The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-11-06
THE FAMILY HONOR.


nas been born of ugly fancies since
the night of September 4, 1890, when
that happened which sent the country
to bed with long candles for the rest
&C the month. l was at Glendowie
Castle that night and l heard the
scream that made nigh two hundred
people suddenly stand still in the
dance; but of what is now being said
/ take no stock thinking it damming
10 noble house; and of what was said
before that night l will repeat only the
native gossip and the story of the chill
lren, which 1 take to be human rather
than the worst horror of all, as some
would have it. Thus l am left with
almost naught to tell save what / saw
Or heard at the castle on the night of
the fourth of September; and to those
who would have all things accounted
for, it will seem little, though for me
more than enough.
Il There are those in GlendOwie who
hold that this Thing has been in the
castle, and there held down by chains.
since the year 1900, when the wild
Lady Mildred gave it birth and died
bf sight of it; and, in the daylight
(but never before wine) they will speak
the name of her lover, and so account
Tor 1900 A. ID. being known in the an
nails of that house, not as year of our
Lord, but as the year of the devil. l
am not sufficiently old-fashioned for
such a story and rather believe that
The Thing was never in the castle
until the coming home from Africa of
him who was known as the Left
Handed Earl, which happened mat
ter of seventy years ago. The secret
manner of his coming and the oddness
Of his attendants, with wild story of
his clearing the house of all other
servants for fifteen days. during which
he was not idle, raised crop of scan
1al that has not yet been cut level
with the earth To be plain, it is
said by those who believe witchcraft
to be done with, that the Left Handed
Earl brought the Thing from Africa,
and in fifteen days had a home made
for it in the castle-a home that none
could find the way to save himself and
a black servant who frequently dis
appeared for many days at time, yet
was known always to be within whistle
Of his MASTER Men said furtively that
this Thing was the heir, and again
there was the devils shadow in the
story, as if the devil could be a woman.
1t is not a pretty story, except what
Is told Of the Monsters love of chill
dren; and though, until the fourth
of September, 1890, / never believed
what was told of the Thing and
these children, l believe it now
What they say is that it is so savage
that not even the black servant could
have gone within reach of it and
lived; yet with children scarce strong
enough to walk save on all-fours, it
would play for hours even as they
them. There are men of all ages in these
parts who hold that they were with it in
childhood and loved it. though now
they shudder at a picture they recall
think, but vaguely. And some of
them, doubtless, are liars. 1t may be
wondered why the lords of Glendowie
dared let child into the power of one
that would have broken themselves
across its knee; and two reasons are
given; the first, that it knew when
there were children in the castle, and
would have broken down walls to
reach them had they not been brought
to it; the other, that compass
sion induced the earls to give it
the only pleasure it knew. Of these
children some were of the tenantry
and others of guests in the castle, and
l have not heard of one who dreaded
the monster TO them it ever seems
to have been lovable; and, if half of
the stories be true, they would let it
toss them sportively in the air, and
they would sit with their arms around
it's neck while it made toys for them
of splinters of wood or music by rat
Ting its chains. | need not say that
care was taken to keep these meetings
from the parents of the children, in
which conspiracy the children uncon-
sciOusly joined for their pleasant pratt
tie of their new friend allayed suspi-
cion rather than aroused it. Never
theless. queer rumors arose in recent
times, which, l daresay, few believed
who came from distance; yet were
they sufficiently disquieting to make
guests leave their children at home
and, as understand, on the fourth of
September 1890, several years had
passed since a child had slept in the
castle. On that night there were
many guests and one child. who had
been In bed for some hours when the
Thing broke loose
The occasion was the coming of age
of the heir, and seldom, / suppose,
has there been such a company in a
house renowned for hospitality. There
were many persons from distant parts,
which means London and all the
great folks OF our county. with others
not SO great in that gathering, though
capable of making show at most.
After the dancing begins, no man is
ever a prominent figure in the room to
those who are there merely to look on.
rs was; and now remember as the