Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-06-03

made a quaint little courtesy, un-
consciously infected By the proximity of |
the stiff Chippendale furniture and the
family portraits.
"Miss Carrick, madam" I said-"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 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.
ssHe 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 a 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 a sudden pause in the stream of
words, "that you are not superstitiousF
ooh, Tot at ALL" said I, with chatter
inc teeth and ashy- white face.
Old Hannah had brought her knitting
in. after the tea things were removed,
and sat at a respectful distance.
eff ee missus likes to live over dead
an'-gone folks, DON'T" said Hannah.
cpd 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 Sulpicius's Church, three
miles down the lake"
"Maybe ee were, maybe ee weren't, "
said Hannah. 'sWhich room e &c young
mees to have2"
81 told you before-the south cham
ber."
els it near yours2" I whispered to
Hannah, as my new mistress leaned for
ward to replace vividly-painted fan on
the mantle. "Thank Goodnessp 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 gratified.
stTo-morrow, she said, ~ 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 look at the dim old chamber with it
. carved bigh-post bedstead, its polished
wood floor and the dim sheets of miro
, that seemed to glisten everywhere,
o 'swhere is your room?'
4 "Just ee first one as ee came doom tn
- stair. miss" SAID Hannah, "with ee littl
4 roond door. Don't ee fret, dear, eel
II sleep rare and we'll, see if ee don't"
And wishing me goodnight, she with
T drew.
Y I sat crouched on a chair in front O
e the antique toilet table, looking piteousl
Y at my own white face and the refectio
: of the glimmering candle.
l. All of a sudden ! became unpleasant
aware that a dim, opaque sort of fac
r was peering over my shoulder. I locke
o around with spasmodlc start. It wa
b only the reproduction of feeble OIL
1T family portrait that hung above th
,e mantle; but I sprang on chair an
), resolutely turned its simmering face
d the wall.
d AS jumped down again my eyes fe
a on something that turned the warm cur
rents of my blood to ice-a pair of bi
!" cowhide boots, stained with red mud an
d literally set with nails in the heel, ths
IS we're protruding from under the chint
in valances of the bed.
" One glance was enough. Iopened tt
Is door and fed wildly out into the ha
W without waiting for my candle.
10 At the foot of the winding stairs
~ looked around for the little round-toppe
door of which Hannah had spoken; b'
r there was no door there, circumstanc
no which was afterward accounted for b
the fact that I had turned the wron
of way in my mad flight, and taken tt
t. south stairway instead of the north.
in With smothered shrek I made fl
10 the apartment where we had spent tt
id evening, whose open door revealed til
ne remains of the still smoldering fire 0
the hearth.
o. To nv unspeakable terror, I W