ~ did not easoss
O. .-l re. e-t { c9Ess.-a E1yssL ~1I1 tAs re-
Eelfioa Eh-< .zapcsrlFss - .ns SOFT De- SIS
pe-ted wers. a. = raLe * TIE etlzasiess, and.
% maze l0ag story short. I zeospsed tie
Cesi4rs GA las osEn esn1lt4cas. y i VIE, ~h9
49, tesd 2oralag q a.squiet her, zha ~to
naturally. therefore. vs. Overcome - TIE
generosity which ~ss Icing sh0~1 - a.
coEnr 1niel NJ aa Dsekerra4na over tns
house and Waz charmed ~Itb IL. slra TIE
81 10 ia vhieh be proposed dong u up. even
zlJh the old furniture slowed sway IN tie
aru-s, AMI Wh.rh as 10 supplement o1r
own. ana il vas finally arranged ~e were 70
take possession e. Lady DAY
IL as Dor, however. untn close upon
Christmas aeek. Nhich us were going 70
spend as usual. ~ith my wlfss father d0wn
Ia Sussex anything mQre wzs sad OF tbs
private UNDERSTANDING between my new Land
lord and myself. Lad been trying 70 over
come Mays scFuples about remaining Be
hind Nth the children. after Ma compelled
% return u tbe once, and a. there was an
nuslly the same lit1le discussion between Is,
nv unsel6sh httls woman generally get
ting the better Of IL, l was not SUP
prised u dad that our shre~d old
trend had reckoned upon this. and was
prepared Nth = suggestion IN his own inter
est. Ms Thurnell might, be said, make her
self quite happy about me and 10 him q Ia
vor AZ the salns time by allowing me TO be-
come bis guest for tue few evenings should
otherwise have % spend by myself The
longer change could not but be beneficial 20
her and 20 the children, and Why should she
not have iti Besides, II was necessary for the
carrying cut Of what he called our innocent
conspiracy against her that some such ar
rangemant should De made To Mary it
seemed only further proof Of his kindness
ard consideration, and the invitation, the
curious circumstance Of which were known
only 10 him and 20 me, was accepted accord
ingly II was not, however, until had dined
for the rrst time, tete-a -tete, with Mr. Van
Deckermann, was made aware Of what was
expected OF me, and shall | confess that the
know ledge did detrsct somewhat from my
enjoyment OF the hest glass OF Madeira had
ever Been privileged 10 tastel
The proposition my host had 10 make 10
NE was simply this: In ell respects but one
Was 70 be as my wife had been led 20 sup
pose his guest in his owR house; that is 70
say. l was 70 breakfast with him before
| went cityward in the morning, and
20 return 70 Woodlands 10 dine and spend
the evening. but my sleeping quarters were
10 be at the Cedsrsl / should thus be in
position TO satisfy myself as 20 the fitness OF
the house for the accommodation OF my fam
ily, and the absurdity Of the reports which
had been circulated respecting it. We both
knew the folly and creduhty in which such
stories originated, but we knew too the ras-
cality which not unfrequently took advan-
tage Of such weakness 10 answer its own pur-
pose. and il would be well 20 ascertain that
there had been no such agency at work in
the present instance, or il there had, TO dis
cover IL.
II Do not say that have reason TO distrust
either old Ninchin or his wife" added Mr..
Van Deckermann, 'but my loss has been their
gain all these years, and human nature is
weak The old woman was shaking in her
: shoes the day | took your wife over the
house. and she would not have been behind
hand in putting a spoke in the wheel, had
the opportunity been given her, on the bare
suspicion of the real facts of the case. II
I there has been any roguery at work, it is for
/ you, in Your own interest as well as in mine,
/ 20 get 10 the bottom of it. You are not TO be
scared by the fear Of the Observation-Disclosures
bugbear Of the ignorant and the superstitious
for YOU do not believe in it, and viii see
that you have the means of turning the Ia
bles upon any clumsy impostor who may try
his hand at frightening youn
The words were CHEEKY and confident
! enough, but there was a certain eagerness in
the utterance of them, and the old mans
keen eyes had curious shiftiness of expires
sion | had never remarked in them before,
as be thus addressed me. l could not help
thinking he was trying to convince himself,
as well me, Of the force OF what he was
saying. That the whole thing appeared to
him less commonplace than be wished 10
make it out, felt as certain as that myself
was not, really and truly, going 70 the in
vestigation OF it in the proper daredevil
spirit. I did not believe in ghosts or ghost
lore, that maintain; but if l had ever hat
much Of the spirit of adventure in me The
monotony Of a business life had knocked il
out OF me, and had come 10 regard gooc
( nights rest as one Of the best things in life
StiH the stake was well worth the playing
for, and did ray best to look pleasant over il
One thing did ask my host. What wa.
the story attached 70 the house, and wha
form did the spparition take
Re tapped his snuffbox and shook hi
[ head
No. no." he said. IL am not going 70 pu'
( things into your head How can | answer
FOR the state OF your digestion, or your prob
able immunity from nightmare, as it is
/ You know too much--that is too say, yoI
would know too much, supposing YOU were 9
man Of weak nerves OF vivid imagination
already. II could have kept YOU in uttel
ignorance the test would have been surel
one. but that / could not, and I have 70 re
quire of you, on your honor, that you neithel
seek nor accept at the hands Of any one ID.
information withhold from you. You vii
not seek-of that am satisfed-what wish
you distinctly 70 promise me is that you vii
refuse TO lend an ear 70 any one who may try
% enlighten y0u-the woman Minchin, fol
example
gave him my word that would respec1
his wishes. and an hour or - later found mi
in possession Of the room which had beer
assigned me at the Gears Nr. Van Decker
/ mann had not himself faced the cutting COLI
7 Ct TIE moonlIt December night, but the olS
couple we're on the lookout for nv appear
ance. and things had been made more com
Portable than / expected. Soxle Of the Oh
furniture. Of which my host Rad spoken wheI
he first entered upon the subject Of the house
had been brought down from the gsrrets
and disposed IA what would appear {.
hara t.,eu - nrf5iral quarters Viii.
bright Ere burned frost y IN th'
Old fashioned CRATE. I observed, with
certain remorseful appreciation ~ a thought