Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-10-16

London, and all the great Ioih VI Jul
country, with others not so great, in that
gathering, though capable Of making
show at most. After the dancing begins
no man is ever prominent figure In
room to those who are there merely 70
look on, as l was, and / now remember
as the two which my eyes followed with
greatest pleasure our hostess, woman
of winning manners, yet cold when need
be, and the lady who was shortly to be-
come her daughter, a languid girl, pretty
to look at when her lover, the heir. was
by her side.
know that nearly all present that
night speak now of a haggard look on
the earl's face and of quick glances be-
tween him and his wife. / know that
they say tina. the heir danced much to
keep himself from thinking, and that his
arm chartered on the waists of his part
rers; / know the story that he had
learned of the existence of the Thing
that night. But l was present. and l
am persuaded that at the time all
thought as / did, that never was
gayer scene even at Glendowie, never a
host and hostess more cordial, never
merry eyed heir more anxious to be cour-
teous to an and more than courteous TO
one. Dance succeeded dance. The hour
was late. but another waltz was begun.
Then suddenly
And at once the music stopped and the
dancers were as still as stone figures. 1t
had been a horrible, inhuman scream, so
loud and shrill as to tear a way through
all the walls IF the castle: a scream not
OF rain. but of triumph. / think it must
have lasted half minute, and then came
silence, but still no one moved; we
waited as IL after lightning for the
thunder.
The first person / saw was the earl.
His face was not white, but gray. His
teeth were fixed and he was staring at
the door, waiting for it to open. Some
men FASTENED to the door and he cast
out his arms and drove them back. But
he never looked at them. The heir saw
with his hands over his face. Many OF
the men stepped in front of the women.
There was no whispering, think. We
all turned our eyes to the door.
Some ladies' screamed Zone, l have
heard, swooned, but we gave her not a
glance) when the door opened. 1t was
only the African servant who entered,
a man most Of us had heard of, but few
had seen. He made sign to the earl.
who drew back from him and then step
ped forward. The heir hurried to the
door and some of us heard this con-
versation:
"Not you. father-me."
"stay here. my son; entreat, COM
mand."
Both" said the servant authoritative
ly, and then they went out with him and
the door closed.
The dancing was resumed almost i'm
mediately. This Is a strange thing to
tell. Only a woman could have forced
us to seem once more as we were before
that horrid cry; and the woman was our
hostess. As the door closed, my eyes met
hers, and / saw that she had been speak
ing to the musicians. She was smiling
graciously, as il what had occurred had
been but an amusing interlude. saw her
take her place beside her partner and
begin the waltz again with the music.
All looked at her with amazement, dread,
pity. suspicion. but they had to dance.
'Does she know nothing?" / asked my
self, overhearing her laughing merrily
as she was whirled past me. or was
this the womans part In the tragedy
while the men were doing theirs? What
were they doing? 1t was whispered in
the the ballroom that they were in the
Optn ioohius lor soiuetuiuS that hdu SS-
capped from the castle.
An hour l dare say passed, and neither
the earl nor his son had returned. The
dancing went on, but it had become an
uncanny scene. every one trying to read
the others face-the men uncomfortable,
as il feeling that they should be else
where, many Of the women craven, only
the countess in high spirits. By this
time it was known to all Of us that the
door of the ballroom was locked on the
outside. Guests babe our hostess good
night, but could retire no farther. One
man dared request her to bid the serv-
ants unlock the door, and she smiled
and asked him for the next waltz.
About o'clock in the morning many
of us heard child's scream, that came
as we thought from the hall of the
castle.
a moment afterward we again heard it
= this time from the shrubbery. / saw
the countess shake with fear at last,
but it was only for moment. Already
she was reckoning to the musicians to
continue playing. One of the guests
stopped them by raising his hand. He
was the child's father.
"You must bid your servants unbar
that door," he said to the countess
sternly, cor will force it OPEN"
"You cannot leave this room, SIR" she
answered quite composedly. and then he
broke out passionately, fear for his child
mastering him, something about the dew
IFS work, he said.
There is some one on the other side OF
that door who would not hesitate to kill
you," she replied, and we knew that she
spoke of the native servant.
"Order him to open the door,"
81 will not"
In another moment the door would
have been broken open had she not put
her back against 1t. Her eyes were now
flashing. The men looked at each othei
in doubt, and each Of them, know, was
for tearing her FROM the door. 1t was
then that we heard the report like gun.
1t is my belief that the countess saved
the life of her guest by preventing his
leaving the ballroom. For nearly another
hour she stood at the door, and the serv.
ants gathered around her like men ready
m sunnort their mistress.