The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-24
CHAPTER "
The Blue Room.

can yet remember the feelings of
awe with which 1 looked about me
when my grandfather had left me alone
in the blue room of the great house of
New Milns.
He took the candles with him lest I
should set the place on fire, but he
pointed to a pannier OF fagotS set by
the side of the great andirons on the
hearthstone.
IF you need light, put stick on the
fire, one and no more he said.
Then for the first time in his life he
stopped and kissed me.
1.-The Lord our God be sun and
shield unto You, little mani" he said,
softly. as to himself, and so went out.
1t was with strange quivering of
the flesh and a creeping of the bones
that laid me down. There was no rea-
son for it in the world, but certain it
is that at the first glimpse 1 had con-
ceiyed the strongest distaste of that
quiet room caparisoned with blue, and
with the same puff-cheeked hunter
hunting the same wooden-antlered
stag all about the walls.
] started to take off my clothes, but
before l had gone far l stopped, lis
tened, and then, hearing nothing, 1
ran to the bed in fright. climbed up
the broad flight of steps, wide as at the
front of a mansion, all in a creeping
tremor, and, making a dive for it, l
hid me, head and all, deep in the clothes
and coyerlets.
Here l was almost smothered before
dared cautiously 10 put out my head.
The great bed in which 1 lay was like
a tent. On either side, but much fur
Their off than l could reach with my
hands, was a straight fall of blue hang
ing, lined with silk of a lighter hue,
depending from the bar above, which
was solid as a rafter. l looked, as it
were, down q blue tunnel, out upon the
flicker of the fire and the reflections
of the dancing flames on the dull oak
of the doorway.
And as 1 lay there I can mind a
strange feeling coming upon me. Per-
haps it grew out of the terrible things
I had seen that night; perhaps out of
the forlorn state of my mother and the
fact that never before had ! slept away
from her side. But as lay there in the
blue. uncertain leme of the freight
and listened to the thousand ticking
noises in the wainScot, 1 seemed to
grow conscious of something that had
happened in that same chamber. The
whole story became clear to me, yet
can swear that | had never heard il
from any nurse or servant-nor, indeed.
so much as knew that there was
blue room in the great house of New
Minis.
I thought 1 saw young lady lying
asleep in that same bed in which I
couched- She lay on her side, with hes
face turned, like mine. to the fireplace,
and away from the window. For awhile
that was all knew. Then through the
multitude of the night noises I was
conscious that with long, steady push
the window sill rose, rose, rose, till
from the darkness without mans
head looked in. Well did 1 know that
this was fantasy. Yet 1 dared not look
or turn my head to certify myself.
Still Gin my imagination) 1 saw the
window rise till / could discern a mans
leg clothed in a tight stocking of silk,
and above that. baggy trunk hose.
thrown over the sill into the room,
Then I saw, or rather knew, that the
man had ducked his head under and
was in the room.
Also ! was aware-how I know not
that this was a foreigner, an Italian,
whom the young lady had married, but
secretly. for fear of her father. And
now this man desired to be revenged
on her. because, following her fathers
will. she had cast him off l could see
the dreadful smile with which he adj
vanced upon the bed. He did not come
to the foot of the bed, but went and
stood behind the arras toward the head;
then 1 could heard his hand twitching