The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-03-05

GOO-WQen II comes.
Naughty GIRL" exclaims Mrs. Tai
! bot. with a little Pickering smile. Dora
Talbot seldom smiles, having learned
by experience that her delicate face
looks prettier in repose. Come, then,
Sir Adrian" she adds. let US enter
your enchanted castle"
The servants by this time have taken
in all their luggage-that IS, as much as
they have been able to bring in the car
riage; and now the two ladies walk up
to the steps and enter tho hall, their
host beside them.
Mrs. Talbot. who has recovered her
spirits little. is chattering gayly, and
monopolizing Sir Adrian to the best Of
her ability. whilst Miss Delmaine is
strangely silent. and seems lost in a
kind Of pleased wonder as she gaZeS
upon all her charming surroundings.
The last rays of light are streaming
in through the stained-glass windows,
rendering the old hall full of nlyster-
ious beauty. The grim warriors ia their
coats OF mail seem. to the entranced
gaze of Florence Delmaine, to be max
ing ready to spring from the inches
which hold them.
Waking from her dream as she reach
es the foot of the stone staircase, she
says abruptly, but with a lovely smile
playing round her mouth
Surely, Sir Adrian, you have ghost
in this beautiful old place, or q secret
staircase, or.-aS least a bogy OF some
sort? Do not spoil the romantic look
of it by telling me you have no tale Of
terror to impart, no history of q ghostly
visitant who walks these halls at the
dead Of night"
ave have no ghost here, am sorry
to say" answers Sir Adrian, laughing.
sFor the first time feel distressed and
ashamed that it should be so. We can
only boast a haunted chamber; but
there are certain legends about it, am
proud to say, the bare narration of
which would make even the stoutest
quail"
aGood gracious-how distinctly un-
pleasant" e1claimS Mrs. Talbot, with
anervous and very effective shudder.
"How distinctly delicious. you meant"
puts in Miss Delmaine. "Sir Adrian,
is this chamber anywhere near where I
shall sleep?"
aOh, nc; you need not be afraid Of
that~ answers Dynecourt hastily.
Il am not afraid" said the girl sauci-
II. Il have all my life been seeking an
adventure of some sort. l am tired Of
my prosaic existence. want to know
what dwellers in the shadowy realms
Of ghost-laad are like"
Dear Sir Adrian, do urge her not
to talk like that; it is positively
wicked" pleads Dora Talbot, glancing
at him beseechingly.
Miss Delmaine, you will drive Mrs.
Talbot from my house if you persist in
your evil courses" says Sir Adrian,
laughing again. "Desist, I pray you!"
Are you afraid, Dora" asks Flor
ence merrily. Then keep close to me.
I can defy all evil spirits, I have spells
and charms"
sYou have indeed!' puts in Sir Ad-
rian, in tone so low that only she can
hear it. "IAnd, knowing this, you
should be merciful."
Though she cannot hear what he
says, yet Mrs. Talbot can see he is ad-
dressing Florence, and marks with
some uneasiness the glance that passes
from his eyes to hers. Breaking quica
" into the conversation, she says tim
idly, laying her hand on her hosts
arm
This shocking room you speak of
will not be near mine%
In another wing altogether" Sir
Adrian replies reaSSuringly. Indeed
it is so far from this part of the castle
that one might be safely lncarcerated
there and slowly starve to death with
out any one OF the household being, a
bit wiser. It is in the north wing in
the old tower, a portion of the building
that has not been in use for over fifty
years"
Il breathe again." says Dora Talbot
aHectedly.
Il shall traverse every inch of that
old dtoWer-haunted room and all-be-
fore am a week older" declares Flor
ence defantly. After which she smiles
at Adrian again, and follows the maid
up the broad staircase to her room.
BY the end of the week many other
visitors had been made welcome at the
castle; but none perhaps gave so much
pleasure to the young baronet as Mrs.
Talbot and her cousin.
Miss Delmaine, the only daughter
and heiress of an Indian nabob, had
taken London by storm this past sea-
son; and not only the modern Babylon,
but the heart Of Adrian Dynecourt as
well. She had come home to England
on the death of her father about two
years ago; and, having no nearer rela-
lives alive, had been kindly received
by her cousin. the Hon. Mrs. Talbot,
who was then living with her husband
in pretty house in Mayfair.
Six months after Florence Delnaipe's
arrival, George Talbot had succumbed
to virulent fever; and his widow, up
on whom a handsome jointure had
been settled, when the funeral and the
necessary law worries had come to an
end, had intimated to her young cousin
that she intended to travel for year
upon the Continent. and that she would
be glad, that is-with an elaborate sigh
she would be degree less miserable,
Il she, Florence would accompany her.
This delighted Florence. She was
wearied with attendance on the sick,
having done most of the nursing Of the
Hon. George, while his wife lamented
and slept; and, beside, she was still
sore at heart for the loss of her father.
The years abroad passed swiftly; the
end of it brought them to Paris once
moro, where, feeling that her time OF
mourning might be decentE terminal
ed, Mrs. Talbot had discarded her SOM
Der robes and put herself into the
hands Of the most fashionable dress
maker she could find.
Florence, too, discarded mourning for
the first time, although her father had
been almost two years in his quiet
grave amongst the Hills; and. with her
cousin, who was now indeed her only
friend, if slightly uncongenial, decided
to return to London forthwith.
1t was early in May. and, with a sen.
sation of extreme and most natural
pleasure, the girl looked forward to
few months passed amongst the best
| of those whom she had learned under
her cousins auspices TO regard a
society"
Dora Talbot herself was not by any
means dead to the thought ira: il
would be to her advantage to introduce
into society girl well-born and pcs
sessed Of an almost fabulous fortune
| Stray crumbs must surely fall to hel