The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-11-09

: 20 Clifford, if you had not come!
J 1t will be so much harder TO part
now"
There is some mystery here" be-
gan. Why do you not wish to marry
me. when you confess you love me?''
Il cannot leave my father. He is far
from being well, and has some secret
trouble What il he should die sud-
denly, alone, here in this gloomy
placer" and she shivered.
How curious." I said. Has your
father given up society? He used to
be so fond of it
please don't laugh at me-" she be-
began deprecatingly. II think some
times, the house is haunted, or that
my father is affected with singular
malady. He has changed so much"
We'll, have you seen the ghost?
mo; yet 1 am not sure but that /
have heard it. There are noises and
sounds it seems impossible to account
for. / was so frightened once, and so
sure they came from the chapel, that
told father. Ee took me all through
( il. There was nothing unnatural or
supernatural. SO far as l could see"
Was your father really i'll that sum-
mer?"
l-c says hOl- IAc NaiiiAoS oedk "
hear 1t spoken of. though.
Possibly ne might have had some
sort of an attack that affects his mind.
! But, as he says. it is killing you" and
/ clasped the dear form that trembled
/, SO.
THAT is what I am afraid Of" she
said, slowly. Another might pros
trate him entirely. l cannot leave him
/ Now you know why 1 was not willing
! you should be sent for"
! When we retired it was quite late.
She lighted me 10 my room. and hoped
/ in a pretty, shy way, I would sleep
well. 1t old me good TO see her face SO
! radiant and | gayly told her to s. nd
the ghost TO me, if she heard it: that 1
was desiroUs OF making its acquaint-
ance.
Being a lover, I own 7 should have
remained awake in fond vigil ! am
ashamed to say feel asleep, but some
time in the night / started. and found
myself sitting up in bed. The window
near me was open, the night cloudy
Something struck my ear quite diff
ferent from the hum of insects
sprang TO the window and leaned out
i could have sworn that in the direc-
ton of the chapel l heard a human
voice chanting THE Marseillaise" No
words reached me. only the stirring
infections of the tune. 1t was faint
and smothered. I had to listen with
every sense stretched to its utmost
tension. Then | was sure | heard
step at my door. Unaccountably
enough, / had not bolted it, 1 opened
1t noiselessly and peeped out There
was a faint light at the end of the
hall, and figure going down the
stairway. I knew by the bent head il
was Rothelan.
1 remembered seeing in the ward
robe where / hung my coat a long
black camlet cloak. Hastily snatch
ing this, and putting on my list slip
pers, 1 stole through the hall, down
the stairs. through the winding pas
sages, keeping far enough behind him
to elude his sight if he should turn the
lantern suddenly. j saw him pause at
the chapel door and take a survey
of the last hall. Then he waited in
terminably, 1 thought, but finally un-
locked the door. took the key out, en-
tered, and relocked 1t on the inside
I went down and listened. There was
certainly sound, a fitful. querulous
voice, now high, now low; but whether
1t was Mr.. Rothelan or another person
or dog, I could not tell Fearful at
length Of being discovered, l tried to
grope my way back.
This was no easy task to a stranger
followed the wall until 1 felt certain
1 had gone all around six times at
least, before 1 found the stairway.
Then an agony of fear seized me.
Suppose / should enter the wrong
room? l knew mine must be nearly
at the end of the hall, so l went
along, tried two doors that were
bolted, and came to one standing ajar.
l did not feel satisfied until 1 had ex-
amined nearly every article of furni- |
ture, and found my boots and travel |
ng bag.
There was no further adventure that |
night, neither any sleep for me- I |
ransacked my brains for all the sin |
gUlar stories that had ever found |
Judgement there, and last OF all Jane |
Eyres ghost fitted across my mental |
vision. In an instant the fabric rose |
complete. II was evident to me that /
there was some one confinsd il the |
chapel. Mr.. Rothelan might have
formed some scrsjitable connection /
that refused to be shook of at his /
pleasure. She, it was a woman. OF /
course-had been brought or followed .
him here. and for some reason II was
necessary 70 preserve the strictest Sc
crecy.
For the next three days and nights
nothing mysterious occurred 1 be-
gan to wonder whether had
dreamed that nocturnal ramble
instead OF taking IL. It was
evident Mr.. RotEelan Gid not mean
should enter ,he chapel; he skilIfulIy
svaded every attempt on my part.
Each day he grew more anxious about
cur marriage. though he rarely spoke
20 Edna on the subject. After long
one morning. during
which he had shown a great deal of
irritability, I suggested that il his
health was restored, Edna would feel
more willing to leave him, and pro-
posed that he should leave here and
seek more cheerful abode.
He shuddered visibly.
NO" he said. II like the old house.
/! couldn't live away from il In ny
young days I was gay and enjoyed
life. and l want her TO do the same. /
Now I am old. and like solitude. but
IL frets NE 20 see her rnoping about 1
should be better II she was away. and
she would, tco. Tell her I'm willing
that I want her 10 GO
think I made some progress i
watched over her as il she had been
a baby. 1 question If she had ever
been so tenderiy cared for. / made
myself absolutely necessary 70 her
governing loving and taking
n -