The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-07-27
,tt,rmatiye when she asked me il I rested

f. fnll of ruinous breaks. ssOh! yis, but
who's a goin' to dust this foinefurniture for
nothin', ma'am, but only to see the ex-
quoisite patherns?"
I did not reply to her negative question,
for I knew she was right, and could but
have said, ''no one" at best
svThere was taste here" said, looking
about me, and making note OF the refine
ment in detail languaged forth in the 1ault'
less appointment OF each stately-looK1ng'
but silent apartment
Sab yes; an the misthress had illigant
taste to be shure, ma'am, an the lolkes
o. her was not to be found in many days
rode"
After ascending two flights OF stairs we
came to Sir Rupert's apartments
s.Away off up here to be 'out o. the way ov
the rabble, he said," prefaced Clarkson as
she put her hand on the door-handle
This suite of rooms overlooked the park
and a once beautiful lawn. And caught
glimpses of an artificial lake in the distance
stretching its shining length beyond the
lawn and around the park like q silver
crescent
CAL ov these were perfectly illigant in
their delightful and palmy days." Peggy
said with a sigh, as she shook the dust from
the curtains and interpreted my far-aWay
gaze.
parted the crimson silk hangirgs as I
stood in the deep double window, with its
narrow panes catching the afternoon glow,
and looked long and silently away over the
deserted park, where the brown leaves
went scurrying hither and thither in the
autumn wind. Then my eyes rested once
more on the artificial lake, and sweet,
sad memory came back to me; the memory
of row on it's clear surface once, with
Lady Percival, in fairer days and the
brightness of that care-free and happy
hour came back like wave OF light, only
to render the desolate transformation Of the
present almost unbearable / shuddered
and glanced at CIarkson as I clutched the
silken folds Of fading crimson and turned
away.
cam do yes MONDE ov the illigant days
gone by, ma'a1n2' questioned she, divining
the cause Of my ill-concealed emotion.
eyes, Clarlson, { mind" / answered,
dropping the folds of the curtain, which
seemed to burn into my hand, and coming
down the dreary years to Sir Rupert's last
lonely days.
"Doubtless he stood here, gazing out, per-
haps, and breathing maledictions on this
'rabble' below: or did he unbosom his VEN
geance on the head of luckless guest5?"
said, iuquiringly, to Peggy, who had left
the window and had gone ever to a curious
ly-inlaid cabinet on the opposite side Of the
room
But she vouchsafed no reply, simply MAX
ing the sign of the cross and looking super
stitiously around the room. Then, as if to
avoid my gaze, she dropped her eyes to the
tesselated rug at her feet.
After spending the greater part of the
day on the upper floors, specializing and
dreaming in the long-silent rooms and
hollow-echoing corridors, we came to the
main staircase, leading down to the central
hall below We had gone upstairs from
the first floor by a sort Of winding stairs,
opening out of the cheery-looking breakfast
room. This room, the only really pleasant
apartment to my mind in she Hall, had its
share Of tragical m emories also, after all its
softened air.
But to return to the main staircase with
it's heavy shining balustrade of polished
oak, to which we had come. The moment
we set foot on the first step, in descending,
Clar kson made the sign of the cross, and,
turning to me, whispered half-audibly:
'rThis is the identical foight of stheps ths
master descended just afore he fell and
died a. strugglin' in the halll'
"Indeedp' I calculated, feeling as if I
were close on the promised mystery as
followed on down the <idintical t1oight."
Once in the spacious central hall, Peggy
moved tragically aside, and pointing to a
door at the left, continued in her stage
whisper to make further developments by
saying: cam shure, ma'am, the masthur
was trying to rache that same door when
he fell right here" pointing to particular
place on the mosaic work of the floor,
sam he died, puir man, 'thout liver KNOWN
ov any ov u.s."
She ended with deep sigh and most
doleful shake Of her white cap-ruffles; and
had my little stock of courage given out, she,
doubtless, would have frightened the life
out of me with her strange witch-like move.
ments and mysterious airs.
'Let me go in there,'' said, presently,
pointing to the door at the left which the
hands of the expiring SIR Rupert failed to
reach.
II hardly behave We know what ye are
askin' ov me- me Leddy. Faith, ma am, an
that's the dhrawin' -room, where the dead
masthur lay!''
'sNo matter" answered, calmly enough,
she isn't there now"
S'Oime not so shure ov it, ma'am; the
spirit ov i'm, ye know" She looked at me
moment and then con tlnued: s'Oime will
in to show you the dhrawing G. room, ma'am,
but it's getting to be tay-toime, an, at this
tonne ov day, We must reminder, it's
moighty gloomy in there.'
s:Well,'' said ], beginning to grow uneasy
myself, 'sto morrow will do as well''
eyes," she assented, seemingly much re-
ieved, IAN thin ye'd have to see the gal.
lery, too, ma am, with its foine. paintings,
shure; every wan sees the gallery Ama am"
This settled it, and we soon passed from
the deep shadows Of the central hall out
through an open court, and back once more
into the cozy servants quarters. Here we
found old Ancil Clarkson sitting by the fire
with mug Of beer for company, and wait
ing for the prospective :s'tay" Peggy had in
view
The next day Clarkson took large brass
key from a ring in the wall, and unlocking
the fateful drawing-room door, babe me
enter.
It was spacious apartment, elegantly
furnished. The high-backed, carved chairs
and deep sofas stood in formal stiffness on
either side the room, blending their dark
outlines with the somber shade of The
stained oak wainscoting. The two deep
windows heavily curtained with rich dam
ask hangings depending from their ancient