The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-04-23
The Haunted Chamber. !.
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BY syE DUCHESS"

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In the meantime the daylight 6TsR-
3ss,t and swiGght deseends. Even thas
Sno Gspsrts, and now darkness falls up
On he distressed household, and still
there is no news Of Sir AdriaH.
/. Arthur Dy1ecouEe, wl.s IS ALREADY
beginning s 30 treated with Gus 10
spec$ 90 tbs aaxt keir 20 the baretetsy,
has quietly hiatea % old Lady g1yzAi-
nens Shse perhaps Il VII ee as vel, in
the .eItraGrdMary circumstances, u
GgySan take Sheif departure. Thta Sne
Old ady, though strongly d3s1osGped
70 quit the aasSle, Is debating in her
own mind, sad, being swayea by Lady
EeETude, who is secretly rather bored
by the dullness that has snsuea On the
strange absence of thei, host. decides
5 te leave on the morrow, to the sIesS
distress ct both Dora and Florence Oe-
maine, whe shrink from deserving the
castle while its masters fate Is unIeoi-
ded. But they are also sensible tha.,
TO remain tho only female guests,
would be to outrage the ooDTeoGionai-
lies.
Henry VIlrgs, Ethel's father, $ also
Of opinion shss they should al quit the
castle without delay. he is hunting
han, an n. F. Il. n his own county,
and Is naturally anxious to get. back 20
bis own quarters some time osIote Sae
hunting-Season commences. Some 0sh-
ers have already gone, and altogether
IS seems to Florence that there IS no
other course open to hex SUt to pack uc
and desert him, whom she loves, e the
hour Of his drest need. For there are
moments even now when she tells her
self that he Is still living, and only
waiting for q saving hand to drag bin
into smooth waters once again.
& silence has fallen upon the hOuse
more melancholy than the l0O6est eI-
preston Of grief. The servants are
eoryersins over ther supper IN fright
soed whispers. and con3ecturlns mood
fy SIS to the fste Of their late master:
70 them Sir Adrian & indeed dead, Z
NOS buried.
In the servants oorridor q strange
duh light b being flung upon the pol
ished boards by hangfng-lamp that is
burning dimly, SIS though oppressed by
the dire eviI that has fallen upon the
old castle. No sound Is TO DO heard
here In this spot, remote from the rest
OF the house, where the servants sell
dom cone except to 80 to bed, and
never indeed Without an inward shud-
der as they pass the door that loads to
the haunted chamber.
Just now. being as their supper, theTs
\ is no fear that any Of them will be
abonS, and 50 the dimfy lighted corrl-
dor Is wrapped In en unhroken silence:
Not quite mbroken, however. What
Is this thas strikes upon the ear? What
sound comes 20 break the unearthly
stilluess2 4 creeping footstep, q eau
ticus teSd, 8 sinking, haltfng, uncer-
tain motion, belonging surely to some
one who sees an enemy, spy IN every
fitting shadow. Nearer and nearer 10
comes now into the fuller glare OF the
lamp-light, and stops short at the oooS
80 dreaded by he castle servants.
Looking unessiIy around him, Ar
thur DynecoU-fW It rs he-unrast-
ems the door, and, entering hastily, osQ-
ses It firmly beh;nd him, and ascelGs
The staircase within. TheTe fs DO halt
ing In bis footsteps now, no uncertain
ty, no csutioa, only . haste that betok-
ems desire to get his Grand cveF as
quick as possible.
Having gained the frss handing, he
walks slowly and on ttptoe again, and,
creeping up the stone stairs, Touches
down 50 as to bring his ear o. level
With the lower chfnk OF the door.
Alas, all TO still; no Iaintest groan
all around. Il spite Of his hsrdihood,
the cold sweat Of fear breaks out upon
Dyrecours's brow; and yet be tells him
self that now he IS satisfied, all rs well,
his victim Is socure, is beyond the pow
er Of words OF kindly search to recall
him TO life. he may Be disceve-ccd now
As soon as they Ike. Who can Ak the
tacs Of h,s. s.dssth upon kims There is
No hlcE. co zs.ekk. K 6f violsncs to crimi-
-aste any enc. ua Is safe; su1 I'll tS1ee-,
wealth te had 80 eoveted Is Es tss5 bis
ogn. ;. t,,, so-,..,, \, .,o
look Of expItatfon that lights arthur
Dynecourt's face he has 3 sl-4sll dull
lantern with him, and now Is reveals
the Vie glance Of triumph chat dres bis
ewes. he would fatn have entered to
gaze upon his victims, to assure himself
Of his victory, but he renatls. 4 dead
y fear that he may not yet be quite
dead keeps him back. and, with 3
hown, he prepares to descend once
more.
Again he listens, but the sullen roar
ofthsr rising night wind Is al that can
be heard. His hand shakes, his face
assumes livid hue, yet he tells him
self that surely this deadly silence is
better than he listened to last night.
Then ghostly moaning, almost inces--
SAINT. and unearth1y In sound, had
pierced his brain. It was more Like the
CIV of 8 dying brute than that OF 8
man. sir Adrian slowly starved to
DEATH In his own mind Arthur can
see him now, worn, enaciated, lost to
a1l likeness Of anything fair OF conely.
Hays the rats attacked him YETI As
this grewsome thought presents itself,
Dvascours rises quickly from bis
ereGching position. and, lying down
the steps, does not stop running Until
ha arrives in the corridor below again.
He dashes into this Ike one posses
sed: but, finding himself in the light Of
the hanging lamp, collects himself By
o Violent effort, and looks around
Yes, all Is still. No living form bus
Lis is near. The corridor, as be glan-
ees afrightedly up and down, Is empty.
BE can see nothing but his own sha6-.
oH, st signt Of which he starts and
surr5 pale and shudders.
The next moment he recovers him
self, and, muttsring an ansthema upoB
his oowarHce, he moves noiselessly to-
ward bis room and the brandy-bottls
shat has been his constant companion
Of late.
Yet, here m his own room, he can
not rest. The hours go By with lsggard
steps. Midni BIT has struck, and still
be paces his floor from wal to wall,
haf-naddened by his thoughts. Not
that he rslents. No feelings Of FepeD
tance stirs him, there Is only nervous
dread Of the hour when it will be nee.
eesssry to produce the desa body, Il
only to prove his claim to tho title so
dearly and 50 infamously purchased
Is he indeed dead-gone past recall?
Is this house, this place, the old title,
- {l,n IN