Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-01-21
CHAPTER III.
THE SPIRITUAL REvELRY.


THE SPIRITUAL REvELRY.
The haunted house was deluged in a
food of golden light. Melodious music
sWelled and sank and echoed among it's
halls and chambers as If all harmonious
and pleasing sounds were assembled
there, wrestling in ecstasies of unre
strained delight. In the dining hall a
princely banquet was laid ready for the
nights refreshment Fair maids and
gallant cavaliers, gentle matrons and
noble elder gallants, lent the charm Of
their bright smiles and delightful pres
ence to every nook, and in the great
north room sylphlike figures and fairy
forms glided through the dreamy move
ments Of quaint old Spanish reels, or
galoped with pretty grace and happy
attitude through the lively changes of
more gay and modern fandango; indeed
it was night of revelry and JOY.
The motherly lady who had met us on
the threshold ushercd us Into small
reception-room and left US in the pres
ence of the host, an aged gentleman with
silvery locks and a stately mi itary bear
ing, who was sitting in large oak arm
chair, speaking in bland, pleasant man
ner, to a group of friends gathered
round. Upon our entering he arose and
welcomed us warmly. Burton, after
shaking hands with several present,
passed into another apartment and
left me alone with the strangers,
Whereupon the host turned to me
and suavely said: "Senor, after your
nights ride you must feel, to certain
extent, the inroads of hunger. The
cloth is laid and ready for the feast. !"
TO ho Of ho
room he beckoned to some one within
and was Immediately joined by a queen
ly young lady of prepossessing beauty
and charming manner whom he present.
ed to me as as his daughter, the Senorita
the house as hostess. He gave me the
pleasant information that as | was the
only stranger among the guests, the
honor of leading the senorita in to sup
per tell to me. Noticing that the pre-
vailing tendency of the guests, by this
time was toward the dining hall, and
feeling the fair scnorita's hand already
on my arm, gave her my attention and
fell in line on the general march toward
the table, which, when arrived at, pre-
sented most gratifying abundance.
The viands and deiicacieS of the meal
had a remarkable significance. None of
the edibles were of the kind Or quality
common to earth. A mild fragrance
welled from every dish, and the palatahle
properties of every sample were the result
of culinary art different from any that
I was acquainted with Or had ever heard
or read Of Flowers OF unknown varie-
ties and Unprecedented loneliness poured
out their dainty perfume upon the air,
decorated the room, the table, adorned
the ladies' corsageS and bloomed upon
the lapelS of the gentlemen's coats.
Laughter, gay conversation and genteel
enthusiasm went round the board and
the whole company was in gay spirits.
The feast, the feasting. and the feasters
were a dream of aliment, radiance and
pleasure.
Supper over, the company again re-
paired to the north room and the dane.
ing and the music were resumed.
It fell to me to lead out in the after
supper reel with the fair Mon tinni, but
we had only got we'll TO dancing when |
discovered that was honored with an
other partner altogether. This senorita
was just as beautiful as the Montinni.
She noticed my surprise and said:
"Senor must dance with us all, so his
partners must change often" She in
troduced herself as daughter of Senior
Ell MuZa, who had been partner with
Montinni She was fascinating con-
' ersationalist, but of a mysterious
strain, mostly, and alluded several times
in vague way to mission in cOnnec-
ton with the villa and it's mystic people
which she said Fate had appointed me
to work out
A dozen tines within the next hour
and half were my partners relieved by
new ones. Each was as beautiful as the
rest, and as charming and as pleasant.
They all babe me welcome to the house,
and alluded to the same mysterious mis-
sion spoken of by the Senorita Ell MBza.
The mystery of the mission perplexed
me not little, but the ln5atuating rev.
elry of the dance, and the wild, sweet
music that accompanied it, did not suf-
fer nae to think seriously OD the matter;
so Old we whirled beneath the radiant
lights, guided by the wild notes of the
harp, The guitar and the violoncello-
the company fading and reappearing
ike people in dream as they glided
through the quaint figures of Eandangos,
walt es and reels.
Two hours after supper my last part
aer said to me: "The dance is done; /
the door of the ladies' room. where left
her, and upon turning around met our
gray haired host, wbo greeted me and
said: "You will see no more OF us till
TO- morrow night; make yourself per-
fectly easy and at home.
With these words be glided out, and
upon his disappearance the music
stopped, the reveiry ceased, the lights
went out, the company faded from view,
md, speeches. with amazement,
found myself alone in the haunted
house, in the chill air and gray dawn OF
wondering il l was asleep or
awake, in nay right senses or stark mad.
no BE CONTINUED.
biggest Game Ever Killed with Rifles.
John R. Davis, whose reputation for
truth and veracity has hitherto been be-