The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-02-15

y
er's first love was murdered?"
She was here. She was to have been
one of the bridesmaids"
'SAh! What a delightful tea rose You
have" she ratified on; and looking ar
her gay, careless face, an Indifferent OBJ
server would not have believed that she
ever had q. serious thought in her life.
Helen had not been long at the Rock
before she got hint of the haunted
chamber and she at once made friends
with the servant, and obtaiI~sd the
whole story. Instantly she made a re-
solve. She meant to sleep in that room
and fathom the mystery. She was a girl
of strong nerve and undaunted cour-
age, and not by any means inclined to
superstition During the day she made
the chamber visit without the knowl-
edge of any of the household.
1t was large lofty room, with white
ceilings and paper hangings of pale
rose color and white. 1t had been sump-
tously furnished but now the dust lay
thick and dark over everything. The
great windows were hung with cob
webs and the closed blinds gave ad-
mittance to no ray of sunshine. There
was the bed, snowy-curtained where
she had last slept. BY Ralph's orders it
had remained undisturbed ever since.
Helen touched the costly trinkets on
the table with something like awe-re-
Numbering who had used them last.
There was a knot of ribbon that the
murdered girl had worn on her bosom;
there, too, was the little gold brooch
that had fastened her collar. In a closet
hung the bridal dress, spotted with
blood, side by side with the stiffened
and stained veil, to which the dead
orange flowers yet chung. Their petals
crumbled to dust beneath the touch Of
Helen, and emitted faint, sickly
sweetness.
"Helen Fulton, are you afraid ?"
asked the girl of herself putting her
hand on her heart to see if it beat
quicker than it's wont. mo" she said.
"Helen is not afraid. Not at all. Won't
it be splendid to tell grandchildren.
that their courageous grandmother
slept in a genuine haunted chamber?
Won't the little darlings creep into bed
in a hurry and wrap their heads up
under the coverlet?"
When night arrived, Helen excused
herself early and went up to her cham
Der. She dressed herself in a thick,
warm dress, put heavy shawl over
her shoulders and making sure that the
lamp was full of oil, she made her
noiseless way to the haunted chamber,
entered, and locking the door behind
her, put the key in her pocket. She
meant to be secure from all intrusion.
Ghosts, she agreed would not need to
open the door to get in, if they were
orthodox ones. The lamp burned bright
ly and lighted up every nook and cor
ner of the apartment. Helen did not
mean to go to bed she sat on the sofa
and crochetted, laughing a little to her
self, at the idea of watching a ghost
and crochetting a sontag at the same
time. A dead silence reigned. The wind
which had blown through the day sub
sided and not even a deathWatch licked
in the wainscot The old clock chimed
10, then 11-Helen's bright eyes began
to droop. She was growing decidedly
sleepy, and before she knew it her head
had sunk to the arm of the sofa and sac
was asleep!
The consciousness of some presence
beside her own woke her suddenly. She
started up and rubbed her eyes. A cold
current Of air swept over her, chilling
her from head to foot The door into the
passage stood wide open and her lamp
swayed in the blast of air like a willow
tossed by autumn gales; and just be-
hind the great arm chair where Marina
had sat when the fatal blow was struck
stood a tall figure enveloped in gauzy
white, and upon her head and over her
face was the bridal, blood-stained veil
Helen could have sworn it! The right
hand of the spectre, the long, delicate
marble-white hand was extended to-
ward the chair; the other was tightly
pressed against her heart
Helen took a step forward, but before
she could lay hand upon the strange
presence it returned, dropped the veil
upon the floor and vanished through the
open door. Helen gave pursuit, but the
long corridor was empty-there did not
linger behind even so much as the echo
of foot. For this time the girl was
baff1ed. But one thing she remembered.
The door of that chamber had been un-
locked and the phantom had forgotten
to lock it after her; she was unable, it
appeared, to pass through keyholes,
like the spirits Helen felt acquainted