Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-11-10

do with my face?"
And the wind. Lady Alice, wa
blowing through the corridor win
dows, keen and cold as the moon
light. How could leave you;"
You could have called for help"
Forgive me, Lady Alice, If I ere,
in thinking you would rather com
mand the silence Of a gentleman t,
whom an accident had revealed you
secret, than be exposed to the domes
tics who would have gathered arount
u.s.
Again she half raised herself, anl
again her eyes flashed.
"a secret with you, sir?"
But besides, Lady Alice" cried
springing to my fest, in distress at he
hardness, 81 heard the horse with tn,
clanking shoe, and in terror, 1 caugh
you up, and fed with you, almost be
fore ! knew what l did. And / hea
1t now-hear 1t nowP / cried, as one,
more the ominous sound rang through
my brain.
The angry glow faded from her face
and its paleness grew almost ghastl,
with dismay.
do you hear it?' she said, throw
ing back her covering, and risin.
from the couch. 81 do not"
She stood listening with distendet
eyes, as If they were the gates by
which such sounds entered.
Il did not hear it." she said again
after pause. ''It must be gone now
Then, turning to me, she laid hel
hand on my arm, and looked at me
Her black hair, disordered and en-
tangled, wandered all over her white
dress to her knees. Her face was
paler than ever; and her eyes were 81
wide open that l could see the white
all around the large dark iris.
Did you hear it?' she said. 'Ne
one ever heard 1t before but ME.
must forgive you-you could foc nelI
it. l will trust you, too. Take me to
my room"
Without word of reply, wrapped
my plaid about her. Then, bethink
ing me of my chamber candle, light
ed it, and opening the two doors, led
her out of the room
How is this?" she asked. "Why do
you take me this way? do not know
the place"
This is the way l brought you in,
Lady Alice" I answered. IT know no
other way to the SPOT where / fonnd
than there-hardly even so far, for
groped my way there for the first
time this night or morning-which'
ever it may be-"
''It is past midnight, but not morn
ing yet" she replied. 81 always
know. But there must be another
way from your room?"
Eyes, of course; but we should have
to pass the housekeeper's door-she is
always late"
Are we near her room? 1 should
know my way from there. | fear II
would not surprise any Of the house.
hold to see me. They would say-'It
is only Lady Alice Yet I cannot tell
you how I shrink from being seen
No-I will try the way you brought
me-if you do not mind going back
with me-"
This conversation passed in low tone
and hurried words. 1t was scarcely
over before we found ourselves at the
foot of the staircase. Lady Alice shiv-
cred, and drew the plaid close about
her. We assembled, and soon found
the corridor; but when we got through
1t, she was rather bewildered. A,
length. after looking into several OF
tv oil t~nr r
articles of ancient furniture, she ex'
claimed, as she entered one, and, tax.
ing the candle from my hand, held II
above her head:
"Ah, yes! l am right at last. This
is the haunted room. 1 know my way
now."
I caught q darkling glimpse Of a
large room, apparently quite fur
nished; but how, except from the gen.
cral feeling of antiquity and mLsti-
ness, 1 could not tell. Little did ]
think then what memories-old now.
like the ghosts that with them haunt
the place-would ere long find their
being and take their abode in that an
Client room, to forsake 1t never more.
In strange, half-waking moods, I seem
to see the ghosts and the memories
fitting together through the spectral
moonlight, and, weaving mystic
dances in and out of the storied win
dows and the tapestried walls.
At the door of this room she said.
IT must leave you here. I viii put
down the light little further on, and
you can come for 1t. I owe you many
thanks. You will not be afraid Of be-
ing left so near the haunted roomT
l assured her that at present I felt
strong enough to meet all the ghosts
in or out of Hades. Turning, she
smiled a sad, sweet smile, and then
went on n few PAGES, and disappeared.
The light, however, remained; and ]
found the candle, with my plaid, de-
posted ut the foot Of short flight of
steps, at right angles to the passage
she left me in. I made my way back
to my room, threw myself on the
couch on which she had SO lately laid.
and neither went to bed nor slept that
night. Before the morning, / had
fully entered that phase of indiyid-
ual development commonly called
love; Of which the real nature Is as
great n mystery to me now, as 1t was
at any period previous to its evolu-
ton in myself.
TO BE CONTINUED.