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

Gle OF guests, and rs lio raised the
wine cup over his head he cried: Il
nave one more toast 10 propose. We
have drunk the health of the Laird
of Lodore. Let us dripk-drink
prosperity to tho Luck of Lodore,'
and let the laird honor the toast by
drinking to it from the Luck of Lo-
dore' itself"
From the lips of Dame Helen, her
daughter and old Watty expressions
of horror fell.
Stop, Henryi Do not agree to il
the honor of the house may pay
for It'll" cried the beautiful Jean
pleadingly.
Il must see it! Watty, bring the
Luck Of Lodore.'"
For an instant the old butler hest.
tated; then, seeing his master was
in earnest, he slowly left the room.
After some delay he returned, bear
ing with him a curiously shaped
box. This he unlocked, and then,
after stripping off several coverings,
he exhibited to the gaze of the com
pany an antique crystal goblet, curl
ously cut and with certain strange
hieroglyphics inscribed around it.
THAT is the Luck O. Lodoro,'
Master Henry, said to have been
glen to ane O. your ancestors by
the great wizard. Michael Scott. SO
lang as it is kept safe, so lang sail
there be ane O the name O. Admission
alive to heir the estates. For five
hummer years it has been preserved"
"Indeed!" sneercd Keith. land
the stability of the great house of
Lodore rests on go feeble a founda-
ton as a piece of brittle glass! Stuff
and nOnsensoi"
Fill it with wine, Watty, and
then pass it round, that each guest
may say he or she has taken Il draft
from the Luck of Lodore.'"
The old butler did so with trem-
bling hands and then returned the
goblet to Henry, who drained the
contents that remained.
What piece Of degrading super
stition! Can it be possible that amy
one believes that the present family
would be either the better or the
worse Of that goblet being broken:'
vas Jasper Keith's ,enNarI, ;is Henry
stood holding it il his hands. The
fumes of the wine were mounting
into the young mans head, and the
spirit Of brav;luO got the better Of
him.
you ara right, Kcith!' he cried.
We'll see whether the Luck of
Lodore' is Il true or false prophet"
With these words he dashed the
crystal goblet on to the floor. A
shrek broke from all present. Dame
Helen covered her face with her
hands. Jean darted forward toward
Henry, while poor old Watty, with
a cry of anguish, rushed to the spot
where tho goblet had fallen. at that
moment a tremendous peal of thun-
der literally shook the castle, as
though in horror of the laird's &C
ton. A mighty rushing wind also
seemed to pass through its galleries
and corridors, and borne on it's wings
like the wall of a lost spirit came the
words. Doomed, doomed, doomed!"
Yet through it all, with his cold,
%supercilious smile on his lips. eat
Jasper Keith. lone superstition the
less" vas his sole remark.
All was confusion now Watty had
found the goblet, and, singularly
enough, almost intact. The slender
stem alone was broken, but SO that
it admitted of repair. YET no sooner
had Jean perceived this than she
said in a low voice to her mother:
ut is the stem that has snapped.
Henry is doomed"
But the old butler, without further
remark, replaced the Luck of Lo-
dore";n its Gashet and bore ;taway.
The old mans face was ashen pale,
and as he tottered rather than
walked to the plate chest in the
strongrooIn adjoining his pantry he
muttered, Its o. up wi tho young
laird nOo."
.
When old Watty returned tc the
dining room, he found that, despite
Dame Helen's remonstrances and
jeans entreaties and tears, Henry
was determined to penetrate into the
long cloaed suit of apartments in the
west wing. In vain the butler used
all his powers Of persuasion, IL vain
he asked the young laird to wait un-
til morning light.
"No; I wish to go now, to see
what there is that has frightened
you all and to the part of
my house that has been lost to US so
long. Get the keys"
Old Watty was perfectly stupefed
with terror, but nevertheless he had
to obey. Jean, seeing her betrothed
was 60 immOvable in his resolution,
determined to go with him, and sew
eral Of the other ladies volunteered
to accompany her.
The gentlemen drew their swords,