The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-01-26

pairing 10 retire when his knock startled
them He heard them draw the bolt
with reluctant caution 10 answer his sum-
mons.
what! Not abed thus early, SimonT"
mot Just abed sir, but since the mas
ter's been gone jess and me are JUS as
willin as not 10 lock up early and shut
things out. IL be awful lonesome and
gloomsome here now. Mr.. Matthews.
and unless things brighten up when Mr.
Tom gets through schoolin doubt II Jess
and me can hold on at this gait"
And then Mr. Matthews told Simon how
he was going to break the gloom spell by
a garden party on his daughters birth
day, and Simon espoused his cause gladly.
Broxton Hall used TO be a happy and a
gay house.
Anything TO bring back the old glad
someness, sir.
Mr. Matthews gave his orders about
opening the house, clipping the cedars
etc When he turned away, he heard
the old man promptly bolt the door again
and as the wooden shutters were OF sond
boards the little cottage Immediately Of
fered but a dark, square bulk for OBJ
servation. He returned as he had come.
Making the circuit OF the house from rear
to front by the side on which Colonel
Broxton's study was located, involun-
tarily he glanced upward at the closed
shutters, then started and stood still,
wondering faint light. faint that II
might have been a phosphorescent glim-
mer, shone through thc Stats Of the dark
green shutters.
Whatever else his shortcomings, phyA-
one was IN the Rroxton house ana In the
colonePs study. To e. back for simon
would be useless. He would not come
He must depend upon his own address
Stealing noiselessly TO the front of the
house, the lawyer mounted the how 'front.'
steps and tried the frons door handle
softly IL was locked. With a strong
grip he next seized one of the shutters OF
the long French windows that opened
from the parlor TO the veranda floor. IL
yielded readily. so did the sash He
slipped his shoes from hie feet and sped
with swift nolselessness across the hall
The study was at the rear OF the house
IL connected with the room in the parlor
glass. Through the dim glass OF these
doors the pale phosphorescent gleam
came steadily. He would catch the thief
red handed His hands were ,n planted
the sliding doors gliding noiseiessiy In
their grooves with a resolute touch. Then
he staggered and held fast by the Intel
10 keep himself from falling.
Bending over the dead mans study Ia
BILE was tall, shadowy form IN white:
The sound OF scattering loose paper reil
Ola ms ears WITH EnoStlN ruslie. tle
saw restless hand three times distinctly.
In a signing whisper he heard the words.
Lost, lost lost" all this In a second OF
time. The night wind swept through the
open front window The pale light was
suddenly extinguished The house lay In
utter darkness. faint, slow move
ment. like the rustic OF garments. came
nearer TO the terror palsied man, passed
by him, died away entirely
How long he staid there he never could
have told. nor how he ever ,groped MS
way back To the spot where he had left
his shoes and from there n his horse;
Once In the saddle. with the cold night
air tanning his cheeks. his courage came
back and with II flood OF self-contempt.
Bah, Am in my dotage?'' he cried.
angrily. Tomorrow I will investigate
this ghostly trickery and run the trick
ster TO earth"
But he slept very Ettle that night. nor
did he run that ghostly ''trickster' 10
earth on the morrow nor the next day
nor any day thereafter.
Cno BE Continued)