The Washington critic., 1890-02-15
THE GH8lST O'GHNlRLEE.


Of past crimes hangs over them.
Last autumn | was invited by my dear
old friend, the Laird o'Gharlee, to make
one Of shooting party assembling there.
Sport is good there, " anywhere: and
moreover, the laird had a covey OF pretty
daughters, who would be sure TO make
things lively and pleasant.
| arrived, then, at Ghairlec Station full
OF hope and preparation for enjoyment |
brought with me my guns and my beloved
violin, without which never travel.
Ghairlee itself is a curious old house; the
passages run about Il in an extremely com
plicated fashion, up one step to a room,
down two steps into II. and so on. The
hall is portion of the old tower; the walls
Of immense thickness, Mauy additions
have been made by different latrds long
since gathered to their fathers
did not see all this the night Of my ar
iival-in sooth, II us so dark that could
distinguish very little as the dogcart spun
up the avenue, but did notice the black
mass on my left as we turned very sharp
corner round n block OF buildings, and on
my right a sullen roar as II angry waters
boiled over in a torrent to dash upon
rocks IN the dark depths far, far below
The next moment we drew mp before the
door, barred and studded with great iron
nails. Light was pouring from the hall,
and the laird stood in the doorway, sur
rounded by a bowling bodyguard OF ter
riers.
whist, dogsl Come IN, Ladder
Aud my old friend gathered me into his
ancestral hall with highland hospitality.
We passed up low stairway and across a
thickly-carpeted corridor furnished with
strange pieces of antique workmanship
frowning cabinets and carved chairs, from
which uncanny faces leered in the firelight.
The drawing-room was at the far end, and
there were again two or three steps leading
TO it alone By the side OF those steps, and
against the wall, stood a fine old press of
marquetrie quantity inlaid, and used, as
afterward learned, FOR the slowing away of
odds and ends of nothing aud all things.
1t was here that my violin soon found q
place, and laid II in its modern entbroid-
cred case, by the side of a quaint old lutte
about which was twisted faded, moth
eaten ribbon.
'<'This," said the laird's pretty dau ghter,
touching it reverently, ''has his history.
We keep it here-pretty as IL. is--because
none of us like 10 look on it, But all
this belongs elsewhere in my story.
Report had not exaggerated the charms
of the old laird's daughters. Four of them
be had-tbe youngest charming child; the
eldest, already appropriated. But there
remained the adorable second and the
equisite third, and after day of painful
uncertainty fell before the first of those
two, who was called by the tuneful name
OF Mavis, and who had a musical fever akin
to my own. Together we trilled aud
turnmed and turned leaves and played love
songs and madrigals, serenades and sonatas
and when we did not talk music we talked
-ah, well suffice It to say that the DAYS
hurried by and the weeks few after them,
and had been a guest at Ghairlee nigh on
to second month, and my heart belonged
10 Mavis.
The cream of the shooting was over aud
the party much diminished. One or two
men only remained besides myself, and u
pretty young wouan--a neighbor of the
laird's, who had come for two weeks
visit. We were gathered in the drawing
room and somebody asked for music
] went out 10 the ire-lighted hall to the
old cabinet to get my violin, aud Mavis
went with me. We fingered there mo-
ment. just for the sake of lingering. 1t
was then Mavis spoke about the lutte
took it in my hands. aud as | did so "a thin,
far-away wall of melody seemed to sweep
past us and lose itself in the dimness be-
yond the glow of the freight.
"Nhat was that?' / asked sharply.
Then, seeing that Mavis only tremblei in
reply, added, quickly; II must have
Jared the old thing
"Put it down." said Mavis; sit is un-
L. j
the ghaist o'Ghairlee."
''To the ghaist y cried !, laughng-per-
haps not altogether heartily, for though
certainly did not believe in ghosts, there
had been something in that wailing strain
to set ones nerves on a quiver; "you
Scotch lassies, forsooth, must still believe
in your ghaists. There never was a decent
bluided highland body without ghaist in
his castle. You must introduce me some
day to yours y
And so, laughing and teasing her to bring
back the roses to her cheeks, If indeed /
could, ! led her to the drawing-r room,
where merry crowd and an hour or two
of my beloved music with my dear violin
soon chased the ghaist o. Ghairlee from my
thoughts.
My rooms were in the tower--in that
same black pile of stones round which I
swept on the evening of my arrival, aud
my windows looked out over the torrent
which roared its way ceaselessly from rock
to rock to shuddering depth and then
tore on in dark sulen stream.
! bade Mavis goodnight with hurried
pressure of her little fingers-for they all
stood around us in the drawing-room, and
she did not offer to go out iEto the hall,
and then ! sprang lightly up the steps,
humming strain of the bit of Beethoven
we had been going over.
The large corridor was illuminated by q
lamp. A smaller passage led away from it
and my room opened into this passage
now IN profound darkness There were
candlesticks or table at the head of the
fight of steps, but after / found out the
way to my rooms and had grown accus-
toned to il rarely stopped to light one.
Tonight I made no exception to this
custom aud went swinging down the pas
sage to my door.
had found it, and was about to turn
the handle, when | saw before me, few
feet distant, a man crouchiug with his ear
close against the wall level with my door
He slowly turned his head aud stared
straight at me. A more evil expression I
had never encountered, so full was Il of
threatening hate apd devilish purpose
! stood fascinated, watching the mau.
Presently, with hand outspread feeling
along the WALL he began creeping toward
me. At the same moment the dismal howl
ing of a dog, apparently in one of the
rooms, became audible. This sound and
the action on his part seemed to release
my faculties. | dashed at him-made a
grab at his coat-struck the wall the man
was gone!
stood stupidity, the passage was dark
as pitch Could he have slipped aside aud
be waiting TO strike?
Then-then with revulsion that sent my
blood curdling back to my heart--it SHOT
through me.
How did see him, being In the dark?
That he was there for no good was suni-
ciently demonstrated, but how could / have
seen him? | experienced curious sensa-
tion as 1t broke upon me that the man |
had beheld was not included ln the census
Of this planet. / felt a tingling In my
limbs and q buzzing In my ears. The sen
sation was physical only--mentally, may
say, there was complete and instant
blank.
As the shock passed over pulled myself
together and retraeed my steps down the
passage and into the drawingroom. 1t
seemed strange, that lighted room aud the
commonplace occupants.
My step had been almost noiseless on the