Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-02-07
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bad here
Thomas Eastbell consumed his lunch
with difficulty. He had no appetite. but
1t was necessary to keep himself up. the
captain had said, and all his life he had
believed in Captain Peterson He fell
asleep after his meal, and when he woke
up he stared vacantly round, and fought
nara TO recollect where he was, and how
long he had sat huddled in the armchair.
an angular distortion in his comfortless
slumber
1t was night, and the huge room was
full of darkness, which had crept .lpon
Sedge Hill before it's time, or he had slept
long and late, and all in that unsettled
house had forgotten his existence, were
his first ideas when he began to remem-
Der that he was in the picture gallery
! which Simon Culwick had built What
heavy sleep his must have been, to be
sure! He stood up, and tried to pierce
through the darkness, and a sudden chill
seized upon his veins. and turned him sick
as he fancied that he might have woke
up blind like his grandmother! Why not?
it was i'll the family-and all before
him was awfully black and thick and inn
penetrable. 1t was raining outside, too
that accounted for the kissing in lis
| H.,
which he had thought was his brain.
! Finally he CROPPED his way toward the
door, keeping his hand on the wall, or on
the vanished surfaces of the paintings
with which the wall was hung. He had
made up his mind he would seek Grand
mother Eastbell, and tell her the truth,
and more than the truth if it were requi-
! site. He was being imposed upon. Peo-
pie of no principle had taken advantage
of his slumbers, and were setting his near
est and dearest relation against him. Reu-
ben Culwick was at the head of affairs,
and poisoning the public mind. Even the
servants had turned upon him, and
brought him no dinner, and left him in the
dark. He came to a full stop, and fell
against the pictures, scratching them
with his trembling hands, in his alarm;
for the door behind him in the distance
the side door leading away from the
corridor-had opened suddenly and
sharply, and was shut again as he glanc-
ed towards a fitfu CLEAN of light which
narrowed and then passed away. In that
ileeting moment he had seen enough to
scare a stronger nerve than his-for a
white figure had glided into the chamber,
and was advancing toward him, he was
sure! He remained silent and trembling
till the rustling of garments assured him
that something was approaching him
with nOiseless steps, that reminded him
of the ghost in the "Castle Specter,"
which he had seen once from the gallery
of theater. He made a swift plunge for
the door in his horror.
1t was his sisters spirit, he was sure
she had been murdered by those from
whose clutches he had made no effort to
save her-and she had come for him! His
last hour had arrived, and it was all over
with his dreams of glory.
Tom Eastbell," said a sharp voice in
/ his ears, "are you here? Why don't you
speak to me?"
GRANDMOTHER, he calculated, sis it
you then?'
Come here and sit down-we can talk
hest in the dark, and [ want to talk to
you
I'D rather have a light. thank you,"
said Tom, who still had his suspicious
| that all was not right. He found his way
to the principal door, and opened it, let
| ting in a stream of light from the corri-
! dor without He looked back at his
grandmother who was standing by the
chair which he had Quilted strange
phantom enough in her white night dress,
and with a Counterpart wrapped round
her toga-fashion, and trailing on the
ground behind her.
whats the matter?" said Tom irres-
olutely; 'ain't yen we'll? What have you
come downstairs for, such night as
| this?
| 81 can't rest. There's something
wrong, Tom I'm unhappy. They're all
you with the rest of 'em-keeping
something from me. Where's Sarah 2
oh! where's my Sally?-tell me-"
"Wait a moment-PH tell you every
thing"
An idea had seized him at last. The
opportunity which he thought that he
missed had come to him in this manner
! There was no time to lose.
"SalIy's run away" he said.
| "Eh-what?" shrieked Mrs. Eastb Eli;
run away-from meg
"Yes-that's it.' asseverated Tom, be-
coming holder in his statement as his
grandmother put implicit faith in every
word he uttered.
Run away-forcyer. do you mean:'
exclaimed Mrs. Eastbell, in her highest
key.
Yes, forever"
"Ah, don't say any more" said the old
woman, piteously; "I'll try and die now,
Tom. | don't want to live an hour long
er. 1 was always so fond of Sally, Tom
"Yes-so was l." he exclaimed; but II
she don't deserve our love, what's the
odds? I've been cut mp all day, but I'm
Getting more composed like. Don't die
That's what she wants-what she expects,
raps-can't you see it all"
The hands that were muffied IN the
counterpane were brought down with
their covering from the face, which seem
ed harder and sterner now, and looked so
like her brother Simon's that any one
acquainted with the late owner might
have thought that he had come back IN
the flesh
"Ah, yes; I'm beginning to find out
what a wicked and ungrateful world II
is, Tom" she said.
That's right Cheer up, and look
about you" -.
'She and that Reuben planned TINS
then? They have gone away together
amt they-gone without word
h Ic