The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-12
RODNEY STONE.
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.
CHAPTER 1T.-CovriSUEp.

q h'lhN Wv 'A''h w hth' WV w W = ~
cham wood. and that Jim eaid that perhaps II
was tho last " him. I was still at school, but
Jim had left, he being nigh 10 and | ~. II
was my saturday half holiday. and we spent II,
ms we often did. out upon the downs. Our IA.
vorite place was beyond wolstonbury, where
we could stretch ourselves upon the soft,
springy chalk grass among the plump south
down sheep. chatting with tho shepherds as
they leaned upon their queer old Pyccombe
crooks. made In the days when Sussex turned
out more iron than all the countries OF England.
1t WIS there that we lay upon that glorious
afternoon. If we chose to roll upon our right
side the whole weald would Ito In front OF us,
with the north downs curving away In olive
green folds, with here and there the snow
white rift of n chalk pit. II we turned upon
our left we overlooked the huge blue stretch Of
the Channel. A convoy, as can well remem.
Der, was coming UP II that day, tho timid flock
of merchantmen in front, the ~frigates, like
well-trained dogs. upon the skirts, and two
burly drovcr line of battle ship, rolling along
behind them. My fancy was soaring out to
my father upon the waters, when n word from
Jim brought il back onto the grass like n
brokon-winged gull.
"Roddy," said he. have you heard that
Cliffe ROYAL is haunted2'
Had ! heard it2 or course I had heard II.
Who was there in all the Down country who
had not heard of the Walker of Clifre Royal2"
DO YOU know the story Of It. Rcddy2'
why" said !, with some pride. ~ ought to
know IL. seeing that my mothers brother. Sir
Charles Tregellis. was the nearest friend of
Lord Avon. and was down at this card party
when the thing happened. / heard the vicar
md my mother talking about II last week. and
it was all so clear to me that I might have been
there when the murder was DONE
1T IL n strange story" said Jim. thought
fully. but when | asked my aunt about II she
would give me no answer, and. as to my uncle,
he cut me short at the very mention of It,"
There Is a good reason for that, said !. 'for
Lord Avon was, MS l have heard, your uncle's
best friend, and 1t IS but natural that he would
not wish to speak Of his disgrace"
Tell me the story, Roddy.."
ut is an old one now-fourteen years old
and yet they have not got to the end Of It.
There were four OF them who had come down
from London to spend a few days in Lord
Avon's old house. One was his own young
brother, Capt. harrington. Another was his
cousin, Sir Lothian Hume. Sir Charles Treg-
lis, my uncle, was the third. and Lord Avon
the fourth. They are fond OF playing cards
for money. these great people. and they played
and played for two days and a night. Lord
Avon lost. and Sir Lothian lost. and my uncle
lost. and Capt. harrington won until he could
win no more. He won their money, but above
all. he won the papers from his elder brother,
which meant a great deal to him. 1t was late
on II Monday night they stopped playing. On
the Tuesday morning Capt. harrington was
found dead beside his bed with his throat cut"
And Lord Avon did it."
His papers were found burned in the
CRATE. His wristband was clutcked in the dead
mans hand. and his knife lay beside the body"
Did they hang him them
They were too Glow in laying hands upon
him. lie waited until he saw that they had
brought it home to him, and then he fed. He
has never been seen since, but 1t lie said that
he reached America"
And the ghost walks?"
There are a hundred who have seen It."
why is the house still empty2"
because 1t is In the keeping Of the law.
Lord Avon had no children and Sir Lothian
Hume. the same who was at the card party, is
his nephew and heir. But he can touch moth
ing until he can prove Lord Avon tosbe dead"
Jim lay silent for n bit, plucking at the
short grass with his fingers.
"Roddy,'' said he at last, will you come
with me tonight and look for the ghosts?'
1t took me aback. the v cry thought of 1t.
My mother would not let me-"
slip out when she's abed. III wait for you
at the smithy."
"Cliffe Royal Is locked"
III open a window easy enough"
I'm afraid, jim
But you are not afraid II you are with me.
Roddy. I'll promise you that no ghost shall
hurt YOU"
So ! gave him my word that I would come,
and then all the rest Of the day | went about,
the most sad-faced lad In Sussex. 1t was all
very well for BOY jim! 1t was that pride of
his which was taking him there. lie would 20
because there was no one else ON the country
side that would dare. But | had no pride Of
that sort. l was quite OF the same way OF
thinking as the others, and would as soon have
thought o: passing my night at Jacobs gibbet
on Ditchling common as in the haunted house
of CliGe Royal. Still, l could not bring my
self to desert Jim. and so, as I say. | skunk
about the house with so pale and peaky a face
that my dear mother would have 1t that | had
been at the green apples and sent me to bed
with n dish of lie tea for my supper.
England went to rest betimos in those DAYS,
for there were few who could afford the price
of candles. When | looked out OF my window
inst after the clock had gone 10 there was not
a light in the village, save only at the inn. 1t
was hut a few feet from the ground, so |
slipped out, and there was Jim waiting for me
at the smithy corner. We crossed the Johns
common together. and 81 past Ridden's farm.
meeting only one or two riding officers upon the
way. There was a brisk wind blowing, and
''N '''' NF' y 49, '''W ~ 80
scud so that our road was sometimes silver
clear and sometimes so black that we found our
selves among the brambles and CONSCIOUSNESS
which lined il. We anne at last to the wooden
gate with the high stone pillars by the road
side, and, looking through between the rails.
we saw the long avenue of oaks, and NJ the end
of this ill-boding tunnel the pale face of tho
house glimmerlng In the moonshinc.
That would have been enough for me, that
one glimpse of II, and the sound of the night
Kind signing and groaninG among the branches.
But Jim swung the gate open, and up we went.
the gravel sVueaking beneath our tread. 1t
lowered high, tine old house. with many little
windows In which the moon clinted. aud with
n STRIP Of water running round three sides of
II. The arChed door stood right in the face Of
us,. and ON one side II lattice hung open upon
its hinge.
"We'rc In luck, Roddy," whispered jim.
Heres one of the windows open"
"Dun't YOU think we've gone far enough.
JIM, sait ], vita my teeth chattcring,
sl'l litt won in first - |