The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-12-28
a man, duncan. my boy. Fear nothing

a man, duncan. my boy. Fear nothin
and do your duty"
A grasp of the hand was all the goo,
bye I could make, and l was soon raj
ting away to meet the coach for Ed
inburgh and London.
l reached London in safety, an,
slept at the house of an old friend D
my father, who treated me with grea
kindness and seemed altogether to talk
a liking to me. Before 1 left he hell
out a hope of being able, some day O
other, to procure for me what 1 s,
much desired-a commission in tn,
army.
After spending a day or two will
him and seeing something of London
l climbed once more on the roof of Ihi
coach; and, late in the afternoon, wa
set down at the great gate of HiltOI
Hall. l walked up the broad avenue
through the final arch of which, a.
though a huge Gothic window, 1 saw
the hall in the distance. Everything
about me looked strange, rich and love
ly. Accustomed to the scanty flowers
and diminutive wood Of my own coun
try, what l now saw gave me a feelins
VI huoJVStlC piSLitS, Which, L Cdu IcCul
at will, but which l have never expe
rienced again. Behind the trees which
formed the avenue 1 saw a shrubbery
composed entirely of Towering plants
almost all unknown to me. ISSUING
from the avenue, 1 found myself amid
open, wide, lawny spaces, in which
the fOwerbeds lay like islands of color
A statue on a pedestal, the only white
thing in the surrounding green, caught
my eye. l had scarcely seen any sculp
ture, and this, attracting my attention
by a.favOrite contrast of color, retained
by its W beauty. 1t was a Dryad,
or some nymph of the woods, who had
just glided from the solitude of the
trees behind, and had sprung upon tina
pedestal to look wonderingly around
her.
At the same moment, from the base
Of the pedestal rose a figure in white.
graceful as the Dryad above, and
neither running, nor appearing to walk
quickly, yet fleet as a ghost, glided
past me at a few PAGES distance, and,
keeping in a straight line for the main
entrance of the hall, entered by it and
vanished.
l followed in the direction of the
mansion. which was large, and of sew
eral styles and ages. One wing ap-
peared especially ancient. 1t was neg
lected and out of repair, and had in con-
sequence a deSolate. almost s%epulchral
look; an expression heightened by the
number of large expresses which grew
along its line. [ went up to the central
door and knocked. 1t was opened by 4
grave, elderly butler, I passed under its
fiat arch, as if into the midst of the
waiting events of my story. For, as I
glanced around the hall, my conscious
ness was suddenly saturated, if 1 may
be allowed the expression with the
strange feeling-known to everyone,
and yet SO strange--that l had seen it
before: that, in fact, 1 knew it per-
fectly. But what was yet more strange
and far more uncommon, was that, al
though the feeling with regard to the
hall faded and vanished instantly, and
although l could not in the least sur
mise the appearance of any of the re-
gions into which l was about to be
ushered, 1 yet followed the butler with
a kind of indefinable expectation OF
seeing something which 1 had seen be-
fore; and every room OF passage IN
that mansion affected me. on entering
it for the first time, with the same sen
sation of previous acquaintance which
| had experienced with regard to the
hall.
1 was received by the housekeeper. a
little, prim. benevolent old lady. with
cOlOrleSS face and antique headdreSS.
who led me to the room prepared for
me. To my surprise l found a large
wood fire burning OF the hearth; bur
the feeling of the place revealed at once
the necessity for it; and l scarcely
needed to be informed that the room.
which was upon the ground floor. AMI
looked out upon a little, solitary, grass
grown and ivy-mantled court, had not
been Sudef or years, and therefore re
Quired to be thus prepared for an in
mate. Ny bedroom was q few PAGES
down a passage to the right.
Left alone l proceeded to make 6
critical survey of the room. Its
look Of ancient mystery was to me in
.cOmparably more attractive, than any
show of elegance OF comfort could have
been. 1t was large and low. paneled
throughout in oak, black with age, ard
worm eaten in many parts-OtherwiSe
Both of the windows looked
the court or yard before mention
ed. All the heavier furniture Of the
room was likewise of black oak. but
the chairs and cOucheS were covered
with faded tapestry and furnished
gliding. apparently the superannuateu
members of the general household Of
seats.
CTO BE CONTINUEDD