The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1903-07-10

tT lhdN. Al luc next cross ROAD.
Gordon said rcgretfully. showing
Alice the gorgeous glow Of the west
ern sky, the setting sun behind
dark rim of trees. and the tan chin
neys of a house set back in q clump
of trees. a short distance off.
"That used 10 be the old dc Courcy
place The house is crumblug 10
decay il used to be beautiful II
you say so, Wen get ont and I'll pick
some roses for you: Its haunted
now. you know"
Alice gave a cry Of delighted as
sent. Running up TO where a wide
gate had once stood, Gordon stopped
and they got out.
Just one little glimpse" Alice de-
clared as they pushed through tan
gled bushes and vines, and followed
a once broad path up to the imposing
and beautiful ruins.
Tall colonial pillars ran mp TO the
Ioof and the marble flooring Of the
porch was stained and cracked. The
hall door, partly open, sagged on its
broken hinges, and the red glow
from the west falling through the
skylight of the roof showed the
noble proportions Of a great winding
stairway and graceful galleries run
ming around the upper stories.
In a fire place, whose marble man
tie lowered far up the wall in medic
val fashion, there were burnt logs and
traces Of ashes, and standing in the
melancholy, deserted and still magni-
ficent old house, Alice felt a shiycr of
delight and apprehension.
"What has become Of them an?
Are they dead and gone? Are there
no heirs TO inherit this splendid old
place, and live in it?" Alice asked,
struck by the paneling Of the hall
and its splendid ornamentation.
"Some Of them are in France. The
people who lived here-wen, they
must have been a queer lot. Bernard
de Courcy. the last of 'em, killed his
young wife and then blew out his
brains very properly. No one knew
anything about it for several days,
nor was the cause discovered. At
least II never got into the papers,
which was doing better than we can
manage these modern times. To-
day, the when. how and wherefore is
found out before the thing happens;
murder or what not, neighbors know
much more about our doings and in
tentions than we do ourselves"
(Which means?" Alice queried.
Nothing special. OF course 1 don't
believe the report Of your engage
ment to that cad Barkdale. People
have to talk, you know" Gordon said,
looking squarely at Alice.
Alice, who stopped short. laughed
and returned the look, blushing furi-
ously.
"Of course not. she answered, after
a pause.
AS you say, what would become Of
MS if our neighbors did not gossip
about MS? Such manage our affairs
for u.s.
They went out i'm the sweet old
tangled rose garden, where century
old roses stin bloomed, and the once
violet borders Of the beds had run
riotously in al directions.
1t was quite dark when they saun'
tered back to the gateway and auto
mobile.
Several dark forms scampered OF
down the road as they approached,
and vanished.
"Ill take you back in no time" Cor
don said, encouragingly, tucking the
laprobe over Alice.
ITS horribly late TO 60 as fast as
you can" Alice urged, casting a re-
gretful look back at this beautiful,
melancholy old place.
Gordon's intentions were good, but
his machine refused to obey orders,
and remained immovable.
"Hellol Those little darkeys must
have been fooling with IT," he re-
marked, jumping out.
a half hour Of coaXng, pulling
Jerking and experimenting, resulted
in the discovery that no motion could
be induced ont OF that costly and
auto. The night had
fallen, and they were 20 miles from
the city, in a lonely part Of the par
ish.
No one lived near the De Courcy
place. Gordon knew, as also that
there was no possibility of getting
a horse or vehicle of any kind
within a radius Of five miles
"D-d idiots." Gordon apostro-
phised under his breath, the causes
Of the catastrophe, while scratching
a match TO light the lantern.
"What on earth are We TO do?"
Alice asked anxiously. The whole ex-
tent Of the evil had not yet dawned
on her. Gordon plainly saw.
a full moon had risen. and threw
its pale. white glory over the pillared
front and white marble steps Of the
once beautiful old home, poetizing its
ruins and giving a solemn grandeur
10 its melancholy solitude.
ave must go back TO the house.
III build a fire in the hall, and /
dare say III find a chair OF something
for you 10 sit on. Wen take these ]