The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-10-26

ana locking the door, departed. wnen
he returned it was to find her dead She
had taken her life with her own little
dagger"
"ohr gasped Grace; "and what
then?"
"Then? Why he went insane. of
course, although people didn't suspect it
for some time, and, being an artist,
painted her picture, which now hangs
on the wall of the haunted room."
"Oh, do show it to mei' exclaimed
Grace, springing up; and Lena took the
light and led the way to the unhappy
brides apartment.
We never use it; it hasn't been slept
In for years. said Lena, opening the
door, ''it is furnished just as it was when
the tragedy occurred. They call her the
Lady Of Black Hall"
Grace shivered as she entered the great
cold chamber and glanced at the massive
mahogany bedstead, with its damask cur
tains, brought over from England years
and years ago. Everything was cheer
less, grand and time worn.
"This is the picture, said Lena, hold
ing the candle above their heads; and
Grace saw before her the full length pic
ture of young and beautiful girl, within
whose great black eyes there shone an
expression of intense horror as she seemed
about TO plunge tiny dagger within her
breast; her face was deadly white, her
lips bloodless, her black hair unbound
and falling far below the waist of her
white dress.
"Horrible" exclaimed Grace. ''No one
but madman would have painted the
contemplated suicide of his. wife, and
dwelt so on the horror she felt in COM
mitting the deed. But Lena" she con-
tlnued, after a pause, in which they
heard only the wailing of the wind in
the branches without, ''you don't believe
that she haunts this placer
"Of course not, and Lena's sweet lips
curled.
well, then, do please sleep here to-
night and find out for certain" pleaded
the other.
And so it was arranged, and old
nanny built great fire on the long
deserted hearth, and the commodore and
his wife laughed at their girlish freak,
and bashful Bob essayed one long, Curl
Gus look at the perpetrator of such a
wild scheme, and-at 10 precisely the
household retired.
Grace locked the door and looked un-
der the bed, in the closet, in the empty
bureau drawers and the match safe,
vases and wash pitcher before jumping
into bed, to be sure that no ghosts were
being harbored on the premises; and
then, kissing each other good night,
these two girls feel into a sweet, tranquil
sleep.
How long they had slept neither knew,
when suddenly both pairs of eyes flashed
open simultaneously and they were wide
awake. The storm had gone down and
the moon shone brightly, and there,
standing in the moonlight near the win
dow, was a woman in white, with long,
trailing, black hair. Neither girl scream
ed, but Lena clasped her friends hand
convulsively, and the latter returned it
with steady, firm, warm pressure,
which said as plain as word, Perfectly
quiet"
Then the figure turned, and, fixing her
mournful black eyes on the occupants
of the bed, which fortunately stood in
the shadow, she raised one hand, disclos-
ing cleaning dagger. AT this Lena
almost screamed, but Grace's little iron
hand seemed holding her back, and she
lay trembling, white and motionless, in
the back part of the bed.
II never heard of ghost lasting SO
long," thought Grace. Then the woman
walked to the window. Light as feath-
er Grace slid on to the floor, and, ap-
preaching the figure. caught her long,
black hair in one hand OF came a
massive wig; the creature turned with
an exclamation of "By thunder!" and
bashful Bob, giving one nonplussed look,
fled through the door, which he had
opened with skeleton key.-M. NJ. in
New York News.