Evening journal., 1891-06-25


the blue room that was the Immediate
cause of his DEATH Consequently am de
termiued TO ascertain the fact, and punish
the guilty."
His voice was low, but there was o rine
Of determination in it that carried with 4
conviction to face any danger-to do or die
and his sister ceased her endcavors to de
tain him. The words Of entreaty died ou
her lips, and she only whispered. "1ak.
me with you dear Arthur Let me shar.
with you any danger or mystery. viii
show you that / am my fathers child
brave and strong"
"Can trust you. Laura? Think well be
fore you decide"
TRY me-only try me-"
Come, then; but remember what / tel
you. No matter what you may see or hear
you must neither move nor speak. Wi
you promise thatgn
Eyes, faithfully"
Taking her hand, they threaded the dari
passages leading TO the blue room withoul
even so much Of noise as the echo Of thei
footsteps At the door they paused for
moment. Then Arthur gently opened j.
and led his sister within. The curtain
were looped back, and emitted enough Of
moonlight to render every object dimlg
visible. Everything remained as it had
been left upon the morning of their fathers
DEATH
Arthur crossed the room with his sister,
and they took their places behind the heavy
damask curtains which hung from the old
fashioned high post bedstead. For at least
a quarter Of an hour they watched, and
silence reigned supreme about the house
so much so, that the beating of their own
hearts appeared audible as they crouched
in their place of concealment
Still they remained motionless, and
Laura was fast becoming more composed
and reassured by the perfect quiet, when
suddenly the peculiar rumbling sound be-
gan again, and, to the CONSERVATION Of
the watchers, they saw one of the large
square panels in the wainscoting slide
from it position and reveal a dark cavity
beyond. Scarcely breathing, they awaited
the result, expecting to see some terrible
shape appear. Arthur grasped his revolver
!, more firmly and his sister clung to him for
support.
But nothing presented itself to their
strained vision, and in few moments after
the panel slid back as II over huge rollers,
propelled by an invisible hand, and explain
ing the peculiar sound that had SO alarmed
them and which had appeared like the
moving Of heavy furniture. The panel
continued to move backward and forward
at intervals for some time. Then it re-
mained motiOnless and though the brother
and sister relaxed not their vigilance for
even single moment nothing came to
alarm them, and now, holding the key of
the mystery, they determined upon an
early investigation.
To all appearances that particular por-
tion Of the wainscoting was the same as the
rest-a solid wall. But upon sounding it
| gave forth a hollow noise, and finally, af-
| ter many attempts with the point of his
| knife, Arthur had the satisfaction of see
| ing it move so far that he could insert his
| fingers. Then he could easily force it far
| enough back land without making any
| considerable noise) to admit his body, and
on looking within he distinctly saw mar
row, dark passage, and rude stone steps
leading TO regions below.
They proceeded down a long, winding
stone staircase, that appeared TO conduct
them far beneath the old house, and en-
tered passage half choked up by fallen
stones and dirt. It's direction was to the
north for some distance, and then abruptly
turned toward the sea and terminated in a
huge cavern. It was tenantless, though
with plain marks Of having been recently
occupied
A dirty pack Of cards was scattered over
a rude table with several pieces of false
money and the remnants Of feast There
were couple of benches, a few broken
chairs, a pile of casks at one end contain
ing liquors, burglars instruments, and
dies for casting false coin, scattered il
random confusion-all pointing to the con
clusion that the cave was the haunt OF
burglars and coiners.
Laura clung tremblingly to her brother
and whispered, with white lips, ooh, Ar
thur, what dreadful placel Let us hasteI
back before the wretches who congregati
here come and surprise usn
"Never fear, sister. 1t is, as fancied tn,
rendezvous of gang of outlaws, who ONLY
spend their nights here in rioting and fol
lowing their unlawful calling. The sliding
panel creating the mysterious sounds the,
imagined would be attributed to tn
supernatural and so frighten away an.
persons who came to occupy the hous
and leave them unmolested. But come
we have seen enough
The return was swiftly made, the pane
replaced, and Laura retreated to her owl
room to obtain the rest she greatly stoo,
in need Of Her brother rode to the mex
town and made arrangements with tn
authorities to have a force on hand a
midnight. Long before that hour they al
peared in little squads and were silentl
admitted aud conducted TO the blue room
young Rivers standing in the secret pane
and waiting for it to be moved.
Presently it slid back with a heav
rumbling noise and Arthur spran
through the opening, collared some on
who attempted to give a signal, choke
him into silence dragged him forth an
revealed the face of the little old gardener
, He was instantly gagged and bound, an
Arthur, accompanied by the body Of arme
men. descended to the cavern, surprise
the entire band Of desperadoes and quickl
escorted them to prison through an opef
ing by way of the sea.
In due time they were tried and ser
fenced to long years of punishment, th
old gardener included. The red house wa
4 troubled no more by mysterious sound,
and even the housekeeper and two maid
had to give up their ideas of ghosts and
I haunted chamber.
4 Some years later, and upon her weddin
: day, Arthur presented to his sister til
: property and her honeymoon was passe
there It is now an occasional resort fc
: her London friends; but, notwthstandin
the secret staircase has been walled up an
!. the sliding panel secured, Laura cannot |
Y induced to occupy the blue room for
l, single night It contains, as it ever vii
!, the emystery OF her fathers death. -Courie
4 Journal.