The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-02-16


Out FIRST having that shut? Come, let us
go lock it.
Il do believe you are afraid. Jane.
We have lived here two months, and no
ghost has made its appearance. Did you
suppose it was fastened up in the tower"
Don't laugh, Miss Dora. I'm not so
sure, after all, there isn't something of
/ the sort. / don't see how that woman
could rest in her grave with such a bur-
den on her mind. / should not be at all
surprised to see her come walking down
stairs some day with the true will in her
4 hand"
Hush, Jane. Mamma SAYS it is wrong
/ to pay SO much attention to gossip Oh
ives mother couldn't have forged will,
and Mr.. Harton, you know, had been in
the village only short time. Probably
it's all right. You'll have to turn this
key, though; the lock is rusted. There,
/ good night, ghost"
The fearless child laughed lightly as
they returned to the parlor, eliciting
James warmest admiration for her BRAY
cry. After the servant left her the
book dropped listlessly from her hands,
and she fell in a reverie about Alling-
ham Chorley and his father, whose por-
trait had made SO deep an impression ON
her mind.
The next day Olive came over to an
nounce that she was going to travelwith
her father and sister, and would prob
ably be absent month. The maid was
packing, and they expected to start
early the next morning. Dora was real
~ sorry to lose her companion, but when
the impulsive Olive declared that she
had half mind to stay at home, she
would not listen moment to such a
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"
ssOh, no matter; I'll bequeath it to you
for few weeks, and if 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 it 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 later portrait Of
her, but this first interested Dora most.
The Tesolute, naughty eyes; the lips set
together with firmness that indicated
great power, and the strange unconquer-
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 daugliter-in-law of the old woman
who had been Mrs. Chorley's servant so
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 . newcomer
in the place, and rather disposed for Cos
sip, was quite godsend 10 her On her
part Jane retailed her information to
Dora, who soon understood the family
history perfectly we'll
Persis declared Mrs. Chorley had never
been the same woman after her second
marriage, and that she felt assured Mr..
Harton had managed to entangle her in
some villainy, or he could never have
ruled her so completely You should
"a seen how she carried her head in Mr.
Chorley's time, the old woman would
generally conclude with.
It appeared singular to Dora that Mr..
Harton should wish to remain in place
where he was regarded with so much
enable him to live elsewhere. AS Mrs
Bertrand preferred the quiet of her room
much of the time, Dora was left to her
own speculations and amusements, 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.
1t was a bright night with full moon.
Dora had lain awake long while, listen
ing to the ticking of the clock, the reeu-
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, as the house itself was low.
Many time vague imaginations had
foated through Dora's mind, and even
now she could not refrain from going
over the old story. Then crash of
something startled her, a smothered
sound, as if 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
trifling attention. So she composed her
self to sleep again. but the incident re-
Cured to her in the morning, and inn
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, SO
it was hardly possible any one would at
tempt to enter such an old place where
no valuables were kept.
She assembled the steps slowly, and on
reaching the second floor took compre-
hensive survey. The study looked as
usual; not u thing had been disturbed.