Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1892-01-07

ent, and / am persuaded that at
the time all thought, as / did, that
never was a gayer scene even at
Glendowie, never q host and host
ess more cordial, never a merry
eyed heir more anxious to be cour-
teous to all and more than cour-
teous to one. Dance succeeded
dance. The hour was late. but
another waltz was begun. Then
suddenly
And at once the music stopped
and the dancers were as still as
stone figures. 1t had been hor-
rible, inhuman scream, so loud and
shrill as to tear a way through all
the walls of the castle; a scream
uot of pain, but of triumph. /
think it must have lasted half
minute, and then came silence, but
still no one moved; We waited as if
after lightning for the thunder.
The first person / saw was the
earl. His face was not white, but
gray. His teeth were fixed and he
was staring at the door, waiting for
it to open. Some men fastened to
the door, and he cast out his arms
and drove them back. But he
never looked at them. The heir
| saw with his hands over his face.
Many of the men stepped in front
of the women. There was no
whispering, / think. We all turn
ed our eyes to the door.
Some ladies screamed Zone, have
heard, swooned; but We gave her
not glance) when the door OPEN
ed. 1t was only the African SER
want who entered, a man most of
us had heard of but few had seen.
He made sign to the earl, who
drew back from him and then step
ped forward. The heir hurried to
the door, and some of us heard this
conversation:
mot you, father; me-"
'Stay here, my son; entreat, /
command"
"Both," said the servant author
itatively; and then they went out
with him and the door closed.
The dancing was resumed almost
Immediately. This is a strange
thing to tell. Only a woman could
have forced us to seem once more
as we were before that horrid cry;
and the woman was our hostess.
As the door closed, my eyes not hers,
and saw that she had been speak
ing to the musicians. She was
smiling graciously, as if what had
occurred had been but an amusing
interlude. l saw her take her place
beside her partner, and begin the
waltz again with the music. All
looked at her with amazement,
dread, pity, suspicion, but they had
to dance. "Does she know moth
ing?" | asked myself, overhearing
her laughing merrily as she was
whirled pust me. Or was this the
woman's part in the tragedy while
the men were doing theirs? What
were they doing? 1t was whispered
in the ballroom that they were in
the open, looking for something
that had escaped from the castle.
An hour, l dare say, passed, and
neither the earl nor his son had re-
turned. The dancing went on, but
it had become an uncanny scene;
every one trying to read the others
face, the men uncomfortable, as if
feeling that they should be else
where, many of the women craven,
only the countess in high spirits.
BY this time it was known to all of
us that the door of the ballroom
was locked on the outside. Guests
babe our hostess goodnight, but
could retire no further. One man
dared request her to bid the ser
wants unlock the door, and she
smiled and asked him for the next
waltz.
About two o'clock in the morn
ing, many of US heard a child's
scream, that came, as We thought,
from the hall Of the castle.
A moment afterward We again
heard it-this time from the shrub
berry. / saw the countess shake
with fear at last, but it was only for
a moment. Already she was beck
oning to the musicians to continue
playing. One of the guests stopped
them by raising his hand; he was
the child's father.
"You must bid your servants un-
bar that door," he said to the
counfesS sfarnly 1sar I will forca ~