The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-02-27
,ISELMERE.
THE MYSTERY OF NIGHTINGALE'S
BOWER.
CHAPTER I.

"Here ever and aye thrO the greeneSt
vale,
Gush the wailing notes of the nightingale u
Twilight's witching stiffness DER the
earth was creeping; on the bosom OF
night tired nature seemed sleeping
The bright stars appeared, one by one
very shyly at first, but as night ap
preached they grew bolder and soon
the deep, dark, blue vault of Heaven
was studded with shining galaxy.
Far down in the deep shadow of the
valley nightingale wooed his mate
with sweetest song, while over all the
baby moon had thrown a shimmering
veil and pinned it with star. Meath
the shadows of the trees, listening with
rapt expression to the song of the
nightingale, stood timid girl. The
song ceased and with sigh and lin
gering glance at the perfect scene
about her she turned and hastily ac
Quilted the spot.
"What an exquisite little creature, ,
murmured young man attired in q
shooting jacket, rising as he spoke,
from fallen log. He too had been
attracted by the nightingale's song and
had been listening for some moment:
when the girl appeared. Calling to his
dog he quickly disappeared in the same
direction the girl had taken and walk
ing quickly on he soon caught sigh,
OF the graceful figure he had seen un.
der the trees.
"I'll find out where she lives" he
thou ht and followed her then fol
about twenty minutes when from
among the dense shadows a gloomy
grey mansion was suddenly outlined
and the girl as suddenly disappeared
within the gates. The young man
gazed at the spot from which she van
ished and strained his eyes to get a
better view of the house. 1t was an
ancient, moss-grown structure, grey
and weather beaten; one wing had fall.
en- to decay and had long since been
the favored rendezvous of bats and
owls. A faint light was shining in
one of the lower windows, which
served to make the surroundings even
more ghostly.
"Great Scott!" exclaimed the girls
silen, pursuer, 81 wonder if my beau
tiful nymph of the forest lives there;
might as we'll cage sunshine; she seems
shrouded in mystety, but lhere'll be
one human prowler round here to
keep the other gnostly visitants COM
pany until find out who she is, and
why ore SO young and beautiful should
be buried alive in that gloomy man
sion.'
Now for word of introduction.
This young man, Ronald Thurston
although born within a mile of the
place mentioned, knew nothing of its
present inhabitants. Most of his time
since his fathers death had been spen,
in travelling, his lovely young mother
having died when he was but a tiny
child. A maiden sister of his mother
kept house for him and he being rich
young man with nothing to do bu
amuse himself it was quite natural fo
him TO be deeply interested in hi
lovely neighbor and the mystery sur
rounding her.
His own home, "Glen-Fern Villa,
was one of the most beautiful which
could be mag ined, and Ronald him
self, noble, true and generous, hand
some as Apollo, combined with the
eourlly manner ofa Chesterfield.
No one knew aught of the girl or
her family. The old tumble dowr
ruin referred TO had been Stunned by
the neighbors for years on account O
its gloomy surroundings and all were
very much surprised TO learn that il
was at last Inhabited. Who they were
or where from no one knew, theil
presence being discovered only by the
faint, blue line of smoke curling from
the Chlmneys.