The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1894-03-23

i'I've got some apples and chestnuts
in my bag, cried Polly, ssnnd some o.
-murTrpryr rN uUuynuurs. Sn6 thon1h
mebbe you hadn't nothin' baked up,
seein' Betsey was gone. Gimme q
candle, Miss Arden. 7 wouldn't go
through them halls in tho dark ag'in
for nothin'. could swear there was
spooks a-rushin' arter me-"
"What nonsense, Polly |" said /.
But, nevertheless, handed her the
bou5 5ht ut n sale on account OF its An
tiquity.
was just hanging over tho tea-ket-
tie when the scnffic of Polly Il footsteps
was heard once more. this time at rail
road rate.
81 wouldn't be hired to go through
that there study ag'in, Mis- Arden"
said she, slamming down tbe candle
stick on the table.
''Why, Polly, what's the matter?"
"rhem portraits starin' down al
me-" gasped the girl. "Their eyes o
follerin' me all lrouudl Gracious, what
n start it gimme!"
"Thats the way portraits always do,
rG!ly," cxplainedI. "You'rea goose I"
"I can't help it," painted Polly. "It
fairly makes me creep. An the woman
in white, standin' up on tho platform
she turned her head an looked ut
N =, she did"
"What, Polly--a wooden figure,
dressed like the Lady of Avenel?" and
I burst ont laughing. "Why, it's
iointed, like DOLL"
"Wcll, 1 can't help it. 1t did turn
it's head. And 1 wouldn't go back
there ag'in, Mis- Arden. not if you
was to give mo n silver dohar!'
"Wcll, Polly, You needn't" l
soothed her, perceiving that she was
really nervous and frightened. "We'll
have tea here by the fire, md after
wari we'll roast the apples and the
chestnuts. There are no portraits here
to follow you with their eyes"
And Polly soon forgot her tribula-
tions in the tea, the raspberry jam
and tho tales told her of life in beau
tiful, ice-girdled Montreal.
l made her up an impromptu bed on
IL sofa in my own room opening from
this cheerful, fire-lighted apartment;
but when she was asleep and snoring,
1 quietly threw n shawl over my
shoulders and relighted the candle.
81 will see after that fire myself"
thought l. There's no telling what
accidents might happen, and we are
not insured"
Nevertheless, ! could but remember
Polly's idea of the "spooks" as I
IN, .,,Vn fol
hall to the studio door.
Opening it suddenly, the drAught
blew out my candle but the moon il
Illuminated the room with faint silver
radiance, and one or two live cmbers
yet glimmered on the deep hearth, the
last remains of Rufus's cherished Yule.
log.
just in the line OF the big mullio ned
window the lay figure occupied its ac-
customed place on II carpeted dais
close to Rufus's easel, and CHANGING to
glance in that direction my blood
froze chill.
From beneath the white hood of the
"Lady of Avenel," which had been
Rufus's last historical study, n pair Of
real, human eyes seemed to flash a
sudden furtive look at me, and-was
it only N memory of Polly's panic, n
mere freak of my disordered imagina-
tion, or did the figure really move II
little?
With electric swiftness, the whole
thing rushed across my mind Rufus
careless words mt the railway station,
the stout stranger in tho fur cap, the
fact of my being alone and defenseless
i'll this solitary spot
Yet, after the first fright, my senses
seemed to rally themselves into a
strange calm. l relighted my candle
at the last Yule ember, covered it with
" bed of ashes, composedly walked
across the floor as if nothing unusual
had happened, and softly locked the
door behind me.
"He's welcome to the stage neck.
lace if he wants it. thought 1; "and
the money is safe in Branal-locked
desk. The studio window is a deal
too high for him to escape that way,
besides being guarded with a strong
wire netting; and 1 don't see how else
he can escape, unless he goes up the
Then [ went back to my own room,
where the fire cracked cheerily, and
Polly snored with soothing monotony !;
but the reader can easily imagine that
there was no sleep for me that night
With the crimson flush of daybreak,
/ was about to rouee Polly up and
send her down TO summon her father,
when loud knocking at the door
startled me-
1t was Rufus himselfi
"Well, pussy" said he, "were yon
nervous about being left alone? Igot
SaE. Penny to row me over the river,
and camo across country in cutter.
Here's Seth Shapley, with his OK team,
to take his girl home. Got any fire?
I'm half frozen to death.
"RuTus-Mr. Shapley!" / gasped,
"don't stop herei Come right to the
studio. Here's the key. I don't
know, but think-I'm almost sure -
there's man locked up there !"
Without pausing to answer their