The times., 1897-09-12

went on, placing her chin n her Land
and resting her elbow on the arm OF the
big carved chair, in which. be it added.
sf.e looked much more picturesque than ur.
I1ttlebat did in his The idea OF a
specter walking ia one room for roo
years and net moving where t. find that
IoCm when she comes back from her va
cation is a little tco funnyF'
Jacob thought it would be If bis father
sneald happen to eome around At thai
minute, but he did not say So He only
said:
You are a scotch specter then, sup
pose2',
Certainly" said the ghost, turning her
great black eyes upon him. did yOu shink
| was New ZeaIandeTg''
'No-" said jacob, confusedIy. "but you
dou't talk Scotch"
w ell, and don't you think ghost caa
leaIT 70 speak decent English In seven nun
dIed years?'' inquired the specter. ssoru-
fnilg. 1.-The last family that ,ecEpieI
/ this castle were English. and they spoke
a s6Od deal be tier En- giisb than your father
does let me tell YOU read a lot uf heir
h'oks when got chance. but they didn't
/ ioei doors ana keep me wandering around
in tie dead of night till 1 Caught the belief
OF Ihetma tisln IL my shoulders
If you rlease," said Jacob, respert-
/ fully, would yCu mind telling me how you
came TO be gfost?''
on l waa killed by the men thar
sfnTmed this castle seven hundred yedra
! ago said the speCteT, 'sCmew here ~ the
/ second floor and II only knew where,
would 90 there. But your father has neen
taxing out windows and blocking up doors
I ahd altering stairwa ys until I can't pcs
/ sibly find the place now
( The saecteT slowed signs OF tears AMI
/ Jacob, Who rapidly reflected that by this
time his father was probably asleep. re-
/ solved TO do anything he could Tor her.
! He was afraid that If she wept she might
4 turn out TO be banshee.
If 1 We're TO 20 with you" he said,
and teri you Just where the aIteratI M
have been made, do you suppose you could
find the room?'
"Oh. yes, said the specter.
And when you find it, went on the IN
wardly quakihg Jacob, will you stay
Z in it,"
Oh. yes said the speoter; ..at least. 7
won't come out in my visible FORM
very well" said Jacob, we VIII 20
and look FOR the room"
HeHta candle and as he knew the alter
atiOns had mostly been made in his wing or
TIE castle, which had been very much IL
iapidated, he led the specter in an opposite
direction from that in which the rest II
the family We're sleeping. He expiained
IS well S he coGld the changes which had
been made, and the specter's eyes Eegan
70 light up with interest.
i think 1 begin to understand, ," said
she.
A any other time Jacob might have been
terrified at the thought of prOIneuadingov.r
/ a lonely and ,iisused part OF the castle With
"a specter, for lie was a welIread youn.1lau
and knew what such beings generally ,Io-
bGt Just at present he was mastered by the
overwhelming fear that his father. yg - was
very matter cr fact person, would awake
and see him. ard that after the spe,,ter had
vanished ana teft him TO make up a story.
ids father ana mother and Adelaide wound
/ allow The tale 70 come to the ears OF MS
! friend. Miss Van RuysdaIe. This would
ea-nSe her much annoYance, and being .
| properly brOugnt-up young lady she would
TOhab!y punish him for her aunoyanre.
They went al over the second floor and
Fart Of the third, and then. as a last fains
Tiy or hope flashed across his mind. Jacob
said;
stop; there is a little stairway which
We have not explored. ! think il rOes
down into the watch-tower."
They went into the waUch-tower ami
found .hat in order to make room FIR some
Sirt OF a closet OF St0reroOn, a donr bad
teen fastened up, and some heavy trunks
placed againsJ 1t.
'fhaE Is the room, exclaimed the Specter,
jCyfully. I remember lust how IL WIS
/ lra re4r &
| 81. ting in my tapestry chamber etabroid-
| ering q green rat. Then they barst !ut,
this door with their great swords, and"
i haven't any doubt Of it. interposed
| Jacob, hUrriedIy, for the sEecter's ewes
were beginning TO flash and he was afraid
size might get excited. but as We cannot
get Into that room through the door. 7
think We had better climb in at the
window"
Which your father has probably bUlfsd -
said tAe speoter, spitefully.
They went out INTO the moonlight and
Jacob, climbing into a tree which stood
near the watchtower. swung himself onto
the sill OF the window, and fond that fs
was not tolted. He opened il wide ana
then slid down the tree backward. cIanc-
ing over his shoulder as he did 20. But
the specter was stiH standing where she
had stood, and gazing mOUrnfuliy at the
window.
The room is open said jacob but
l don't see how YOU can ever climb that
tree"
Il think 1 can said the specter. II
you could give me a start
In his widest dreams Jacob had never
imagined that he would be called upon
to hoist q distressed speCter up a tree
but he was, and he did. After she had
got her foot on the lowest bough she
made hcr way easily To the window and
climbed over the sill.
Good hyP' said she. "and I am ever
so much obliged"
"DOEt mention it, said Jacob.
Then tx chmbed up the tree. shut the
window softly and locked it. fastening
the shutterS on the outside. They had.
doubtless been fastened in this way in the
young lady's lifetime. for there was a stout
iron bar which hooked into a staple in a
way that seemed very secure
Re waIScd around toward the front Of the
: house, fer lie wished 10 think awhile be-
fore going Up that stairway over Which the
men with the great swords had rushed 700
years age As he approached the front
door. two heads We're thrustou of a window
and two voices called out:
rs that you, Jaeobe''
Yes nia'am; yes. sir" said Jacob.
What are you doing out there IN ths
middle OF the night? Do you feel s.ck''
I