Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-11-12
n medieval and rigtdiy repeilant'

w 4tA&& III u
structure OF gilded wood and pale blue
satin, that had for its neighbor a YER
liable Sleepy Hollow OF warm-hueu
plush and caryen ebony.
A pleasant room, truly, beautified
with those exquisite tribes which IN
our cultured day make perfection.
But the blaze which upleaped In the
somber dusk fell on a picture fairer
than any which hung on the proud
walls OF B~lackcastle.
For Just now the old place was
packed with guests from cellar to at
tic, faded Londoners, most OF them
who had come to spend Christmas IN
hearty, authorized English ashton.
II was the hour for k%ettledrum, and
about a dozen Of the lady visitors
lounged around the bright, good-tem-
pered fire. In the vague enjoyment OF
the discomfort without, and in dim
satisfaction Of the gracious security
within.
"And now we can't have our skat-
ing party tonight said Miss Lennox,
as she turned from the window, with
a slight shudder. This wretched
snow"
Lets ring for lights!" suggested
practical Miss Cassard.
She was a plump, pretty little
blonde, who passed for a beauty. She
had a nice complexion, innocent !
eyes. and a cable of soft, fair hair.
xr.o1 rnonivnH with lam
guild but decided disapprcval.
what" cried Della Dent, a tall.
dark-browed, sentimental young lady,
.shut out-or rather, stare out-the
cleaning? What is prosaic, critical
gaslight to this? Just look at those
distant corners! How mysticaliy
dim!"
yes pityingly, you rather like
this sort of thing, Della!"
"This sort of thing!" in low.voiced
disgust. "Oh, you little Goth-you
Vandal!"
what shall we do? How shall we
amuse ourselves this dreary night?"
asked Miss Lennox, coming across the
long room to her seat by the FIRE.
Z LET us tell ghost stories!" cried
Baby Earle, rising, to lay aside he
fragile morsel Of Sevres.
A slender, impulsiye, willful sprite,
this child of sixteen-this young heir
ess OF Starbury. She had a dark,
saucy, mignonne face-a crop OF crisp,
short curls. like a boys, and a pair
Of big, mutinous, wine-brown eyes.
"Yes, let's all tell ghost stories"
Vera laughed. "Baby's suggestion is
good. You first, Miss Lennox. They
say you have a genuine, bona-fde
ghost as a ledger at B~lackcastie.
Pleased"
Hush! not so loud" Cynthia said,
holding up a slender, jeweled hand in
warning. Lady Darlington must not
hear you. And though it sounds like
a laughing matter, she is extremely
and most u~nreasonably nervous on the
subject. Wait! What time Is 1t?
Five, Draw your chairs closer and |
will tell you all | know Of the Demon
Of the Tower"
There was a faint, amused laugh.
what a name!H Baby cried. ex-
plosively. "You do bravely. Cynthia!
The title should be good for three
volumes OF blood curdling sensation.
Please go on. We are waiting with
what is the authorized term? Bated
breath-that's it-bated BREATH"
Baby" protestingly, do be sensi-
ble-just for oncel Go on, Miss Len.
nox."
Cynthia laughed.
"Well, you know I was quite a little
child when | first came to B~lackcastle.
and the servants used to tell me such
tales of the disused eastern wing!
And how I would listen! laughing, yet
half-afraid to hear. Many a night !
lay awake from dark to dawn, quak-
ing with fear. But / was too proud
to let Lady Darlington e my terror.
SO she knew nothing OF the stories /
had heard, and of the fantastic fancies
which fevered my brain. This was
the legend they told me OF the Demon
of the Tower"
This time there vas no mocking
laughter. Cynthia's voice had grown
so grave that even Madcap Baby lis
tened In silence.
s'It seems that once upon q time
and not a very good time 1t vas ]
sheRlG j~udge-there lived within
these very walls a young fellow, wild,
handsome, hot-headed-a Darlington
OF Blackcastle-and he fell in love,
as" with a faint laugh, Il believe,
only a Darlington can fall in love-
madly, passionately. insanely. She
whom he loved was In rank beneath
| hiui-the daughter OF a peasant, pos
sessing grace and beauty above hel
| order. And she cared no more fol
him than for the bronze Apollo in his
library. She had given her heart tt
a cousin of his, a penniless young
gnardsman. who had been a friend
aud companion Of the lord of Black
castle from their earliest childhood
But one evning, quite by chance, Ru