The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-05-24
mat will please HIM better.

ing smile as it vanished from his eager
face.
In less than half an hour was cross
ing Washington square in the gaslit
gloom. with the gray bulk Of the uni
versity rising before me. went by
to the Wayerly place entrance, pushed
in the heavy, changing door, and walk
ed along the low hall, as Collins di.
rected me; then I turned to the left
into the area, and next to the right in
to another hall of the building. Then
began to climb the stairs, three or four
flights, lit by a single, Pickering gas
Jet on each one. At the top of these
I was in the last hall, as / thought,
with several doors going in to 1t; anu
I fancied I must have made some mis-
take when noticed in the farther dark
end Of the hall a space blacker than
the blackness, opening high Up from
floor to ceiling, like a gorge ID the
mountains, and right up this gorge the
narrow treads Of yet another stair
leading into pitchy darkness, with
sheer wall on either hand. There was
nothing for it but to venture. Up
climbed, step by step, until suddenly
a crack Of light at my feet, little TO
the left, told me must be on his land
ing.
/ stepped quietly to the door, felt
for the knocker-a huge old affair,
very stiff in the joints-and knocked.
A chair moved inside, and l heard
the rustic Of curtains or draperies.
Then steps came slowly, stopping al
together once or twice, and opened the
door to me.
.Mr. Denny?" said I.
"Yes, sir"
"Alr. Denny, may I have the honor
of presenting an introduction from my
friend Mr.. Collips?"
Certainly, sir-certainly; and very
pleased to see you, too. Walk in, sir,
and pray be seated. Sit you down by
the fire; you must be chilly. A dis
agreeable evening is it not?'
Eyes, it is cold; but you are very
cozy up here, all by yourself"
"Oh, yes, snug enough. You see, l
have the whole tower to myself, small
as it is. Llere is no one else, On the
same floor. That is something"
We drew our chairs up to the fire.
The fireplace, like the room, was mar
row and tall. with a small CRATE Of
Goals high up from the floor in the old
fashioned way. The room might have
been sixteen by twelve and was very
lofty.
All the upper walls and the ceiling
were painted a heavy dark blue, which
swallowed up all the light the fire
and one candle in a silver candle-stick
could give. The door by which I had
entered was in one corner, and the
fireplace in the middle of the other
side. Directly opposite the fireplace
was a wide double doorway hung with
heavy poruercs which were closed.
The old gentleman talked easily,
with a smile, spreading out his hands
to the fire. He seemed just the one 10
be full Of stories and traditions Of the
place, and only waited the opportuni-
ty to interest him in that direction.
"Yes, said in reply to his last re-
mark, "the atmosphere Of ones sur
roundings is ore important than the
surroundings themselves; don't you
think so?":
"Ah, yes, indeed; that is very true" "
"And your atmosphere here is so ro-
mantle. There is really no other place
like this in the city. I should think
there would be innumerable tales
about it; are there not:''
But he froze at this; gathered his
fingers in from the blaze and opened
them wide two or three times before
he spoke; and I caught a sudden hunt
ed glance quite out Of keeping with
his courtly demeanor.
He seemed to consider before he
said:
"Yes, yes, indeed, I believe there are
many legends about the old building.
I hear them repeated from time to
time; and usually they have been a
good deal embellished-a good deal en-
belished. Veracity is a difficult accom-
pishment, sir"
And he turned to me with the most
winning and wise smile. said moth
ing, and he relapsed into his attitude
of consideration, watching the fire. 1t
was lust here that a curious thing hap
nened. I leaned my head back on the
easy chair a moment, waiting for him
TO take I'D the conversation where he
had left it with hesitation. AS I did
so I noticed for the first time small
mirror hung over the fireplace, and N
It I could see lie dull green portiers
behind US. I thought how restful the
color was to the eye. And then, about
five feet from the floor, they parted
and a girlish face looked through and
roeuishly surveyed our backs. She
smiled very merrily, and pressed the
soft curtains against her yellow hair;
then her dancing eyes ran unsuspect-
ingly over the mirror and caught mine
fairly watching her and she vanished,
in CONSERVATION as it seemed.
"Ohow thought I.
But the old man gave no sign, and
I, Of course, said nothing. Veracity is
a diMcult accomplishment.
The little by-play was over in few
seconds-almost before my old friend
could take up new sentence.
"You see, sir'' beginning with a long
breath, and gazing into the fire), you
see, sir, one looks at things differently
at your time Of life. Truth seems quite
true, and falsehood quite false to you.
no doubt. But, when you come along
to sixty, it will not appear so easy sI
ofhand. And somehow, do you know,
the little broken incidents Of life often
please me best, the stories that have
been left unfinished and will never be
finished for US, perhaps. Not that l
love the Venus more because she has
lost her arms, poor lady; still the loss
adds a wistfulness; and wistfulress,
when you come to think Of it, is very
large part Of the charm Of art.
II have just such one Of those tiny
incomplete dramas N my mind now.
I have not quite filed out the whole
circle Of the plot from the small arc
which has come under my notice, out
I shall, perhaps"
Here he turned and smiled again
doubtfully at me.
sit is a very interesting-a very 10
farecfino tanrIa IF events ! am quite