The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-26

doorway. A little Investigation showed me
that 1t had been doorway once. and had
been walled up.
Driven by a sudden impulse, went
around TO the back OF the house and exam
| ined the wall. There had been an arched
window once, but it, too, had besp walled
~. and there was scarcely an outline of it
left
Notwithstanding all that had seen and
heard was dull enough about it. | won
dered curiously why tney had made a wall
IA feet thick between the two rooms, aud
Why they had closed up door aod win
dow TO do it, but at that time | was very
far from suspecting the truth. I worked
with feverlsh energy that night, writing
until near midnight in the hope Of firing
myself down so that could sleep, but once
more scarcely had fallen into my first
sound slumber when | was startled wide
| awake in an instant. This time my blood
ran cold, for the sound that had startled
me, coming from beyond the wall,
was long, wild scream. / never in
all my life heard q sound OF such herr n
and fear l was half way across the room
before was fairly awake. shook aud
trembled all over like one i'll an ague. For
the first time in my life had completely
lost my self-control and abject fear had
complete possession of me. Before could
move the scream came again, and then all
at once it burst upon me thai this was
not 14-foot wall, but room, with every
door and window closely sealed.
Like q maniac ran to the old womsn's
room and beat upon the door until she GA no.
The room, the room the walled-ln ROOM
cried, unconseiously shaking her until her
| teeth chartered. Somebody is in there--a
woman. tell you'll l can hear her crying
and screamingp
And then the old woman, her dark face
| taking on look like a demons, broke
| auvas from ,,,I hAv- al. "A g.
at the wall. crying:
| LET her scream, curse her! Who cares
for thata She was my sons wife-my sons,
| do you hear and she was false to himl--a
curse upon the evil hour when he first
looked at her white facei-apd told him
what to do and we did it. l helped him
| with my own hands. Now let her scream /
have heard it many night, but what do
| | carer ~
The look Of demoniac rage on the face OF
the old crone, coupled with her horrible
| words, was too much for me- | tried to
get out Of the room, bat fell on the door
stone, and swooned away for the first time
in my life.
when 1 recovered consciousness aud
crawled back into my room l felt myself a
total wreck. mentally and physically, My
| mind was in a whirl and could fl 10 upon
nothing, and so l passed the night. As
morning came, however. l was able 10 form
| some KIND or resolution to open that room,
| no matter what it might cost.
MY resolution was seconded in q strange
way. The first one who entered Mother
Gano's apartments the next morning found
her lying on the floor quite dead. / have
always believed that her paroXysm of rage
| killed her and that abe was already dead
| that night before had gone from thereon.
However that may be, 1t transpired that
she bad no heirs, her only son having com
| mitt0d 6ulci6a some Vaara bafOra and that
her property would go to the state. This
| being the case went to the proper author
| tiles and by dint of little judioious brib-
cry, l managed to buy the house without
any preliminaries. Within two days after
the old women's death the house was mine
and was there with workman whom
had brought over from tho rnines-a white
man that l could trust-and we were ready
| to open the walled .iu room.
| 81 made the workmen begin on that part
OF the wall where the door had been closed
up. Piece by piece he chip ed out the NOR
| tar and the small, uneven stones. AS the
| work proceeded became like one possessed
1 pushed the way away, and, asizlng his
| pick, dug and tore at the wall, show
Ing down the stones and mortar on the
floor. After awhile hole was broken
through and were face to face with that
| inner darkuess
"a horrible order rushed out at that open.
| Ahk hhN o1SoAAoO US IilNluH I'LL UuCH
from the wall and turning me deathly sick
| But in a few moments | rallied and began
| tearing at the wall feverishly, aud after
awhile the opening was large enough So
that we could take a lamp and into that
horrible room
Nothing moved. except where ths unac-
| custorned breeze from the outer world
stirred silksn curtain. The room had once
been lady's boudoir, it seensed. A soft car
pet was underfoot, and the drapery was of
the finest. Two large mirrors hung opposite
| one another on the walls and beautiful
dresser OF some dark native wood elab,
orately carved, was covered with the
dainty appliances OF the toilet, as though
the mistress had just left it. a wardrobe
like the dresser stood in the corner and
opening the door curiously, found it hing
| with elegant dresses, eou.e of them trimmed
with the finest Of Hlmy lace On the upper
shelf stood a pair OF tiny slippers still wear
ing the impression OF the dainty feet that
had worn them. Upon the wall, ne r
one of the mirrors, was q pict-
ure Of beautiful girl, her hair a mass
of gold-oh, the face haunts me yeti
cannot talk of it, for when we went nearer
TO look at it, aud the workman held the
lamp up to get better lignt, be suddeply
recoiled and pulled me back. There at our
feet lay an awful thing-a skeleton, with
| the remnants OF stIken dress still upon IL,
and with masses Of golden hair wrapped
and twined about the bones and tangled in
the fingers. o, it was horrible! i never
will forget i'll staggered out OF there and
fell upon my bed and was sick for two
weeks-so i'll that knew nothing OF What
passed. The workman took matters in his
own hands. When l recovered conscious
ness be had closed up that door again and
smoothed it over, and l let it remain se.
wouldn't have looked into that room again
for all the money in the universe. sold
the place to that workman when / came
away, and he promised me that he would
| guard Its secret
LAS to the sounds I heard, who knowsl
l don't The whole affair has puzzled rt1e
beyond endurance, and my health gave way
so under it that had to come home. Every
body thought it was the climate, bot it was
not. 1t was the walled-in ROOM There
was no life in that room-there had not
been for years-apd yet 1 knew that the
fair young wife of q jealous Mexican shut
up IA thai living tomb, had wept and
pleaded for help, and had gone mad and
died at last with screams and maniac
laughter on her nps.n