Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-20

vague, uncertain dread. Surely some thing was about to happen beneath the drowning gables of Heatherlcigh to night.
 And from supcrstihous fear they launched of quite naturally into super stitious lore, with all the zest of q true Hibernian.
 Hour after hour was thus whlled away until, incredible as it may seem, the littlo group had entirely forgotten their master
 Suddenly Peggy, who had been vividly portraying the fatal warnings and blood curdling fcats of an ancestral banshee, started up in genuine alarm. "Whyv' she exclaimed, "an' we've been sittin' hear a tellin' ov tho ghostliest things, an havo forgotten the master. An it's full mid night an he must he schlapin', for he hasn't been afthur wantin' ono ov us; an' tho lamps in the haythunlsh dark hall haven't been loighted aythur. Woe be the day!"
 With thls energetic prelude she stepped cautiously out in the hall for the purpose of lighting the neglected lamps. Cropping her way to the nearest lamp she was about to light 1t when slight movement on the stairs arrested her attention; . slow, shuf- fling movement came to her car, rather in- definite, but she was sure some one else was in the hall besides herself The motion continued, though seemingly mufflcd.
 She was about ready to scream from sheer desperation when something like half-groan and half-sigh smote on her acute ear. In an agony of fear she flew back to the library, and with very wild, frightened eyes and white face shc rushed Into the midst of the gossiping servants. AS she did so she gave vent to Q half suppressed scream. They all sprang to their feet in alarm, asked In @ breath: 'What is it, Clarksonl"
 "An' shure as Pm born childer," she exclaimed, a light breaking in on her fright ened mind, "that shure the masthur's coom- in' down the stairway all alone in the dark ness ov the night"
 They all looked incredulous and seemed about to accuse the housekeeper of insan- ity, whom her husband came forward and placing his hand on tho door handle, said, half derisiveIy:
 "Hist! ye, Peggy; an he cudna coon doom the stheps alone na more than St. Pathrick cud sinr'
 He opened the door slowly, and they all came to listen for any unusual sound i'll the hail. Breathlessly huddled together in the dark doorway they listened.
 And Peggy was right in her affirmation. She had neither gone insane nor heard q spirit tramping about, for Sir Rupert was coming down the dark staircase unaided and alone. Step by step, painfully, slowly, wearily, but surely coming.
 "Blissid Varginv' groaned Ancll, stagger- ing back against the door: "An' it's roight ye are, me lass, the masthur is coomin' down the sthairs." Then in Q suppressed undertone he terrified them by saying: "An phwat ef he shud miss his footing, or make the taste missthcp2"
 Ana instead of going to their master to assist his uncertain steps, or lighting the lamps in the dark hall, they stood shudder- ing nvoluntarily. Stricken with a par alyzing fright, not one of them thought of going to their masters assistance, or even essaying to move. They stood rooted to tho floor like so many useless statues, listening to Sir Rupert's slow and painful descent, and waiting for something they could not define.
 Down, down. the dragging, muff1ed steps cSme' With long intervals for rest; and