The Lamar register., 1901-04-24

utduS. II toulu NOT DE, ulleSS lHt
| newcomers hailed from Colney Hatch
| or Hanwell he could not. for a mo-
ment, be thinking of such thing.
But the news was confirmed in the
| afternoon by no less a person than the
| landlord of the Vernon Arms" who
recited to group of eager and thirsty
| listeners his wondrous tale. The fam
! lily from London We're. at that moment,
| beneath his roof. So far from being
| denizens of a lunatic asylum, they
were most respectable people n city
| banker. his wife and two daughters,
who came down for a change OF air.
| and seeing fine house standing
| empty, naturally enough concluded
that it was to let. So, at the Vernon
| Arms in an aftcr-dinner chat with
their host, they managed to ask nu-
merous questions about the mansion
on the hill. He answered them truth
fully; but he added with shake of
the head, as expressive as Lord Bur
leigh's, He wished no harm might
come of it," for they laughed at the
idea of ghosts, and one of the young
ladies begged so hard to live in real
haunted house that her papa had act
ually sent for the agent.
The landlord laughed, drew a long
breath. and solaced himself with
great draught of his own ale
At that moment the agent himself
was seen descending the stairs: the
landlord. hurrying from behind the
bar, threw the door wide open, with
low bow. But Mr. Grant declined the
polite invitation. beckoned him out
into the passage. and closed the door
upon the gaping and disappointed
rustics.
81 want to speak to you moment.
Grimes" he said. impatiently. rs
there no private place in this house,"
ITO be sure-to be sure. sir replied
the host. step this way, If you
please. Becky, my love. pray go and
mind the bar little while. We want
the parlor to ourselves Just now"
Becky, who was the meek-faced mis-
tress of the establishment. being thus
addressed, took up the stocking she
was mending and went out without a
murmur The landlord closed the
door behind her, and the agent nodded
approvingly.
Capital training you have her in.
Mr.. Grimes"
well, sir. ones obliged to keep the
whiphand or there's no end of kicking
over traces. you know. Now Becky.
there, is the best woman in England,
though I say 1t as shouldn't. But l
should never dream of telling her so.
| The house would not hold the two Of
us together ten minutes afterwards.
Quite right, Grimes. The less you
praise a woman the better she behaves.
as a general rule. / think. But now
| let us go to business. I'm very much
bothered in my own mind. Grimes. and
| want some advice"
Grimes who had been busy over the
fire with some mysterious preparation.
which the agent affected not to see,
now returned to the table. bearing two
steaming tumblers of rum-punch,
which he put down with an air of tri-
umphant self-satisfaction.
Il do believe, the very best | ever
made yet, Mr.. Grant" he observed as
he placed one cosy armchair before
the fire for his visitor. and ensconced
his own plump person comfortably
within the depths of another.
Good it must be. then, to dead
certainty" replied the agent. taking
a long. delicious draught. Enough to
make a man forget one-half his trou-
bles and snap his finger at the rest"
81 hope it will make you forget
yours, then, SIR" replied the landlord,
who was dying with curiosity TO know
why he had been summoned to this
particular conference.
"Ah, no such luck as that. The
trouble tonight is not exactly trou-
BILE. after all. l am bewildered and
bothered want to do thing. and
yet | cannot tell If I ought. Grimes.
you know the old Hall?"
The host nodded his head
81 should think | did. sir"
"And YOU know what stories people
tell about the place."
THAT do. Old John Jones. the
gardener. has made my flesh creep
many a time with his tales of the tur-
ret.chamber, and the buffers pantry,
and the secret room where the priests
used to hide away many, many years
ago"
John Jones is an idiot said the
agent, iupatiently. Upon my word,
| believe the house is as quiet and
peaceabe As this old inn of yours"
Mr.. Grimes took sip of rum-punch,
and said nothing.
81 have been through the place
hundred times-I dare say more-and
I never saw anything there. nor heard
anything either. for the matter OF
that"
"Did you ever go there at night,
sir?" askeI Mr.. Grimes, with signif-
cant smile,
NO. | amt say that I ever did"
And the agent smiled, too. But you
L