The Ely miner., 1900-10-19


the wide, outstanding rufie and stir
brocaded bodice were those that the
pictured Lady Anna wore; and one
white hand was raised as if in aston
ishmeut or warning.
While one might have counted hum
dred the two men stared at the ap-
partition, and then with common inn
pulse they turned their gaze to the pic
ture on the opposite wall. When their
eyes were again directed to the spot
where the woman had stood she had
gone.
what does it mean? Who is she?''
Ellis questioned by and by.
"I know no more than you," Durant
replied, solemnly, and there was indeed
no doubling his words.
at must have been some one belong
ing to the house." Ellis reasoned
Durant shook his head.
There is no one in the house, so far
as 1 know, but old johnson and his
wife, and besides she-it disappeared"
at is very strange"
so strange that our bargain is off.
1 will not sell the hail." Durant said,
and Ellis looked his amazement
Not sell the hall!" he echoed, an
grily.
"No."
"But you cannot believe that"
'No matter, will not SELL" Durant
interrupted.
Don't be superstitious, Durant. You
cannot be in earnest. have taken a
fancy to the place.
Il am sorry, but will not SELL
Look here, man. Will another five
| thousand not tempt you?"
mo, Ellis, am not to be tempted.
Please say no more"
But you cannot attach any impor-
tance to the-the"-Ellis hesitated-
| ito what we fancied we saw?''
II don't know" Durant answered,
truthfully enough. Perhaps we saw
nothing. 1t may have been fancy in
my case"
There was an uncomfortable pause.
''Will you take hand at cards, Ellis,
or go to bed ?" the host asked at length.
Ellis yawned ostensibly.
ITO bed, if you don't mind; and /
trust none of your ancestors or ances-
| tresses will pay me visit"
There is little danger of that" Du-
rant laughed, "but you will find few
modern comforts in your bedroom. I
hope, however, Mrs. Johnson has seen
to the airing of the sheets. Shall /
| show you the way?"
Durant led his guest to the room as
signed to him, and early next morn
ing both returned to London
On the day following Guy Durant re-
ceived two letters. One bore the post
mark of the post town nearest Durant
Hall, and the address was in his daugh-
ter's handwriting.
Dear father" it ran, 81 hope 1 did
not startle you very much last night.
One of Aunt Alice's servants has scarlet
fever in rather bad form, and she
took advantage of long-standing in
vitation of Mrs. Kingsley's-I was at
school with Pauline Kingsley, you
know-to send me to Kingsley Court.
There is a short cut from it, as per-
haps you know, to the hail. Pauline
Kingsley is getting up some private
theatricals, and she and 1 ran over to
| the hall last night in order to rummage
| through some old silks and things in
mamma's room. You won't mind, I
hope. We passed through the house
without seeing anyone, and Pauline in
sisted on dressing me up as court
Lady of ancient days, and then she dis
covered wonderful resemblance in me
to Lady Annals portrait. We ran down
one of those old little staircases that
the house is so full of and entered the
library by a disused door that found
out when Aunt Alice and / once stayed
at the hall. Guess my astonishment
to find you and another gentleman at
dinner. After pause / hastened back
| by the way / came. Pauline never got
in at all. We felt like pair of very
badly behaved children as we ran back
to Kingsley Court. Poor Mrs. johnson
must have been very busy in the
kitchen, for we never once saw her nor
her husband"
Guy Durant laid down the letter
when he had read so far and gave a
Characteristic laugh.
The explanation, however, was not
| pleasant reading.
$50 Meg was the ghost that led me
to refuse very advantageous offeri
Her masquerading has resulted in some
mischief" he said, and finished read
ing the epistle.
In few minutes he turned his at
tention to the second letter. 1t was
from the Durant lawyers, and warned
him against making sudden disposal
of his property.
1--WE have learned" Boscroft & Man
ners wrote, "that large and rich vein
of copper ore runs through your prop
erty. Our knowledge came to us BY ac-
cident, as also the fact that Mr.. Kirby
Ellis is aware of the existence of the
copper ore in your property. We trust
you have not sold Durant Hall for any
sum, however large seemingly"
| Guy Durant did not laugh over the
last letter, and it was some consider
able time before he said:
$50 there is something, after all is
said and done, in Lady Annals warn