The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-09-24

,xnr BoSRKn's soas.
as gently as before. ! am ashamed
to confess how much this simple cir
cumstance alarmed me. listened In
tently for a minute. conscious of moth
ing but the loud ticking Of my watch
and the violent throbbing Of my heart.
when the tapping was repeated third
time, still very softly. With a great
effort disguised my terror, and called
out boldly
who's thereT
"It's only me. Master Ernest" re-
piled the feeble voice Of John Adams.
"what do you want?" asked. ding
ing the door wide open.
Are you ill7 Is there anything !
can do for your inquired the old
man.
mo, I am not Ill. and there is moth
ing you can do for me. Why do you
trouble me- with such an absurd In
quiry"
Il thought heard you walking
about. and that ! saw light in your
room"
why, / have not moved OF the
hearth-rug these two hours or more,
and the only light here 10 that taper
on the mantelpiece."
"You are not angry with me. Master
Ernest" pleaded the old man.
mo, no; why should I be? You are
very attentive. Go to bed at once"
watched the old man as he slowly
walked away along the corridor car
rying q lighted candle In one hand.
and shading It's fame with the other,
and did not re-enter my room until
after I had heard his door close.
This simple incident abated much
Of my courage. and caused me to post
pone my visit to the crypt for a full
hour. I was very anxious and ner-
vous, but not to be deferred from car
rying out my resolve. At half-past one
o'clock / quietly emerged from my
room. closing the door behind me as
noiselessly as possible. In one hand
l carried q lantern-lighted. but with
the wick turned SO low that 1t emitted
only q feeble gleam-and in the other
riding whip without thong. on the
butt of which q heavy hammer was
mounted-an instrument used BY my
sporting forefathers for opening OBJ
stinate five-barred gates. ! tried to
persuade myself that carried this
weapon solely to assist In removing
any lumber or other inanimate OBJ
struction which might lie between me
and the object Of my search. and not
for defepse-an ingenious but unsuc-
cessful attempt at self-deception.
The light from my lantern. feeble
though it was. caused my form to cast
nm enormously exaggerated shadow
on the floor and wall Of the corridor.
The carpets had been removed from
the corridor and stairs, a circumstance
I bird not considered, and despite my
soft slippers and careful tread. . dis
tinctIy audible and weird creaking pro-
claimed each step Set. paused for
q moment outside Old Johns door. It
was closed and all was dark and silent
within. The creakins Of the stairs was
90 loud that had any inmate Of our
house CHANGED to have been lying
awake my errand must have infalli-
bly, been betrayed.
Once In the entrance hall, ! again
paused. All was still and quiet as the
grave. Setting down my lantern. /
took from my pocket huge key had
been .areful to abstract from its &C
customed place few hours before,
md which opened q dsor In q STILL
room at the back Of the entrance hall.
whence q steep flight Of steps led down
into the crypt. There was now no
further danger Of disturbing anybody.
and / entered the stillroom with con-
fidence, but was annoyed to find the
door which opened on the steps which
led to the crypt standing partly open;
and reproached myself for my care
lessness-for doubtless was the last
person thereregarding the circum-
stance as additional proof Of my ner-
vousness. However. it could not mat.
ter, and l pushed open the door yet
wiCer and boldly descended into the
crypt.
/ had not visited the crypt since !
conducted my aunt Gertrude through
IL. and perhaps less than half q dozen
times before. Certainly had not pre-
viously observed 1t SO closely as / now
did. 1t was large vault. built en-
tirely Of stone. the mainway OF 1t be.
Ing an apartment about eighteen feet
wide and as long as the house-that
Is to say. q hundred and ten feet
with eight arched recesses on either
side. whereof the one to which ! was
bound differed nothing from the others
except In being closed by brick wall
ut the front. The mainway was toler'
ably clear, but nearly all the recesses
were filed with miscellaneous lum'
ber. for the most part ancient and pc
culiar-terrestrial and celestial globes
telescopes, retorts. crucibles. and
strange instruments of which ! did
rot know the names. doubtless the
whole Of them long ago rendered
worthless by modern and improved
means Of scientific investigation. Not
withstanding my extreme eagerness
to accomplish the object Of my visit
to this place. l proceeded but slowly
on my way. looking into each recess
first on the right and then ON the left