The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1892-06-15

of her grandfather, Squire Skelliugton
whilhom OF Wales, who had built this
venerable mansion, apparently without
the slightest reference to the modern
fads of drainage and ventilation.
"He was man of unusually strong
mind" said Mrs. Pinkuey, ''aud to
show his scorn of popular opinion he
built the house on the site of former
graveyard, which partly accounts for the
way people have of calling it Skeleton
Grange instead of using the proper ap-
pellation. l hope, Miss Carrick,"
with sudden pause in the stream of
words, "that you are not superstitious1"
ooh, not at ALL" said !, with chatter
ing teeth and ashy- white face.
Old Hannah had brought her knitting
in. after the tea things were removed,
and sat at a respectful distance.
''lf ee missus likes to live over dead
,n'-gone folks, l DON'T" said Hannah.
''Pd ruther have live neighbors than
! dead uns any time"
''You old goose" said Mrs. Pinkney,
with a superior smile. Gan the bodies
were taken away years before my grand
father built the house, and re-iuterred
beside Saint Sulpicius's Church, three
miles down the lake"
"Maybe ee were, maybe &c weren't, {"
! said Hannah. "Which room is ee young
mees to haveY"
81 told you before-the south cham.
ber"
els it near yours2" whispered to
! Hannah, as my new mistress leaned for.
ward to replace a wildly painted fan on
! the mantle. "Thauk Goodnessl" as she
answered me with nod.
The rest of the evening was spent in
readings from various authors and ia
various styles to prove to Mrs. Pinkney
what my qualifications were, and she
was pleased to profess herself surprised
and gratified.
"To-morrow," she said, 81 will show
you my books and curios, and your
duties will commence"
At eleven o'clock precisely some hot
lemonade aud crackers were produced,
and we went to bed, Hannah guiding me
with candle in an old fashioned silver
| sconce.
"Hanuah!' cried, clutchiug her arm
as look at the dim old chamber with its
carved high-post bedstead, its polished
wood floor and the dim sheets of mirror
that seemed to glisten everywhere,
"where is your room9"
"Just ee first one as ee came doom the
stair, miss, said Hannah, "with ee little
roond door. Don't ee fret, dear; cell
sleep rare and well, see if ee don't"
And wishing me goodnight, she with
drew.
! sat crouched on chair in front of
the antique toilet table, looking piteously
at my own white face and the reflection
of the glimmering candle.
| All of a sudden became uupleasantly
aware that a dim, opaque sort of face
was peering over my shoulder. looked
around with a spasmodIc start. 1t was
only the reproduction of feeble old
family portrait that hung above the
mantle; but l sprang on a chair and
resolutely turned its simmering face to
the wall.
AS jumped down again my eyes fell
on something that turned the warm cur
rents of my blood to ice-a pair of big
cowhide boots, stained with red mud and
literally set with nails in the heel, that
were protruding from under the chintz
valances of the bed.
One glance was enough. Iopened the
door and fled wildly out into the hall
without waiting for my candle.
AT the foot Of the winding stairs l
looked around for the little round.topped
door of which Hannah had spoken; but
there was no door there, circumstance
which was afterward accounted for by
the fact that l had turned the wrong
way in my mad fight, and taken the
south stairway instead of the north.
With a smothered shrek / made for
the apartment where we had spent the
evening, whose open door revealed the
remains of the still smoldering fire on
the hearth.
To my uuspeakable terror, was
confronted on the very threshold by the
crouching figure of huge Bengal tiger,
whose green, CLASSY eyes mirrored the
unleaping flames, and starting back, with
a wild shrek, lost all consciousness.
!, "Take me back homel Take me to
mother and Emily" was my piteous
murmur, as once more regained con.
sciousness and became aware that Mrs.
Pinkney was drenching my forehead in
lavender water, while old Hannah stood
by with sheaf of burnt feathers and q
pitcher of iced water.
"DOn't ee be scared, my deary," said
the old woman, soothingly. Snow don't
eew
"Hannah, hold your tonguel" said
Mrs. Pinkney. "The trouble is purely
nervous, and nerves can, and must, and
shall be controlled Now, Miss Car
rick, brace yourself up and tell us what
frightened YOU"
"a mani" gasped. Gliding
big, mob nailed boots under my Dedl"
"O-o-h!" said Mrs. Pinkney. "Is
that all9 Why, thought I'd told you
about 'em. keep 'em in every room of
the house, to make burglars think there's
men on the premises. told Hannah to
remove them from your chamber,
though
"As true as ee lives, ma'am," croaked
Hannah, zee clean forgot all about it'll"
"And the tigerl He sprung at my
throat" / sobbed, hiding my face in the
bedclothes.
"No, he didn't" said Mrs. Pinkney.
"How could he, when he's only stuffed,
poor creaturel put him there every
night since Don, the watch dog, was
poisoned, to startle any thieves who