The Forrest City times., 1891-06-12
CHAPTER VI,

Dear Sir Adrian,' says Dora Talbot, | laying down her bat upon garden | chair, and forsaking the game of ten | his then proceeding to go forward and l greet her host. where have you been? | We have missed you so much. Flor l ence'-turning to her cousin - twill you take my bat, dearest? 1 am quite | tired of trying to defeat Lord Lsle.' | Lord Lisle. a middle-aged gentleman of sunburned appearance, looks unmis- | takably delighted at the prospect of a | change in the game. He is married; | has large family of promising young Lisles, and q fervent passion for ten his. Mrs, Talbot having proved very l contemptible adversary, he is charmed | at his chance of getting rid of her. | So Florence, ricu Dora retired, joins tho game, and the play continues with unabated vigor. When however Lord Lsle has scored grand victory, and | all the players declare themselves thoroughly exhausted and in need of refreshments, Sir Adrian comes for ward, and walks straight up to Miss | Delmaine, to Dora's intense chagrin and the secret rage of Arthur Dyne- court
 You have often asked to see the haunted chamber" he says; why not come and visit it nowY It isn't much to see, you know; but still, in ghostly sense, 1t is, suppose, interesting" l Let us make q party and go to- l gether," suggests Dora. enthusiastical ly clasping her hands--her favorite method of showing false emotion of | any kind. She is determined to have her part in the programme, and is equally determined that Florence shall 1 go nowhere alone with Sir Adrian. | &yy7,u enutfal tlaui~ Yrts n Ar thur Dynecourt, coming up to Miss Delmaine, and specially addressing her with all the air of n rightful owner. | Charming mutters young lady standing by; and so the question Is | settled.
 1t will be rather fatiguing journey, 1 you know" says Captain Ringwood, |, contidentially, to Ethel Nilliers. It's an awful lot of stairs; I've been there, 50 l know all about it-it's worse than the treadmill.'
 Have you been there too?a demands ! Miss Ethel saucilv, glancing at him from under her long lashes. | Not yet" answers the captain, with little grin. But, l say, don't go- will youy"
 @I must: am dying to see it. replies Ethel. "You needn't come, you know; l I dare say l shall be able to get on without you for half an hour or SO"
 T dare say you could get on uncom- monly we'll without me forever re- torts the captain rather gloomily. To himself he confesSes moodily that this l girl with the auburn hair and the blue eyes has the power of taking the "curl out of him" whensoever she wishes.
 T believe you are afraid of the bogies hidden in this secret chamber. and so don't care to come, says Miss Nilliers tauntingly.
 Il know something else I'm great deal moro afraid of responds the gal lant captain meaningly.
 "Mey she asks innocently, but cer- tainly coQuettishly. "Oh, Captain Ring 1 wood"--In q tone of mock injury what an unkind speech Now know you look upon me in the light of an 1 ogrcss, or q witch, or something equal I ly dreadful. We'll. as I have the name l of it, may as we'll have the gain of 1t, and sol command you to attend me to the haunted chamber"
 You order-l obey, says the cap tain. "sCall and 1 follow--I follow, l he accompanies her toward the house in the wake of Dora and Sir Adrian, who has been pressed by the clever widow into her service.
 Florence and Arthur Dynecourt fol- low them, Arthur talking gayly, as l though determined to ignore the fact i that he is thoroughly unwelcome to his companion; Florence, with head erect and naughty footsteps and eyes care l fully ayerted.
 Past the hall, through the corridor, up the staircase. through the galleries, along more corridors they go, laughing I and talking eagerly, until they come at last to an old and apparently much dis used part of the house.
 Trayersing more corridors, upon ] which dust lies thickly, they come at last to a small irun-hound door that blocks the end of one passage
 Now we really begin to get near it," says Sir Adrian eneouragingly, turning ! as he always does, when opportunity offers, to address himself solely to Flor ence.
 Don't you feel creepy-creepys' asks Ethel Villiers, with a smothered laugh, looking ap at Captain Ringwood.
 Then Sir Adrian pushes open the door revealing a steep flight of stone 1 steps that leads upward to another door above. This door, like the lower 1 one. is bound with iron.
 This is the tower" explains Sir Ad- 1 rian. still acting as cicerone to the \ small party. who look with interest I around them. Mrs. Talbot. affecting \ nervousness. clings closely to Sir Ad- ! rian's arm. Indeed she is debating Sn her own mind whether 1t would be eff | fective or otherwise to subsidc Into a graccful swoon within his arms. @Yon- | dox ' tho door Of tho chambcr.s con-