The morning call., 1892-03-13
THE GHOST GLASS.

visited the place in my life, nor come within
fifty miles OF il, and yet | seemed TO remem-
Der every furlons of the road, every detail
in the landscapes outline. There stretched
the moors and peat tricks; there the chine
of Huel-Tor slanted toward the sunset;
there to the left the long coombes radiated
seaw2rd like spoKes of a wheel; and in the
gorge of the midmost coomhe was building
stuck ike a fshbone, Its gray Jaeo0ean
chimneys Just visible between the Noyem-
Der trees.
had looked down that eoombe as we
drove by, and catching sight Of these Chin
neys, | knew at once il was for them l had
been looking.
what house is that?" asked the driver
"Temenhuel." lie answered Guilty.
had certainly never head the name be
fore, nevertheless my lips were forming II
almost before the driver spoke.
"Who lives theref"
esquire PaTkyR."
That was not the name my ears were
longing fer; and / relapsed Into silence,
limiting NY brain for the right combination
Of syllables. WHAT was the name wanted?
could not tell at The time, nor why |
wanted il, / only knew that somewhere,
now at tie back of my head, now on my
toYgue-tip hung word ! desired TO utter,
but could not. And meanwhile the gray
mare trotted and the glg 0sclllated along the
road to Fiddler's Barrow. where | was to
sleep the night and in the morning examine
the Youngsters Of the Board School in the
village. mile beyond.
Il is not usual for a village to lie one mile
beyond its inn, and yet never doubted that
this must be the case at Fiddlers Barrow.
Nor was in the least surprised by the APP
rearauce of that lonely tavern, the Indian
Queens" with the black peai-pool behind II,
and in front the high road, along which lis
windows stared for miles, IS If seeking the
chests Of departei stage coaches ! knew
lie gaudy signboard with Tie TWO Indian
priaceSSsS Standing IN scarlet and blue gar
iueutS under s green Um brell3 and 2rae8eT
raln l knew Il. though in tie twilight il
was impossible - distinguish colorS. | res
csuirsd the hsppiDE->tCeS ana granite
drinkiaz trough beside ;he porch; | Teoas-
ujzei tie passage, too, and lei! GusIe Sure
that tie staircase lay 70 TIE TishI. which
proved 70 be ire casa ONLY Tie landlord
was u1fam ljar--2 lcoSs-fieSsei. heavy mSn
something ever SiN feet Ia heisnt Who ap-
peared IS liza gig drew IN, ana welcomed
me with sd Az Of anxious hospitality, as If
were Tie dT>t CUES Il arrive in years.
You BE- Mr. :. a. Rance, Sr?''
q That Is my name, l answered. stepping
down sni paying the man Who had driven
me from tie railway station, thirteen miles
10 the south. ~ ou got my letter?' asked.
lSS. surely lcht DSu UTc-l. SIT, an
fire in the blueT0om, an the cloth laid.
But my cid CONAN didn't like TO resk
cookiu' the fowl 'tI yoG was really come.
Trains be that uncertain, an 1t might ha'
been dyne to cinder. But in half an hours
time"
That will do very well. In the mean
while if you show me up to the bedroom I'll
have a thorough wash ana change my
clothes. for I've been travelling all day"
He brought a candle and led me upstairs,
had Ff.oF 4asFf.r H..
again. When-in what stage Of my soui's
history-had / been doing all this before?
How came | TO know SO well the Ionic pat
tern of these baluSterS? What on earth
was that tune was cumming? And what
on earih was the name l kept endeaYoring
10 Tecall2
The feeling passed of as ! entered the
bedroom, and flung of my dusty clothes
had almost forgotten II by the time l began
10 wash away the stains Of travel and rinse
the coal dust out OF my hair. And when
the landlord returned 10 conduct me to the
blue room my brain, l am sure, was empty
of all but the hope that the chicken would
prove tender, l smelt It browning as l de-
scended the stairs.
Therefore il fairly startled me when, as
the landlord threw open the door Of the
blue room and stood back to let me pass il
cane upon ne again, and this time not as a
YaEue recollection, but as a sudden fear,
that I ok NE, like a cold hand, by the
that ! stepped forward aud looked about
me- il something Ike blue funk; nor did
l hear The landlords question until he had
repeated II twice.
sip"
What have you?"
There is beer-I brew it myself-an'
sherry"
- VIII try your beer. then"
an there's the bottles WI the yaller
What do they hold?"
don't rightly know. But the seals
yaller an the stuff inside is red. because |
Dtohe bottle, in my clumsy way, only last
Lammas."
Very well; you might bring up bottle
after dinner"
He withdrew to fetch up the meal, and 1
looked about ne with curiosity. The room
was long one-perhaps 20 feet from end
10 end, and not less than PAGES broad. 1t
was walnscoted to the height Of four feet
from the ground with wood that, though
probably oak, had been iarded with dark
Due paint TIL not a trace Of its texture
remained visible. Above the wainscot the
walls were covered with fascinating
paper with green background, and upon
II party OF relocated riders in three
cornered hats, blowing large horns and
hunting fox. This pattern, striking
enough IL itself, became immeasurably more
bizarre when repeated dozen times for the
IoX OF one hunt chased the riders of the
next, and the riders chased the hounds
and so ON, in an nnbr0ken procession right
round the room. The window Of this strange
apartment was high, with short blue cur-
tains and cushioned seat beneath; and
nara by 1t there stood rickety spinet with
plated cruet on the top. an ormolu clock
under glass (tbe sort Of thing an agricul-
tural society inflicts on the tenant of the
bestcultivated farm within thirty miles OF
other, and toy cottage constructed with
shells and gum. In the center of the floor
whlch-saVe for a hearth-rug-was uncar-
peted, stood my dining table, Clearly spread,
win TWO plated candle-Sticks. each holding
three candles; and just beyond it japanned
screen that formed a cosy Enclosure round
the open fireplace.
But the most noteworthy object In the
room was the mantepiece, that rose on two
uuted plldSters and reached TO the Ceiling
! lie woodwork of this was untouched by
paint ana carved in the most ingenious
fashion with cherubs aud festoons of flowers.
looping up an oblOng mirror that seemed
about to tumble forward upon the hearthrup
over which 1t hung at a surprising angle
Ihe carving reminded nae of Grinding Glib
DOnS work at PetwOrth, aud the more
delicate parts were executed on the same
white wood, though in this case smirched
with smoke from the hearth below. Under
the mirror upon plain boss OF this wood
one word was cut in flowing ptal-"FUL"
was staring at this word ''fui' when the
landlord brought in my dinner.
"Ah! said he. "you'm lookin' at our
mantelpiece, | seeF'
Tell me-" | asked, do you know why
this word is written here under the mir
ror?" ma
We'll, 1 don't rightly know what it's
meanin' is, but they do say twas the word
O the Cardinnocks, that owned the land
here around i my gran'father's time"
'CardinDock" he spoke it | knew this
ior the name that had been haunting me for
hours.
THE family has gone?-ded out?"
why, jss: The way of it was a bit
curious, too"
dawu foil mo eta