Mower County transcript., 1889-07-31

believed had good reasons.
You see, Uncle Tim had gone off to Mexi-
co for his health (?) and Aunt Amabel, be-
coming weary of her isolation at Ballyrook
Hall, dismissed the servants and went to
Boston, the home of her childhood, for an
extended visit.
After her departure the sunshine left
Ballynook for me, and gloom settled down
over the quaint rooms and pleasant halls of
the old-fashioned villa. So Iremained shut
up in the city with my books and clients, re-
membering my country home as pleasant
thing of the past
But to night had come back to the dear,
familiar house on an errand that made nv
heart sick, and shivered as stood on the
gray stone steps and turned the key in the
long unused lock.
1t was the oft-repeated story of mans in
constancy and woman's heart-brcak, COM
plication dreaded to meddle with. But cir.
cumstances dra agging me into it this time,
was determined to see it to the bitter end if
necessary.
How Aunt Amabel found out Uncle Tins
perfdious dolngs in the land of strange i'm.
pulses was never made plain to me. How
ever, that was her part of the tragedy, not
mine. Mine was to visit Ballynook, pro-
cure her marriage certificate, together with
other important papers there, and hold
them until she came home. 1t was enough
for me to know that she was in trouble;
would have undertaken hard tasks for her.
Pushing open the door crossed the dusty.
silent threshold, with a premonition taking
hold OF me. Something terrible was about
to manifest itself, was sure.
Iwent directly to the sitting-room on the
ground floor and kindled firein,the CRATE,
for the night was cold and deep shadows
were already gathering in helonely rooms.
Having brought lunch with me, sat
down on the hearth to eat bite in the light
of the cheerful blaze.
But the strange precursor of evil fol.
lowed me, in fact felt cold horror SET
ting around me and pervading the apart
ment.
Little by little the nameless dread took
shape until became conscious that another
besides myself was in the house, and that
an awful revelation was at hand
The fire burned low, the shadows length.
ened along the wainscoting and curtained
the corners where still stood the queer lit
tie piano and curiously wrought armchair
respectively; both having come from over
the sea from ancient Ballynook, near Lon
donderry, and from which Ballynoos Hall
took its name.
glanced at my watch as finished my
lunch and found it seven o'clock. Starting
up could not shake off the curious depres.
sion nor the feeling that something was
lamentably wrong in the Hail.
Having expected to reach Ballynook by
daylight had not provided myself with the
means of a light with the exception of a few
lucifers. Could I grope my way upstairs
with this horrible dread dogging my steps
Why not? I was at home, completely al
home in the house. And must be at the
Office early in the morning to attend to the
wants of client
crept stealthily upstairs, peering abou
in the shadows for glimpse of something
knew not what, until reached the corridor
above. The moonlight came family in, max
ing a bar of silvery light across to my aunt.
apartments. It was but a step now and
put my hand on the door. AS Ibid so chill
crept over me until I shivered. For mo
ment my heart failed me; should go in OF
fee from few qualms, possibly! And I
Malone?
That settled it. Iopened the door ant
went in, trying to make myself feel tha
this was my old home; that these were The
rooms where had so often laughed anl
chatted with Aunt Amabel, or leaned ove1
the acknowledges to gather blossoms from
the creepers outside the easement.
All! those dear old days were long agone
And, tonight, this was the chamber of hor
rors!
found the cabinet without the leas
trouble, and, running my fingers along the
edge, found the tiny knob at the extreme