The Forrest City times., 1891-05-08

Naughty grill" exclaims Mrs. Tal- bot, with little flickering smile. Dora Talbot seldom smiles, having learned by experience that her delicate face looks prettier in repOSe. Come, then, Sir Adrian" she adds, "let us enter your enchanted castle."
 The servants by this time have taken In all their luggage-that is, as much as they have been able to bring in the car riage; and now the two ladies walk up to the steps and enter the hall, their host beside them.
 Mrs. Talbot, who has recovered her spirits a little, is chattering gayly, and monopolizing Sir Adrian to the best of. her ability, whilst Miss Delmaine is strangely silent, and seems lost in a kind of pleased wonder as she gazeS upon all her charming surroundings. in through the stained-glass windows, rendering the old hall full of myster- ious beauty. The grim warriors in their coats of mail seem, to the entranced Naze of Florence Delmaine. to be mak ing ready to spring from the inches which hold them.
 Waking from her dream as she reach- es the foot of the stone staircase, she says abruptly, but with lovely smile playing round her mouth
 Surely, Sir Adrian, you have ghost in this beautiful old place, or a secret staircase, or at least bogy of some of it by telling me you have no tale of terror to impart, no history of ghostly visitant who walks these halls at the dead of night"
 We have no ghost here, I am sorry to say" answers Sir Adrian, laughing For the first time feel distressed and ashamed that it should be so. We can only boast haunted chamber; but there are certain legends about it, I am proud to say, the bare narration of which would make even the stoutest quail"
 Good gracious-how distinctly un- pleasant" exclaims Mrs. Talbot, with nervous and very effective shudder. puts in Miss Delmaine. "Sir Adrian, is this chamber anywhere near where I shall sleep?"
 "Oh, no; you need not be afraid of thatw answers Dynecourt hastily.
 Il am not afraid,' said the girl sauci- ly. T have all my life been seeking an adventure of some sort. 1 am tired of my prosaic existence. I want to know what dwellers ill the shadowy realms Of ghoSt-land are like.n
 Dear Sir Adrian, do urge her not to talk like that; it is positively wicked" pleads Dora Talbot, glancing at him beseechingly.
 Miss Delmaine, you will drive Mrs. your evil courses" says Sir Adrian,
 Are you afraid, Dora?" asks Flor ence merrily. Then keep close to me. l can defy all evil spirits, have spells and charms."
 You have indeed!" puts in Sir Ad- rian, in a tone so low that only she can hear it. And, knowing this, you should be merciful."
 Though she cannot hear what he says, yet Mrs. Talbot can see he is ad- dressing Florence, and marks with some uneasiness the glance that passes from his eyes to hers: Breaking quick ly into the conversation, she says tim idly, laying her hand on her hosts arm
 This shocking room you speak of will not be near miner"
 "In another wing altogether" Sir Adrian replies reassuringly. Indeed it is so far from this part of the castle that one might be safely incarcerated there and slowly starve to death with out any one of the household being a bit wiser. It is in the north wing in the old tower, a portion of the building that has not been ill use for over fifty years"
 ~I breathe again. says Dora Talbot affectedly.
 Il shall traverse every inch of that old tower-haunted room and all-be- fore am week older" decl..res Flor ence detiantly. After which she smiles at Adrian again, and follows the maid up the broad staircase to her room.
 By the end of the week many other castle; but none perhaps gave so much pleasure to the young baronet as Mrs. Talbot and her cousin.
 Miss Delmaine, the only daughter and heiress of an Indian nabob, had taken London by storm this past sea- son; and not only the modern Babylon, but the heart of Adrian Dynecourt as well. She had come home to England on the death of her father about two years ago; and, having no nearer rela- tives alive, had been kindly received by her cousin, the Hon. Mrs. Talbot, who was then living with her husband in pretty house in Mayfair.
 Six months after Florence Delmaine's arrival, George Talbot had succumbed to virulent fever; and his widow, up on whom handsome jointEre had been settled, when the funeral and the necessary law worries had come to an end, had intimated to her young cousin that she intended to travel for a year upon the Continent, and that she would be glad, that is-with an elaborate sigh -she would be degree less miserable, if she, Florence would accompany her. This delighted Florence. She was wearied with attendance on the sick, having done most of the nursing of the Hon. George, while his wife lamented and slept; and, beside, she was still sore at heart for the loss of her father. The years abroad passed swiftly; tho end of it brought them to Paris once more, where, feeling that her time of mourning might be decently terminat- ed, Mrs. Talbot had discarded her son. Der robes and put herself into the hands of the most fashionable dress maker she could find.
 Florence, too, discarded mourning for the first time, although her father had been almost two years in his quiet grave amongst the Hills; and, with her cousin, who was now indeed her only friend, if slightly uncongenial, decided to return to London forthwith.
 It was early in May, and, with sem sation of extreme and most natural pleasure, the girl looked forward to a few months passed amongst the best of those whom she had learned under her cousins auspices to regard as society,"
 Dora Talbot herself was not by any means dead to the thought that 1t would be to her advantage to introduce