The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-11-12

habit Of looking over our shoulders,
though l don't think any one remarked
1t but myself as if conscious some one
or something was ever beside us. A
malign influence seemed to have taken
possession of the place, and to have got
into all our hearts. Roger and Rose
had quarreled. Hadyn became often
sively attentive to my iancee and evinccd
such a growing antipathy toward my
self that all intercourse between MS be-
came uncomfortable.
"Many times in the dusk | thought !
saw that deyilish face, and the lips
seemed ever whispering diabolical
wickedness into the heart of some one
II pervaded the whole house, and the
only ones undisturbed were mother and
Mrs Kent
"'Oh, dearr sighed Rose one day
after tormenting Roger until he had
gone away with white face and wocful
eyes; 4 don't know what possesses me
nowadays. l seem to delight in wicked
ness, and never was so before What
can it be- RoyceT
"I believe some evil spirit haunts this
house, was my reply. Let us try to
induce the rest to go somewhere else for
/ the remainder of the summer
For moment Rose seemed seriously
| considering the subject; then l saw that
/ half turning Of the head l so dreaded,
and she laughed mocBingly:
"'Leaye this delightful place? Why,
Royce, you must be mad. l don't want
to go. rather enjoy being wicked.
It's a new sensation, you know, and she
ran off, seemingly much amused at my
disappointed face
II tried to induce Hope Kent to pro-
pose a change, but all to no purpose,
and so time ran on. One evening / was
walking with her on the terrace, and
her manner was so kind so like the
dear old days before we went to that ac-
cursed place, that l was emboldened to
ask her to set day for our marriage,
''At my wells she turned such a
flushed, happy looking face to me that
for moment ! was sure her answer
would be all desired But all at once
her expression changed, and | saw, OF
imagined l saw, for one horrible instant
that diabolical face beside hers, the ma.
licious eyes fastened upon mine, while
the lips moved beside her ear.
"Grasping her arm, cried excitedly
Rum Yielding to the impulse of my
hand, she sped lightly beside me tC
where the others were gathered on the
veranda; then she turned upon me witt
flashing eyes:
"'How dare you frighten me so? You
face was just dreadful.
''Of course l could not explain, but
have often since wished | had, even a
the risk Of ridicule and chaff. Aftei
that Hadyn was always more in favo
than myself, and her continued coldnes
almost drove me mad. There is no us,
in going over in detail all the events o
that wretched time, but here is list o
. the results;
"Mr. and Mrs. jackson have beel
through the mire of the divorce court
Mr.. and Mrs. Cairns welded bliss ha
. forever lost its flavor; father and MI
! Kent have dissolved partnership an,
are bitter nemies Mother and Mrs
Kent were the only ones uninfected b
; that foul Kama Rupa, yet they ar
made unhappy by their husbands ruI
T turing of lifelong ties. Rose Upham
/ married, but not to Roger Kent, who
l. going to the dogs in consequence"
IS Here my friend paused and gaze
r gloomily out upon the snowy street.
g "Well," l said, when the silence ha
'e lasted some minutes. "And you:"
z "Ig" There was flash in the fin
st eyes turned upon my face. II ferrete
ID out the history of that old house, an
Il found, as l had expected, that one of til
N most diabolically wicked of men ha
lie lived and died there, and that his infll
IN ence so peryaded the place that no OF
% had ever lived happily there since h
re time, also that more than one who ha
gone there pure and good had goI
lg away to a life of wickedness."
lie Another silence which lasted until
ne again broke it.
a "Is that all;'
he Not quite. Tie curtain falls on Il
ut last act of the drama tomorrow at
'e- Lukes, when Miss Hope Kent becom
Ill Mrs. Haydn Upham. Rye Johnson
ls Pittsburg Bulletin.