Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-06-27
AT HEYTON GRANGE.

sido him his gun case and fishing rods
Knowing that he was not man To spend
a great deal OF money on his own pleasure
guessed Mt once that he had boon lucky
enough 10 receive an invitation from como
ono who possessed fishing and shoning
rights. "Heilo, Gascoyne," / said M i
came up with him. whats tho gamo
nowp This looks something like business" ("
"Ah, my boy, says hc, II should think
II Is too. Old Jefferson has been looking
out for u country place for somo time you
know, and he has managed To find one up
In the north at marvelously cheap rent.
He's taken It for 12 months, and II no
likes II he has the chance of buying it at q
ridiculous figure"
why, what's tho matter with it9"
said. A. Az
"Oh, nothing" he replied, "that /
know OF, but 1t doesn't suit the owner for
some reason, and he has had it on his
hands for very long time and could not
let IL, and suppose no got tired Of 1t and
thought no would get rid Of 1t at any
price.
jefferson writes me that 1t Is really a
grand place, with some glorious shooting
and fishing and really magnificent house,
and he's asked me to go and have a
months sport. / thought IL was too good
chance to be missed, and SO 1 packed up
my traps at once, and I'm off"
At that the train came up, and after
seeing him comfortably settled in corner
seat and wishing him good sport and q
high old time 1 strobe away.
What was my surprise, In little more
than week afterward to meet him one
evening In the High street as / was re-
turning from business
"Why, Gascoyne, said, "whatever has
brought you back again SO soonp thought
you were going to stay month"
"Never a month would stay at that
place for any price," he replied, "but
come, let us walk up to the Ring of Bells,
at the end Of the village. We shall DO
quiet there, aud I'll tell you all about It.
1t makes mo feel SO queer every time
think Of it that really can't tell you with
out glass of something"
We went up to the old inn, and before a
comfortable glass and blazing fire we Lit
our pipes, and he commenced:
Jefferson was right when he said ne
had a splendid place. It's fallen into dis
repair little through being untenanted so
long, but Heyton Grange as 1t Is called,
Is a regular country mansion, with mag.
nihcent hall, fine, large entertaining rooms,
offices up stairs found he'd invited
quite number Of fellows, and intended
having regular shooting party staying in
the house, but he had asked me up day
or two In advance, 80 that we could have
quiet time together before the rest came.
I'VE had three most enjoyable days The
country round was magnificent. We had
a few idle shots, and cast a fly or two for
trout as we sauntered alone, talking Of old
times, and these lazy trials were sufficient
TO show US that we should have fine sport
when we commenced In earnest. We spent
these days alone, and jefferson and slept
together during that time, for we are old
friends, as you know, and liked better to
be with him than to be In the room allot-
ted to me In the faroff west wing until
that part Of the house was occupied by
some Of the other visitors. On tho fourth
day they came. We had glorious time Of
1t, and went TO bed tired out. / dropped
to sleep at once, but after some two hours
woke up, bathed IN cold perspiration
and with terrible feeling that could not
account for. Whether had been dream
ing or no could not tell, but raised my
self on one aim and looked around the
room, and there, right by the foot Of the
bed, saw-the bust of woman as though
the body had been cut through at the
waist
"The face was as white as marble, and
the eyes seemed to look beseechingly upon
me- Terrified, was unable to stir, and
the figure gradually ficated away and dis
appeared through the panels of the WALL
heavi1g as it did so low, deep sigh.
"Of course sleep was impossible after
that I lay in q state of terror until morn
ing, but managed to drop into trou-
bled broken slumber as daylight appeared
and slept on uneasily until / was startled
by knock at the door and the announce
ment that the first breakfast bell had
rung. went down to breakfast with the
effects Of tho nights apparition still upon
me, though wearing away and growing
fainter every moment, and before I had
finished my second cup of coffee what I
had supposed TO be the usual query in such
cases arose to my mind-could l. after all,
have fancied that the apparition appearedP
"Was 1t possible that it could be the re-
suit Of disordered imaginationp In the
night had made up my mind to tell my
friend what had occurred and leave the
house at once, but now feared the ridi-
cule of the company and was indeed likely
soon to laugh at myself and wonder how I
could have been so superstitious. raised
my head and began to join in the CONVEX
sation and to talk over the arrangements
for another good days sport, when at the
far end of the table noticed gentleman
who laughed with tho loudest yesterday
and whose sallies had amused us all, but
who was now silent and taciturn.
"He seemed quite unable to do justice
to the good things provided by our host
and only answered In monosyllables when
spoken to. 1t was evident that his mind
was i'll at ease, and that he was laboring
under some strong excitement. AS soon
as breakfast was over sought him out
and said to him. Il am afraid something
has happened to disturb you. You were in
such excellent spirits when we parted last
night and seemed so very different at the
table this morning that / feel sure some
thing must bc the matter"
No, no replied. I'm all right.