The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-03-23

base was washed by the burn that
brawled and fretted down the ravine
below the castle, the building was
landmark in the district for miles
round. The scenery in the neighbor-
hood was stern and forbidding. Rock
and moor, heath and wood, scaur
and cliff were in evidence every
where. Yet escape from the glen
and Immediately one was amid idyl..
lie pictures of pastoral peace ard
agricultural fertility.
For centuries the Arnistons OF Lo-
dore had been the hereditary lords
of the district on all sides OF the
castle. About the middle of last cen
tury the head of the family had been
one Stephen Arniston, who lived to
a patriarchal old age, both loved and
respected and at length died, leav-
ing one child, the beautiful Jean.
The estate, being entailed, passed to
the nephew of good old Stephen, a
young man of considerable promise,
but whose estimable traits of ami
ability and 6. sity were sadly
discounted by az in headstrong-
ness and obstinacy >temperament
which, united to an extravagant love
of fattery, rendered him an easy
prey to any adventurer. To the gen.
tie Jean he had been betrothed at an
early age. Though during lengthy
residence with his regiment in the
low countries he was reported to
have contracted vices Of the most
degrading type, it was hoped that
the inhunce of his gracious and no.
BILE minded fancee would wean him
from such habits.
Great had been the rejoicings at
the castle over the arrival of Laird
Henry to enter into his new posses
sions. Attended by several friends,
among others Jasper Keith, he had
reached Lodore and had been warm
ly welcomed by Dame Helen Arnls-
ton and her beautiful daughter Jean.
But more than one sharp eye noted
that jeans welcome was rather
from the lip than the heart. Hand
some and debonair though Henry
was. there was an undercurrent of
insincerity in his manner that caused
her to recoil from him and in secret
to weep bitterly that he to whom
her heart was already given, her
other kinsman, Archie Rubislaw,
the only hope of poor but noble
family in the district, had not been
chosen as her husband
The short afternoon of Novem-
Der day was drawing to its close.
The weather was dull, lowering and
stormy. Heavy clouds were banking
themselves up on the southwestern
horizon, while the wind, with an
angry, sibilant shrek, was causing
the boughs Of the firand pine trees
that clothed the sides of the rayine
to toss their long, gaunt arms to the
sky as though in piteous protest. A
tempest of no ordinary magnitude
seemed brewing.
Apparently Jasper Keith's pro-
posal to spend the afternoon at the
gambling table had not been re-
ceiyed with favor. The party had
gone outside. but seemingly the
bleak prospect without was driving
them homeward. AS they came
along the approach leading to the
main entrance Henry was asked
some question regarding certain
rooms in the castle. He had been
unable to give satisfactory answer,
so when they met the old butler at
the door the laird said, "Watty,
didn't you tell me had seen all the
rooms in the castlel''
"Deed, aye, laird, and so ye have. !"
"Not every room, think" re-
piled Keith dogmatically.
"What have / not seen, Keiths"
"You have never entered those
rooms on the second floor of the
west wing whose window blinds are
always kept drawn, retorted Keith,
with his grewsome, Mephistophelian
laugh.
An exclamation of horror burst
from the old butler. He could scarce
ly find words to dissuade Henry
from eve1 thinking of entering the
rooms.
"Ye maunna gang in there, Lo-
dore. It's as muckle as yer life's
worth. The rooms hae been sealed
up for mair than hummer years. l
Gamma tell ye what for, but some
thing awfu' happened there, and
Laird Godfrey CARED seal them up. I"
Gratis and mice again, suppose.
These rodents have much to answer
for, Henry" sneered Keith.
81 shall enter these rooms tonight
or die, - cried the young laird, thor
oughly piqued by Keith's animad-
versions.
Lord sake, Lodore, dinna dae ony
sic thing. I tell ye the dell himsels S
in there. I've heard the maist awfu'
cries an the clankin O. chains ilka