The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-02-15
SIM le copies 5 Cents

proposition.
LET me bring you the key Of the
tower" Dora said, when they had kissed
good-by for the third or fourth time
"You left it last night"
ooh, no matter; I'll bequeath it to you
for few weeks, and il you see the ghost
don't fail to tell me-"
Dora promised.
She found herself very lonesome in the
days that first followed Olives departure.
She took her walk regularly over TO Mr..
Harton's for her music, but il was dull
work. Frequently she would pause in
her playing and study the picture that
hung above the piano-the likeness of
the Spanish woman when she was Mrs.
Chorley. There was a later portrait Of
her, but this first interested Dora most.
The resolute, naughty eyes; the lips set
together with firmness that indicated
great power, and the strange unconduer-
ableness written ON every feature. Gazing
at her, It was impossible not to dream
over her story.
The woman who supplied Mrs. Ber-
trand with butter and garden vegetables
was a daughter-in-law Of the old woman
who had been Mrs. Chorley's servant 90
long. Since her quarrel with Mr.. Harton
Persis had been especially bitter against
all the family save Miss Olive, whom she
loved tenderly. Jane, being a newcomer
in the place, and rather disposed for gos.
sip, was quite godsend to her. On her
part Jane retailed her information to
Dora, who soon understood the family
history perfectly well.
Persis declared Mrs. Chorley had never
been the same woman after her second
marriage, and that she felt assured Mr..
Harton had managed to entongle her In
some villainy, or he could never have
ruled her 80 completely. "You should
a seen how she carried her head in Mr..
Chorley's time" the old woman would
generally conclude with.
1t appeared singular to Dora that Mr..
HartOn should wish to remain In place
where he was regarded with so much
suspicion when he had ample means to
enable him to. live elsewhere. As Mrs.
Bertrand preferred the quiet of her room
much of the time, Dora was left to hel
own speculations and emusements, and
having little else TO occupy her atten-
ton, had become deeply interested in
the history connected with Chorley
Cliffs. Now she visited the old tower
daily. Her nature was not superstitious
or fearful, and the many curious relics
there pleased her greatly.
II.
Il was a bright night with full moon.
Dora had lain awake long while, listen.
ing to the ticking Of the clock, the regu
lar breathing Of her mother, and the
heavier respiration Of Jane. The sleep
ing apartments were on the side toward
the tower, nearly all the rooms being on
one floor, az the house itself was low.
Many a time vague imaginations had
fioated through Dora's mind, and even
now she could not refrain from going
over the old story, Then crash OF
something startled her, smothered
sound, as il it came through walls, and
in the direction Of the tower. With
senses painfully acute, she sat upright
in bed, and strove TO catch another token
of the real or imaginary intruder. In
vain. Only the sleepers on either hand
broke the perfect stiffness, and presently
the voice Of her mother, requiring some
trihing attention. So she composed her
self to sleep again, but the incident re.
CURED to her in the morning, and i'm.
mediately after breakfast she set out to
explore the tower, her heart beating with
quite a new emotion.
The neighborhood was extremely quiet
and at this point quite thickly settled, &C
it was hardly possible any one would at.
tempt to enter such an old place where
no valuables were kept.
She ascended the steps slowly, and on
reaching the second floor took compre-
hensive survey. The study looked at
usual; not a thing had been disturbed.
Raising her eyes they rested on a win
dow overlooking the main house. The
sash seemed 70 her displaced and several
new panes Of glass missing. Following
out the suggestion, her eyes wandered to
the floor, which was strewn with numer-
GUS fragments. Her first impulse was to
dy down stairs and give the alarm; then
she reflected q moment. Might not the
wind-but no, there had been scarcely e
breath the preceding night, certainly not
enough to dislodge the window frame.
She drew chair to the wall, and climb
ing up, took hold of il. Yes, it waf
loose. There seemed traces Of a recent
disarrangement- = finger marks in the
dust and the disturbance of moths and
spiders that had built homes for them.
selves in the corners. The window had
evidently fallen out; this was the noisS
she had heard in the night. II 1t ha6
lain there on the floor she would moi
have felt a whit disturbed, but 1t mus
have been put back by human agency
What could any one hope to gain Rftel
effecting such an entrance1
Dora knew it would not do bo needless
" disturb her mother and Jane. They
were comfortably situated; the quiet anC
retirement satisfied Mrs. Bertrand com
pletely, and her health had improveC
visibly since her coming to ChOrley
/ Cliffs. II would be unfortunate to leav'
it just now, and impossible TO stay un
less the mystery was solved, OF shared
with some one. Jane would make q poo
coniidant; indeed, no persuasions coulG
induce her TO enter the tower, so sh
would be Of no assistance In case of
1
And then Dora thought her wisest plal
would be to 80 down stairs and lock tn
tower door, leaving the old place alon
with its secret So she rose and wen
slowly toward the door, and then gather
ing courage, peeped in the closet, whicl
was partially opened. No paIlid ghos
or burly form of midnight burglar me
her view; only the bright, cheerful fac
of Vincent Chorley, that seemed read
TO banter her out OF her fears, For man
moments she stood iTTesolute, then mad
hasty examination Of the place. II wa
not possible for any one to be conceale
there. What If she were mistaken, afte
alli Perhaps Olive might have take
the window out, and the noise in th
night might have proceeded from som
other cause. She went cautiously aroun
the study-it was quite reassuring I
hnd nothing unusual there.
Than aha autaqsed the naaGaee and cor