Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-03-02

| II your IamDllngS through the Olu
rooms ON this floor were the occasion Of
this nightmare, you must be prepared
I for recurrence of the same tonight, for
/ am going to take you through the up.
per rooms myself this morning. Ism I
that the programme, Loreen? Or have
you changed your mind and planned a
drive for Miss Butterworth?"
"She shall do BOTH" said Loreen
"When she is tired of tramping through
dusty chambers and examining the de-
cayed remnants Of old furniture which
incumber them, William stands ready
to drive her over the hills, where she
will find views we'll worth her atten-
tion.'
"Thank you," said l. ''It is pleas
ant prospect" But within / uttered
anything but thanks; rather asked
myself if Twas fool, or was just being
made one, and decided almost without
an argument that the former SUPPOSE
ton would meet with least denial from
the world at large.
However, beliefs die hard in mind
like mine, and though was ready to
consider that an infamed imagination
may often carry us beyond the bounds
of fact and even into the realm of fancy
and misconception l yet was not ready
to give up my suspicious altogether or
to acknowledge that had no foundation
for the fear that something uncanny and
awful had taken place under this roof
the night before. The very naturalness
l observed in this hitherto restrained
trio might be the result of some great
dream removed, and if that was the
case All, well, alertness is the motto
of the truly wise. 1t is when vigilance
sleeps that the enemy gains the victory.
Iwould not let myself be deceived even
at the cost of little ridicule. Amelia
Butterworth was still awake, even un-
der semblance of we'll laid suspicion.
My footsteps were not logged that
morning as they hitherto had been in
my movements about the house. 1 was
allowed to go and come and even to
stray into the second long corridor with
out any other let than my own discre-
ton and good breeding. Lucetta Joined
me, to be sure, after awhile, but only as
guide and companion. She took me into
rooms forgot the next minute and into
others I remember to this day as quaint
memorials Of past ever and always in
teresting to me. We ransacked the
house, yet after all was over and l sat
down to rest in my own room two
formidable questions rose in my mind
that found it impossible to find salts
factory answers for. Why, with SO many
more or less attractive bed chambers at
their command, had they chosen to put
me i'll this hole, where the very flooring
was unsafe and the outlook the most
dismal that could be imagined, and why
in all our peregrinations in and out of
rooms had we always passed one door
without entering? She had said that it
was William 's-a sufficient explanation
if true, and | have no doubt it was-but
the change Of countenance with which
she had passed it and the sudden light
ening of her tread, so instructive that
she was totally unconscious of it, marked
that door as one it would be my duty to
enter if fate should yet give me the op-
portunity. That it was the one in COM
munication with the flower parlor l felt
satisfied, but in order to make assurance
double sure determined upon a tour
through the shrubbery outside that
might compare the location of the win
dow with the Clipped blind with that
of this room, which was, as we'll as l
could calculate, the third room from the
rear on that side.
When, therefore, William called up
to know if l was ready for my drive, l
answered back that l was more tired than
expected and that would be glad to
exchange that pleasure for visit to the
stables.
This, as l expected, caused considera-
BILE comment and some disturbance
They wanted me to repeat my expert
ence of the day before and spend two if
not more hours Of the morning out of
the house. But l did not mean to graft
fly them. Indeed l felt that my duty
lay here and was so persistent in my
wishes, or rather in my declaration of
them, that all opposition had to give
way, even in the stubborn William.
Il thought you had dread of dogs"
was the final remark with which he en-
deavored to turn me aside from my
purpose. Il have three in the barn and
two in the stable, and they make a
great fuss when como around, assure
you"
"Then they will have enough to do
without noticing me" said I, with a
brazen assumption Of courage that
would have astonished myself if I had
had any real intention of invading q
place so guarded. But had not. no
more meant to enter the stables than to
jump off the house top but it was neces-
sary that l should start for them and
make that start from the left wing of
the house.
How L managed the intractable Will
liam and led him as did from bush to
bush and shrub to shrub, up and down
the length Of that interminable facade
of the left wing, would make an inter-
esting story in itself. The curiosity
showed in plants even such plants as
had survived the neglect that had made
wilderness of this old time garden;
the indifference which, contrary to all
my habits, persisted in manifesting
to every inconvenience encountered in
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