Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-05-26

noisily
20 Miss Lothrop," he begged. don't
ask me to go down therel What Is
wrong? 1 win send proper persons 20
make any repairs that may be neces-
sary, but 1 cannot go down there N.Y.
self. L cannot-no, indeed 1 cannot
Madam knows that 1 have never been
down there since that cursed day and
she would not ask ii of me. Mr.. Chest
er VIII soon be home now; can't what
ever's wrong wait till he comes? Can't
! it, now? Can't it, miss?" His voice
broke down at the last with emotion
and anxiety
saw that for some unknown reason
he was too powerfully affected by the
neighborhood of the curious old dwell
ing to serve me as aid In unravelling its
mysteries. 1 thought it better, there
fore, to throw him wholly off the scent,
Tor, as he was not available as coad-
5utor, he might be obstructive, if su-
, spicious
'Oh, do not know that anything is
really wrong there" replied. 81 dare
say things are in very good condition.
was only specializing about it, and
as L have woman's curiosity, Frank
lin, 1 thought l would ask you to let
me go over the house some time with
sON1 - yVd NNAC NDC hdOlI VI N1Sll-
I ing it occasionally"
He gave an unaffected shudder.
Il would as soon go into n house
where l had committed murder he
remarked gloomily.
| But perhaps Mrs. Mayberry would
take me down there some time; does
mt she ever go down to air it?"
The housekeeper herself answered
/ me She had come out from behind a
screen that hid the pantry, and advanc-
ed softly as she spoke.
Mrs. Mayberry has too much con-
sideration for your nerves, my dear
young lady," she said in her harsh,
unpleasant tones, which no effort on
her part could render plant or agree
able, Ito subject you to the influence
of that dreary dwelling. No one enters
it, even to care for it-no one" she re-
peated emphatically.
"And yet" L said, in lowered tone
for Franklin, probably glad to shift
upon other shoulders the burden of n
theme he shrank from discussing. had
moved away and was busying himself
about the table, and 1 did not wish
him to catch my words-''as came up
the avenue this evening j am sure [
saw the glimmer of a light in the
house."
II she was in any way concerned in
the mystery, she was too wary to be
caught mapping. Her air of mingled
surprise and incredulity was inimita-
bic, and if she was acting n part l
thought she possessed a rare gift of
! assembling.
| "Oh, that could not be!' she said:
unless, indeed. the Stone House is be-
coming haunted"
o,I H.
wondering as 1 went If she perhaps
thought to arouse in me superstitious
fears, thinking that IL she succeeded
i should of my own accord give up
protracted wanderings which would
oblige me to pass the dismal dwelling
after nightfall.
| Two weeks passed without further
| event, and / was about concluding
that had really imagined the singular
| incidents which had aroused my SUI
spicion, when they received fresh con-
| firmation
| 1 had been reading one evening tc
Madam, and later she had fallen into
a somewhat confidential mood with
me, and had dwelt Mt some length upon
| the character of her son. whose advent
we were now expecting from day e
day. She spoke of him in fiatterinS
4 YET III Il SOTl Ol ana us
tant way. that appeared to me unlike
the usual attitude of mother to son
Mingled with the strong admiration
of her regard for him there was n kind
of yelled respect such as we accord our
superiors, but which we rarely testify
towards our equals. 1t evinced m
aloofneSs In intimate sympathy,
thought, and 1t created in me feelin.
of awe of the man who had inspired
such sentiments in one so dear as !
mother.
Dorothy" she said, ''you will soon
see one of the noblest men that have
ever known. He is not handsome, my
son Darracott, and you will not per
haps be able to discover in him the out
ward. semblance OF a hero But learr
to know him well, see him tested by
experience, and you will feel. as do
that the world seldom produces mer
OF such type as HIS
"And yet you do not love him." / fell
like saying, though, of course, l CAV,
no such license to my speech.
When l returned to nay own rooms
for the night, put on loose wrapper
and, as was my custom, seated mysei1
beside my comfortable fire for al
hours reading before going to bed
But my thoughts refused to centr,
themselves upon my book. / felt Il
borne in upon me that l was living
romance amid an environment o
strange shadow and mystery. | couiC
spare no thought for the consideration
of fictitious narrative.
Who was this man who was so sooI
to invade the seclusion # our lives her,
In this old mansion? / knew his nam,
and his relationship to my mistress
but who was he? or what character
istics was he composed? What was hi
nature; what were his habits; what hi
likes and dislikes; his tastes, sympa
thies, prejudices? Would his presenc
in the house constrain me? Would IN.
society be unwelcome to him? Wha
could be the cause of the Incompatible
ity between him and Madam? Thes
and Kindred reflect ons were occupyin
my mind when n timid knock at m
door brought me back from dream
: land
i Come in" called. The handl
turned, and Mrs. Mayberry appeare