, 1897-04-07

become. However. as l took one STEP
toward the door he rcappeared, carrying
a lamp which cast a curious shadow ON
the wall.
Come up stairs" he said quickly.
Harold is there. Step quietly" And
he led the way into n large room. which
struck me as the most uncomfortable
bedroom / ever entered. But instantly
my whole attention was fixed Oh a slim,
boyish figure lying on the bed. fully
dressed. with the blood flowing from a
deep wound in his left side.
For a minute / thought him already
dead. but he raised his head feebly as
we entered and whispered family:
Guy. it was my fault. l struck you
first"
Chilvers leaned over him and raised
him in his arms, SO that the fair, curly
head rested OIL his shoulder, and said:
I'VE were mad. Harold. both of us.
She was not worth my brothers. life.
Here"-and he beckoned Inc to approach
the bedside. Save this boys life and
all my property shall be yours"
l was about to protest that doctors do
not take such exorbitant fees, but even
as l stepped forward the lad turned
from me with Il painful effort, chung to
his brother and sobbcd out his young
life in his arms.
l was Mortified, although in my pro-
fessional experience / had attended
scores of deathbeds. In silence l I'D
vanced to help the poor young man, but
he laid down the lifeless form and came
to my side, saying coldly:
you are too late, sir. Now 60" And
he pointed to the door.
but, Mr.. Chilvers," began, sit is
necessary that My sentence remain
ed unfinished. Something, l know not
what, took possession of me, and l found
myself running like a mailman down
the dark avenue, without any knowledge
of how or why l left the house. A great
terror overcame me, but my good Dixie
was still tied to the gatepost, and l
scrambled into the buggy and urged
him homeward.
When my man arrived next morning,
he said responsibility: "Whatever's been
happening to Dixie, sir? He's that done
you'll not be able to drive him for q
week"
II was summoned in q hurry last
night" I replied with caution. John,
does DR.. Seward usually attend the PEG.
pie at The Laurels?"
The Laurels? Why, bless you, sir,
there amt no people there. It's been
empty for years" was the astounding
reply.
A little later l met the rector as l
was going through the village.
The reverend gentleman saw at a
glance that l was much perturbcd, and
l tried to talk ~commonplaces. Soon,
however, the question slipped out, do
you know anything of The Laurels?"
"Ah, it Is a strange, uncanny place."
was his answer. mo one lives there,
and the natives all give IL u wide berth.
Two brothers named Chilvers owned it
at the end Of the Inst century. Legends
say that they were devotedly attached
to each other, but both were high spirit.
ed, fiery tempered fellows, and-a
woman in the case-doctor. they fell in
love with the same girl, a niece Of one
of my predecessors, I believe. Their
servants, who lived on we'll into this
century, used to say that she secretly
favored Harold, the younger, but one
day she promised to run away with
Guy. The boy Che was scarcely more)
discovered this, and, i'll a passion. struck
his brother across the face.
"They fought n duel, and it was not
until his brother lay dying at his feet
that Guy relented. Then he searched
the country far and wide for a surgeon,
and found II ut last-just too late.
The boy died as they entered the room.
Guy blew his brains out the day of the
funeral, and the villagers have some
foolish tale that the house is haunted.
But that is, of course, mere talk"
"What day did all this take placer
l gaspcd, feeling sick and giddy.
LET me see, Iknow-somewhere this
time Of year." said the rector. why,
it was the LIST of April"
My strange experience has always
been an unexplained mystery to me.
That I was potdreaming was we'll proved
by the mud on the buggy, by poor Dix
les exhausted condition and by the
mark of wheels in the deserted drive at
The Laurels. john I. Hall in Owl