The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-17
THE MINUET.
nv CHARLES LoTIN HILDRErH.

-, rs in ten minutes. and there is not
. house in sight"
avor within ten miles, L should say"
.-,blad Buckle. with the freedom Of an
s...,-,-vsnt. ST said we should lose our way
.,g these mountains after dark; but you
-.,lin'r listen to me-"
.you were right and was wrong" 1 re-
- ,ood humoredly; "but the question
: 10 ind some sort Of shelter for
..,ras and the horses. A century ago
asa populous region. Some of my
''-' IS had a place hereabouts. II only
aaoS'f their genial old ghosts would
ols lend to take pity on his descendant
Gov e. row and gently guide US TO a shed or
h1..D,1., talk so reckless. Mr.. Gerard" in
..,Otai Buckle, nervously. Losing our
~ag and getting wet TO the SKIN, IS bad
To argb. without mixing up ghosts in the
bls ,7Tso- ia that Wonder, behind that olump
I'D 7 exclaimed. at looks like a
q II lsa house. 1t is strange there
hol' Si ba no lights in the windows so early
s1v .tl'Savsniug. However, we can't stand
u ''r ooremony, for here is the rain
hI Quito aside, we entered grass-grown
lu' ba,l5een neglected hedge-rows, and
az az nm before the front Of the building
PI'sL n understood why we had seen no
ms Mace was deserted and falling
n.y. ms The windows gaped shutterless
p'g ritbnut easements or curtains. One OF
gu io-ge front doors hung by one
", .i9-o and the wind moaned drear-
i "a through the empty pas
,oyas The editce was one OF those huge,
ssso on,v atone structures Of the eighteenth
century, by no means progressing at the
s,,, and now in solitude and decay it was
zeal But the rain was now falling
Ill and th re was no alternative.
Hastily dismounting. we led our horses
h.,n-h its broken basement entrance
S,rEi9g match and converting some OF
n.s.s,bbish with which this stone floor wa:
,..oro5 INTO a torch, Buckle led the way up
lto,r, whore we hoped TO find more salts
factory quarters for ourselves.
No irst entered a large apartment with
bigb ceiling upon which still chung some
co. AIMS of gliding. The furniture had beer
..r,ovad but the traces Of former orna
osot visible through the stains of time anC
~ocsy proved that the room had one,
tosn the hall of state of the man
ian in the days OF its ancient
I'D rrondnur Bub LDeb6 very AtlACo VI past
ssaIoDdor combined with the cracking walls
y}-ting floor and the lofty, unsheltered win
laws admitting hedrlving rain and shrek
Inc wind gave the place an indescribably
r,9nrrfn aspect aud we hasUened K
leave it.
Passing through one Of the doors we
entered a smaller apartment adjoining
vbera We found the means Of making our
& s.lvas IN some degree comfortable. A por
tim Of the furniture still remained in the
room. two or three chairs, rickety table
and s large lounge. In the wide chimney
there was heap Of wood. and touching hi
< tlroh to it, Buckle soon had cheerful
"a blaze roaring and cracking on the heart b
Nov. Master Buckle" | said, drawing
I'D one Of the chairs, what do you say (
this Even your fsstidiOus taste should b.
satisfied with this
The old servant shook his head omin
ously 81 can't say as | like the looks O
it, be said, CLAN ing around nervously
"A II shall be glad 10 see tom 1rrOw's Light
80 shall IT, responded cheerfully; "fo
By halg-tof the morning sun | imagine
this Old ruin Is very picturesque object.n
Them there Italian notions of yours,
Mr. Gerard, be sid, with the same omin.
Gus air, twill get you into trouble before
you die We wouldn't have been in thu
fix now ii you hadn't made up your mine
70 see the mountains by night"
Leaving bin to grumble and shake hi
head by the fire, | threw myself upon tn
tttered lounge, and despite the strange
ness Of my surroundings. and the roar Q
TIE storm outside. soon fell asleep.
IaTohe suddenly with q start, as if | hat
been called or touched. The storm appeared
to have ceased, for there was a silence
deep' pervading, almost palpable. The fir
had died down TO a faint red glow, whicl
revealed the GRure Of Buckle In his chair
sill asleep it seemed.
what had awakened me, and what wa
Tie strange uneasiuess-the sense of ey
pea,ancy which possessed me! At tina
nl0Ien. It certainly was not any hint q
SUGGESTIONS alarm. Ny heart was beating
rapidly ald from time to time quick
nervous thrill ran over me. AS l lay Their
staring into the obscurity Buckle stirre
s"GatIg 10 bis chair aud in low, tremu
us Whisper called my name.
'Ar. Gerardm
the same tone.
That's just it," was the reply. "Wha
SM something CHASTITY going on ia tn
al near nothing and see nothing" l sale
LOOK
NY eyes we're upon the open door leadin
o.4o aaJoinng apartment-thel large ha
,ug'9 described. IrIbbed them and locke
1 STu, les faint, blush light was grad
nv aa'5 ueepenlng there! Not moonlight; 70
so.lo'H ever shed that strange phosphol
T,, l' seam which seemed to grow au
, ,o'to -.'eli out OF the heart of the darkness
-,lls no shadow and illuminating nothin
ga s4c rom varav
cl' su'e' II grew until the doorway was a
'S aI OF misty yet intense light.
-. must see what that means ~ I sait
OuGge 90 coulu from III
MAJ O9g OF you do not go near it." whis
j syi1,1 DucAie hoarsely. 1T is somethin
3at e. unnatural Don't go, Mr.. Gerard
sjTS .uiullng that l took no heed of hi
,,a '' t"Iis ne arose also and. Selling m
jo,, - "a MS terror, accompanied me to tn
SboT I0ugn which we cautiously peered
y.io or' 81, l ever forget what | saw with
gs,s5, '1aV seemed TO reel and swim as
teir,o9 'I9 1esolate apartment Of two houl
vbrS s "oa hooded with a brilliant ligf
s7llos 'G !eu 70 proceed from the scores {
eeoio1 baa Tue glttering chandeliers; RI
he ricb Io4 from the brocaded furnitur
tbe cunt 'Nss' tue heavy ellken fOlQS
61re5' curtains, parted before the mu
ud so,, "'!-dows set with diamond
nanen tsuoIe5 OF glass, the golden OF
syrel oEec the marble mantle and IL
blfets 47TTa VA and cups on the rosewoo
N6rs ~ lae ceiling glowed with the fres
&yes 80 q Il !essco, whose trailing vines an
hscs,rooss9 themselves in and out anon
Ner 49, ~ ana polished rafters. The foo
sg.o ,1ose rotted holes we had trodden vii
hshn4a' WA WAS now vanished and waxed ii
Br m, ,, Ike mirror. O V
Va tbs appalling, the Incredible thin