The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-07

II<Y +
I LOOKED DOWN A LONG PAS
SAGEWAY.
that there was Il faint light coming up
from somewhere below. l could also
make out the outlines Of spiral stair
case leading to those lower regions. Not
being of the mind to remain where
was all night. l CROPPED my way down
these stairs. the light growing brighter
as I proceeded, until. after descending
as 1t struck me, about thirty feet. l
came to another open doorway, through
which l entered Il great square bed
chamber furnished and decorated in
the style of some age long passed away.
The bed was a large four-posted, cano-
pied affair. draped with heavy silken
curtains. The tiled chimney place was
big enough to roast an OK. and the
walls We're covered with stamped
leather and with dingy tapestries,
which Tapped and undulated in u
ghostly manner, with the current of
air that came down the stairway. Up
on massive table Of black oak. in the
delabrum, with four wax candles,
three of which We're burning A half
unpacked portmanteau lay open upon
a chair: several masculine garments
were scattered about the apartment
and these, together. with Il strong o1or
Of tobacco. showed that the chamber
had been lately occupied. From this.
to the conclusion that its tenant had
been the man who had gone off in the
balloon, was a logical step. A brown
velvet coat was among the garments
already spoken of. This was undoubt-
edly the coat he had bade me use in
the place of mine. | tried it on and
found that it fitted me very well. which
was not surprising as the man appeared
to be about my size. | should ment on
the fact. also, that gathered from the
short acquaintance / had with him that
he was about my age.
There was only one thing that now
wanted, and that was sleep. l wanted
IL badly and l wanted a great deal Of
it. So without more ado l flung myself
upon the feathers Of the great four
poster and almost Immediately fell in
to a sound and dreamless slumber
When l awoke. the sun was shining
brightly through a narrow, deeply en-
brasured window, high up on the wall
opposite me. | looked at my watch and
found that it lacked but few minutes
of ten o'clock. ] arose and dressed
hastily. / could hear the surging of
the Schreckenstrohm, as 1t swept past
the castle, but no sounds of life from
the building smote upon my ear This
struck me as rather singular, and made
me more anxious to reconnoiter the
premises. With the well-appointed
paraphernalia of my predecessor made
n n th.a hot
had become guest of the castle under
what might be considered somewhat
peculiar circumstances, and / wished
TO create as faorable an impression as
possible, upon my first appearance.
When ! had finished. / summoned to
my aid what small stock of effrontery
l was possessed of. and entering the
staircase of the tower and descending.
to the story beneath. ! passed into am
apartment directly under the one I had
occupied. This room was light and
airy. and from the view which I got
from the windows, i now judged that
was upon the ground floor. This
chamber seemed to be devoted to i'm
plements and trophies of the chase. Sew
eral pairs of antlers. some of them enor-
nous in size, We're posted above the
doorways: the head of a wild boar, with
glistenins tusks. was mounted above q
cabinet in the further corner and upon
one of the walls was displayed an as
sortment of muskets. bell-mouthed pis-
tolls and blunderbusses and hunting
pixies and blades, so ancient and curious
that it would make a collector burst
with envy to look at it.
Without lingering to inspect them,
opened door opposite to the one | had
entered and found myself in what ap-
peared to be refectory of the castle
The walls We're covered with landscape
paintings, as it seemed to me from a
cursory glance, by the best German
artists of the Seventeenth century: but
that which most pleased my fancy was
breakfast table in the center of the
room. spread with linen of snowy
whiteness. set with a profusion of sill
Yer. and best of all. furnished with a
collation.. smoking hot. and evidently
prepared for one person.
As entered here, I was certain that
l saw doctor close at the farther end
of the room. ! stepped quickly to this
door and opened it. and looked down
long passage way without seeing
anyone. Then I went along this pas
sage and entered several pantries and
Offices, still without coming upon a
living thing. and | began to be per-
picked, for all this time had not heard
not sound. save the dashing of the
torrent against the rocks outside. and
l was not accustomed to being waited
upon by ghosts. / now concluded that
the closing of the opposite door, as
entered the room, was done by the
pressure of air. AS pushed one door
open the other one closed That was
all there was of il, and it was q most
simple thing.
i was not surprised when I found
the meal already prepared and waiting
for me. There was nothing to wonder
at. 1t had. without doubt. been got
ten ready for the man. When they
heard me moving about in my cham
Der, they supposed he was coming
down and had placed it upon the table
/ had his coat upon my back, and it
seemed to me eminently logical that
his breakfast should adorn my stom-
ach. With this philosophical rehec-
ton, I sat down and made short work
of the fruit and coffee rolls. And
though set before me in such fam
tastic and ghostly way. very tangible
and satisfying and delicious l found
them.
After had finished lighted cigar
and lounged about the room for ten
minutes or so, thinking surely that
some servant would come whom
might interrogate. But none appear
ed; neither did / hear the least sound
indicative of life in that part of the
building near met. I then went up in
my own apartment. as had begun to
think 1t, and examined the belongings
of its late occupant. On looking at the