Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-04-02

4oANp oho SAotAthhCf anu oOOh dS hCI
head touched the pillow she fell into
sweet and composed slumber. Judge,
then, of the shock of her being
awakened almost Immediately by the
violent shaking at the front door.
Leaping to her feet, she felt her
way into her dressing-gown and slip
pers, and reached the front hall Just
as Aunt Dorothy in her list shoes
came swiftly down the stairs.
Brenda! Brenda!" she called, in a
cautious tone, "some one wants to
come in"
But Brenda had flung herself with
all her force against the locked and
barred door.
mo, no." she cried. "Let no one
in! 1t is the ghost of the Round
House. l saw him."
In her excitement, she was half
conscious of Aunt Dorothy's look of
amazed terror, but she was using all
her strength to resist the force with
out with which the strong oaken
door, in spite of bolted bars, trem-
bled.
Finally, the effort without ceased.
But the next moment there was a
dismal shrek from Aunt Dorothy.
She stood with fixed eyes gazing into
the parlor, and there against one of
the windows was the figure of a
young man, with pale, distorted coun-
t%enance, using all his efforts to get
in.
Hold the windows down! Oh,
Aunt Dorothy, help mel" screamed
Brenda, springing for the sash.
"Wait, child wait. Ask him what
he wants. Ask him that, anyway,
whether he is a ghost or not!" cried
Aunt Dorothy.
Brenda still hung upon the sash,
but fixed her flaring eyes upon the
pale face outside, and called loudly,
what do you want? What do you
want here? No, no; you cannot
come I'M" as with eager gestures
not to be mistaken the apparition
signaled his desire to enter.
"Oh, God! it must be the devil!"
groaned Aunt Dorothy. HE moves
his lips, but he don't make a sound!"
cried Aunt Dorothy, now ever more
terrified than Brenda.
And now that the object of their
terror appeared at a new window,
she followed her example and ran to
hold it down with all her strength.
The cries of the two could not fail
to arouse the doctor. He listened a
moment, and then, in his alarm, for
getting his illness, rose and drew on
his dressing-gown and came quietly
down the stairs. There he stood be-
hind the unconscious women for sew
eral seconds, gazing in amazement
upon the scene.
stop! stop!" he cried at last, in
a voice of command. "Why don't you
let him in? Why don't you let him
in out of the storm? 1t must be Mr..
Lorillard."
Brenda's hands fell down, and she
turned toward her father, p~aralyzed
by his presence.
As soon as she did so, the sash flew
up and the stranger sprang into the
room. He was dripping wet, with a
red scarf tied closely about his
throat.
why" he cried wildly, in a hoarse
whisper-"why, for Heavens sake, do
you refuse me your hospitality on
such a night as this?"
For a moment the whole group
stood silently looking at each other.
If Brenda and Dorothy looked with
wonder upon the stranger, with no
less establishment he gazed upon
them.
"You, DR.. Amberly--" he said, in
the same strange whisper, turning to
the doctor.
YES" he assented.
"You surely know that to be ex.
posed to this storm in my con.
dition-"
Eyes, yes, Mr.. Lorillard. This is
some astounding mistake. Aunt
Dorothy, find him dry clothes and hot
drink at once. He is my patient.
But |, too, am Sick"
Brenda sprang to his side.
"Oh, father, father, this will kill
you!"
She hurried him back to bed, while
Aunt Dorothy silently took charge OF
the stranger.
The next day came explanations,
and this vas Paul Lorillard's story:
The train had left him at Wellbridge
the day before. Mistaking the dis
lance to the Round House, he started
on foot, and, after a four-mile walk,
finally reached it quite late. The
night was inky dark, the knocker so
high up on the door that he could
not fluid it, and there being no sign
of any Il awake in the house, he
had finally turned about and retraced
his steps to the village.
But On this, the second night, he
had been equally unfortunate, for in
the storm he had lost his way, and
found it with difficulty. But drenched
to the skin, in spite OF his warm and
rich apparel, and knowing, in his pre-
condition of health, that his
life was in danger, he had determined
to get under shelter.
He had shaken the door violently,
and then, seeing lights moving and
voices calling or crying, he imagined
that they could not get the door open
and would have sprang in at a win
dow but for the inmates strange re-
.sistance.
knowing that he was expected, he
could not understand this treatment,
signs and movements of the lips
seemed to make matters worse;
and, almost forced to abandon his
Efforts in despair, he was about to
again to the more hospitable
tavern, when the resistance