Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-11-12

ShNSEAN t~~ ~ @&4<s 90.
alighting from q |ed him
carefully to the 1Iiz-eaten
hitching post me- e him a
gentle pat as | |s great
intelligent eyes f MI nth
seemingly unass. ansi
that low, coaxine vnieh
meant SO much Il eis,b-
ling on the eyeni
steed and I.
BE patient. old fellow ] said.
Then, lifting the heavy gate, which
hung by one broken hinge to the
post. l placed it one sile.
Storm cursed! Just here in the
presence of the surrounding calm
and evening beauty, the great trees
of "Brau- -Wylleen" writhed and
tossed their giant brandies in the
air, where above them lay a heavy
cloud, dark and forbiddihg.
4 something darker than the
on-coming twilight brooded in the
air, and so | walked mp the neg
lected path, so overgrown with
weeds one stumbled as he walked.
| felt the chill of desolation. heart
hunger and death, through the
moan of the winds as they swept
through the walls and halls of the
sombre building before me.
A large, low, long, quaint struc-
ture made of dark-colored stone,
with many windows of all shapes
and sizes, some placed just under
the caves, others midway and not
few close to the ground
A flight of stone steps led to a
huge door in the centre. The roof
was moss grown and broken, and
over all twined vines in a wild,
neglected, picturesque beauty.
Cropping among tangled vines and
leaves, though it was midsummer,
the wall felt icy to nv touch, and
xI4naN
SO clammy. ] found the key at
length, the great hideous, rusty
thing, feeling in the darkness (for
| could not see it like an instru-
ment of torture. With great diff
Guilty / found the key hole, and
then it seemed full of rubbish,
which felt like paper and leaves.
At first the rusty lock would not
yield, but finally the great door
creaked on its worn hinges and
swung inward noisily.
There was anttering and scurry-
ing across the floor and from the
walls about me, and damp, musty
odor greeted my nostrils. 1t was
well for me that my hostess insisted
on my taking my small travelling
satchel, which | now held in my
hand, for in its different compart-
ments were things needful in an
emergency. A small night lamp,
matches, a small flask of liquor, a
guide book, a needle case, thread
scissors and a thimble, and a good
lunch. Thankfully | pressed the
clasp, opened the satchel and found
a match.
As l struck it the great door
swung heavily to with a sharp bang.
The lock clicked, but thought
nothing of it then. Iheard a snort
of surprise from "Dick,' and then
| hurriedly lit my lamp and held it
above my head. What a vast,
grand old rooml Rare old tapes
tries hung from the walls, festoon-
ed their moldy draperies with cob
webs and dust. Here and there
paintings in massive gilded, tar
nished frames, hung upon the
walls, with dust and mold so thick
upon the faces thereon none might
tell the features.
Calmly, amidst the dead and
gone "Brau-Wylleens" looking
down upon me, able, no doubt, to
see through dust-covered eyes, |
sat down on one of the massive
chairs and ate my lunch for / was
desperately hungry.
Ny repast over, | took my lamp
once more in my hand, as | did so.
a creaking board somewhere made
me start, and then / thought |
heard footsteps.
Trembling slightly. and the least
indignant without knowing why, I
hastily crossed the vide room and
entered the garret hall. Undecid-
ed, / stood for an instant listening.
This room was mostly bare, and so
full of dark shadows | IquietIy left
i+