Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-11-06

goes in and out now she don't leave any
tracks"
Surely there were the footprints, ex-
plain it who may
sShe goes in and out nowadays, does
she:" asked my friend For my part |
was too dumb with fright to speak, peer
ing forward with the dread of seeing the
ghostly lady start out of the gloom.
Every Christmas she comes ont with her
bag or pot of the treasured solemnly ex-
claimed Pete, emphasizing each word with
peculiar jerk of his lantern
''Whither does she gof" asked my friend.
Look out or you'll extinguish our lam
tern!' yelled. and so adjourned the old
mans answer,
That darknessl Shall / ever chase its
shadows from my mind. Our feeble taper
became but revealer of the black gullet
which we were penetrating. Hazy bars
darted like spears into the gloom. From
rocky shelves the masses Of blackness
seemed to break off and tumble as snow in
alpine ayalanehes. One listened to hear
them crash upon the floor Of some chamber
deeper down Then again the strangely
beautiful darting of our lanterns rays, as
You have seen the MONDAY sunbeams dart
down and branch in trembling movement
into the heart OF a turgid pond.
We walked erect. We were frequently
in chambers of considerable size, as was
easy TO perceive by the touch of the hand
on the rocky corridor, then nothing to
touch, then the narrow passageway once
more. In not one of these gigantic cham
bers did the darkness yield TO our light
sufficient to show dimensions. II was in
deed darkness eternal Since the sun was
created here was space where he had never
shone. Yet the air was cool, and grew
sweeter. even exhilarating, as we proceed
ed. Proceeded A thousand times had
resolved to return, but old Pete seemed
deaf No word of entreaty penetrated his
ears. Even the chink Of silver dollars
would not rouse him 10 any response He
plodded on, on. We thought Of the aged
guides feeble heart beat with its 81 years
of throbbing. What if he were to drop
and join the ghostly shades that mayhap
haunted the plaeei
We were about agreed on forcibly halt
ing him when, in an eyes twinkle, the de-
cayed old man began to dance. As he
sprung up and down and waved his hands
a change came over him. He wore an
aspect Of a boy, and light, soft, phos-
phorescent. beautiful, broke over him,
over the ordly chamber where we stood
"See yonderri We both spoke it.
The wonderful glory shone from per-
son
THE woman in the caser exclaimed my
friend.
Capt. Kidds BRIDE | replied, and we
IL .l.- a..
do not know; surely ! was never more
deeply terrorized in my life. Probably it
was not a very joyous laugh. As for our
youthfulaged guide, he was now fairly on
his knees before the apparition.
II was the figure Of a pleasing woman,
English, should say, though my friend
says Dutch to this day | think she spoke
English, my friend says Dutch. think
she was dressed ia the old English garb Of
two centuries ago My friend, better vers-
ed in these things than |, says she wore
the picturesque costume of the Neither
lands But then her robe was so shining
white that no eye could linger on it long.
Behind the lady stood the precious pots
Of treasure trove Spells from the Spanish
main and pelf from the Roman sea. Blood
money A pirates wealth. Toevery glitter
ing piece a dying sailors hands had chung.
The groans of deck loads OF wounded men
seemed still to Turk amid the messy piles.
The rude kettles ran over with the stuff.
Handouts lay on the floor about the prong
like legs Of each old cauldron
| said she spoke. II understood her
Alright this Is what she said,
Return This wealth is in trust. Know
ye the Van Houghtapootngs, OF great New
York;"
My friend managed to groan ont that he
was acquainted with this very old family
in the persons Of some Of its latest repre-
sentatives
This wealth Is their supply Once each
year, at Christmas, | take them pot of
this silver and gold That's how they live,
for they toll not, neither do they spin.
awoke. We were lying quietly mid
stream of Newburg bay the yacht softly
Graded in midsummers twilight
THAT fish dinnerl" exclaimed TO my
friend 1T made me dream ("
Exactly my case" be replied
On comparing our dreams they were sim
gularly alike, in fact quite identical A
dream, | confess Nevertheless there is
some such legend floating amid the purple
shadows of the Highlands on the Hudson.
Emily ]. Haynes in Boston Globe.