The Holly chieftain., 1901-05-03

tho pisr! No ,BrisAsoa fpr yon Il ~.
ent, mis-. You win stay hsre and DO
your feilow-country1Asn 4 service, IL
you please, by disabusing thar miads
Of . stupid prejudies. by nsans Of your
own experisnee. Driver. have ypu got
the key to this dooey
Here 1t ID. air." said the man. But
he fell to the rear after presenting n.
He was lad Of nipetesn and had
heard too much Of III place mot 70
keep 1T respectful distance during
the FIRST moment Of Investigation.
"This lock has not bssn oiled ance
the ysar II" said Mr.. Cowley, puhlns
and blowing ~ he tried to turn the
key. Hang the thing, how it sticks!
Bear hand here. my good fellow, will
you? Hallo!"
The key turned suddenly a he
spoke, the lock yielded, and the door
new open with such violence that Mr..
Cowley landed on his nose in the hall.
Seeing this. his wife forgot her fears
and ran to pick him up. Rose and
Catharine followed, and 10 at last they
stood together beyond the threshold Of
the haunted house. While Mrs. Cowley
and Catherine were helping the head
Of the family to his fest. Rose gased
around her with breathless awe, half
expecting each moment to see some
dim shade approaching to wave them
away. But no one came All was
still and quiet. They stood within a
small, square hall, very dusty and
dirty and lighted only by the fanlight
over the door. A worn mat covered
the floor. there was small iron stove
in the center Of the hall, and. leaning
against 1t curiously carved walking
stick, resembling the wand of a magt-
clan rather than the ordinary cane of
gentleman In the nineteenth century.
Rose took this in her hand. but quickly
laid it down. 1t did not seem ''canny"
to hold 1t, though why she could not
say.
Mr.. Cowley rubbed his head, felt his
nose carefully all over, and pronounced
himself quite sound.
What made me fall. cannot tell"
ne T6IuhThtu. ~ lC1A1y cOVAhC0 ~ ~
the door was jerked from my hand by
some person inside. Do you know, my
dear, I incline to the opinion that some
evil-disposed person has harbored here
at some time or another and taken ad-
vantage Of the popular belief in ghosts
to carry out all manner OF iniQuity in
perfect safety. For aught we know,
such q person may be within hearing
now" s@s 2
Mrs. Cowley gave little shrek.
Then we are all safe to be robbed
and murdered! Dear George, do let US
leave this place and get home as soon
as possible!"
Nonsense, my DEAR don't interrupt
me. II you please! Robbed and mur-
dered, indeed! Is that likely while you
have me to protect your merely
made that remark as a warning in case
such person should be concealed
here. recommend that person not to
come too near, whoever he may be;
and add. for his further information,
that shall sleep here with a revolver,
loaded and capped, by my side. and II
he begins any Of his tricks upon trav-
elers, I'll give him pepper. by Jove!
Now. Mrs. c., come along and look at
the rooms"
Trembling and disgusted, the good
lady followed her truculent spouse, a.
he opened door after door within the
mansion. The rooms were ali dark
and dingy. 1t is true, but they had high
ceilings and plenty Of windows with
pleasant aspects. Soap and water. aad
afterwards pretty curtains and bright
furniture, piano. and few pictures
would make quite another place Of Il,
as Mr. Cowley said.