The Norfolk weekly news. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1888-1900, 1899-10-26
CHAPTER XII.
THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE.

We'll, L am getting on famOusly,
thought L. Ghosts added to the other
complications. What could the fellow
have meant? If l had pressed him, he
would have told me, but it did not seem
quite n lady's business to pick up in
formation this way, especially when it
seemed likely to involve Lucetta. Yet
did l think l would ever come to the
end of this without involving Lucctta?
My good sense said No" Why, then,
had my instinct ~triumphed for the
nonce2 Let those who understand the
workings of the human heart answer. l
am simply stating facts.
Ghosts! Somehow the word startled
me, as if in some way it gave n rather
unwelccme confirmation to my doubts.
Apparitions seen in the knollys man
sion or in any of the houses bordering
on this lane! That would be serious,
how serious seemed to be but half COM
pretended by this man. But l compre-
hended it and wondered if it was gossip
like this which had caused Mr.. Gryce
to induce me to visit this house as a
guest. q
l was crossing the street to the hotel
as / INDUCED in these conjectures, and
intent as my mind was upon them l
could not but note the curiosity and in
terest which my presence excited in the
simple country folk that are invariably
to be found %lounging about a country
tavern. Indeed, the whole neighborhood
seemed agog, and though l would have
thought it derogatory to my dignity to
notice the fact | could not but see how
many faces were peering at me from
store doors and the half closed blinds of
adjoining cottages. No young girl in
the pride of her beauty could have
awakened more interest, and l attribut-
ed it, as was no doubt right, not to my
appearance, which would not perhaps
be apt to strike these simple villagers as
remarkable, or to my dress, which is
rather rich than fashionable, but to the
fact that / was a stranger in town and,
what was more extraordinary, a guest of
the Knollys.
My intention in approaching the no.
tel was not to spend a couple of dreary
hours in the parlor with Mrs. Carter, as
Mr.. Simsbury had suggested, but to OBJ
tain if possible a conveyance to carry
me Immediately back to the Knollys
mansion. But this, which would have
been a simple matter in most towns,
seemed well nigh an impossibility in
X. The landlord was away, and Mrs.
Carter, who was very frank with me,
told me that she not only did not dare,
l,,t xr,r1l En1 - pa,fo,t1y, ,ca1acc 70
ask one of the men to drive me through
that lane. Its an unwholesome spot"
said she, land only Mr.. Carter and the
police have the courage to brave it"
| suggested that | was willing to pay
well, but it seemed to make very little
difference with her. Money won't hire
them, " said she, and | had the satisfac-
ton of knowing that Lucetta had tri-
umphed i'll her plan and that | must sit
out the morning after all in the pre-
cincts of the hotel parlor with Mrs.
Carter.
1t was my first signal defeat, but l
was determined to make the best of it,
and if possible CLEAN such knowledge
from the talk of this woman as would
help me to pluck out victory from it.
She was only too ready to talk, and the
first topic was little Rob.
l saw the moment / mentioned his
name that / was introducing a subject
that had already been well talked over
by every eager gossip in the village.
Her attitude of Importance, the air of
mystery she assumed, were preparations
l had long been accustomed to in wom-
surprised when she announced in a way
that admitted of no dispute:
"Oh, there's no wonder the child is
sick. We would be sick under the cir
cumstances. He has seen the phantom
carriage"
The phantom carriage! So that was
what the locksmith meant. A phantom
carriage! l had heard Of every kind of
phantom but that. Somehow the idea
was a thrilling one or would have been
to a nature less practical than mine.
81 don't know what you mean, - said
/. "Some superstition Of the place? l
never heard of a ghostly appearance of
that nature before"
"No, / expect not. 1t belongs to us.
i NEVER Hedru VI IL DeyOHu tuese IlouH-
tains. Indeed, l have never known it to
have been seen but upon one road. l
need not mention it, madam. You can
guess perhaps what l mean"
Yes, / could guess, and the guessing
made me set my lips a little grimly.
Tell me more about this thing" l
half laughed, half spoke. 1T ought to
be of some interest to me-"
She nodded, drew her chair a trife
nearer, and im~petuously began:
"You see this is a very old town. 1t
has its ancient country houses like the
one you are now living in, and it has
its early traditions. One is that a car
riage perfectly noiseless, drawn by
horses through which you can see the
moonlight, haunts the high road at in
tervals and flies through the gloomy for
est road we have christened of late years
Lost Mans lane. 1t is a superstition
possibly, but you cannot find many fam
lilies in town but believe in it as a fact,
for there is not an old man or woman
in tho nlaoa bYt hoe aithar caap ~ in