Passaic City record., 1892-05-21

/ consciously injected by the proximity OF
the stiff Chippendale furniture and the
family portraits.
"Miss Carrick, madam" / said-s'at
your service"
| Looking back upon the circumstances
by the dispassionate light of the past, it
seems to me that this was the longest
evening l ever spent. Although the
trellis outside was covered with June
roses, the walls of The Grange were SO
thick, and the atmosphere so damp. that
| we sat close to the fire, and drank hot
tea and ate toasted mullins to keep our
selves warm, while Mrs. Pinkney related
to me in sepulchral whispers the history
of her grandfather, Squire Skellington,
| whilhom of Wales, who had built this
venerable mansion, apparently without
the slightest reference to the modern
| fads of drainage and ventilation.
.sHe was a man of unusually strong
mind" said Mrs. Pinkney, 'and 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 APP
pelation. l hope, Miss Carrick, !"
with a sudden pause in the stream of
words, ''that you are not superstitiouss"
ooh, not at all" said |, with chatter
ing teeth and ashy-whire face.
Old Hannah had brought her knitting
in, after the tea things were removed,
and sat at respectful distance.
eff ee missus likes to live over dead
an'-gone folks, DON'T" said Hannah.
stI'd ruther have live neighbors than
dead uns any time"
"You old goose" said Mrs. Pinkney,
with superior smile. ''All the bodies
were taken away years before my grand
father built the house, and re-interred
beside Saint Sulpiciuss Church, three
miles down the lake."
ssMaybe ee were, maybe ee weren't, "
said Hannah ssWhich room is ee young
mees to havea"
81 told you before-the south cham
ber"
s'Is it near yourss" whispered to
Hannah, as my new mistress leaned for.
ward to replace vividly painted fan on
the mantle. "Thank Goodness!" as she
answered me with nod.
The rest of the evening was spent in
readings from various authors and in
various styles to prove to Mrs. Pinkney
what my qualifications were, and she
was pleased to profess herself surprised
and gratifed.
"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 and crackers were produced,
and we went to bed, Hannah guiding me
with candle in an old fashioned silver
sconce.
"Hannah!" I cried, clutching her arm
as I look at the dim old chamber with its
carved high-post bedstead, it's polished
wood floor and the dim sheets of mirror
that seemed to glisten everywhere,
.twhere is your rooms"
ssJust 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 sudden became unpleasantly
aware that dim, opaque sort of face
was peering over my shoulder. I looked
around with a spasmodlc start. 1t was
only the reproduction of a feeble old
family portrait that hung above the
mantle; but I sprang on 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 urder 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 I
looked around for the little ound-topped
door of which Hannah had spoken; but
there was no door there, circumstance
which was after ward accounted for by
the fact that l had turned the wrong
way in my mad flight, 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.