The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1904-07-01
The Haunted Chamber.

There it is. girls; there's Chesholn
Manor You can just catch the tips OF
the grim, gray turrets over the gloomy
fir hills to the left there
We all leaned forward, and followed
with eager eyes Miss Tresham's pointing
finger.
There it was. dimly defined beyond the
black frs, in the weird old county of
Cornwall.
Miss freshman shook her pretty head
with its abundant bronze tresses in a
melancholy way.
"The most uncanny old place, girls, "
she said, a second 'Moated Grange, for
all the world. Ialways dread our annual
visit, though certainly love godpapa
very dearly; but it is such a weird old
place. And, girls, there is a haunted
chamber, too"
"a haunted chamber, Beatrix:" we all
cried, III breath.
"a veritablc haunted chambcr-thc
crimson chamber they call it, and it is
the grardcst room in the house; yet I've
never seen it but once in my whole life.
l can't bear to go near it. | remember
dimly how vast, and grand, and dark
it looked, all aglow with crimson and
gold. And oh. girls, such an awful legend
connected with it. Mrs. Sinnot, the
housekeeper, told it to ME herself"
"Trixie, dear, tell us"
81 can't tell it as Mrs Sinnot did, but
I'll do my best: Centuries ago, in the time
of the very first Chesholms-and they
came down from the Norman chiefs, you
know, ever SO long ago-there WAS 4
brave knight, Sir Godfrey CHISHOLM,
think they called him. He was great
soldier, and the bravcst, handsomcst man
i'll all England. He woed and won, so
the story runs, a lovely Scandinavian
girl, with eyes like stars and trcsses of
golden hair that reached to her knees
He married her and brought her home to
Chesholm Manor, and the crimson room
was their bridal chamber.
"Well, a week after they came home to
the manor. Sir Godfrey was called away.
He parted from his lovely bride with
great reluctance, and many tender cares
scs, for he was excessively fond of her
Owing to some circumstances, which
| do not remember, he returned much
sooner than he had anticipated, and
reaching the manor one stormy midnight
he let himself in with his night key, and
hurried to the chamber of his bride think
ing to find her in bed and asleep.
But 10. when he reached the crimson
room he found it in glitter Of wax lights,
and on opening the door he saw his
young wife all arraycd in her best robes,
with diamonds in her golden hair and On
her white throat; and feast was spread
out, wines and fruits and other daintics.
And who do you suppose this fair, false
creature had to keep her company? An
old lover, who had been Sir GerTrcy s
rival
"Wcll, he killed her then and there, and
his rival, too, and concealed their bodies
i'll the secret passage, into which they say
the crimson chamber leads. That was
centuries ago, but to this day they come
back at midnight and tap against the
oaken panels, hoping that some one will
come and libcrate them. Mrs. Sinnott
AYERS that she has heard this ghOstly
tapping again and again. She woul
not sleep a night in this haunted room
for worlds. No one ever does except Sir
John, and he scouts the whole story"
ooh, how awful !" we all cried, land
how dclightiul"'
We drove up the fir Swallowed drive and
reached the grim, gray front of the old
manor just as the darkness kll. Sir John
was on the great stone terrace to wei
come us.
1--WE brought a lot of young school
friends to share my visit, this time, god,
papa" said Bcatrix, when the greetings
were we'll over.
That's right, Trixic; the more the
merrier. You didn't know we had Il bal
on the taps, did you: Nor that young
Major Farlcigh was at home On furlousl
cithcr-hey, Trix =
Bcatrix blushed divinely. Major Far.
leigh was her betrothed lover. The old
baronct pinched her glowing check.
81 planned it all to surprise you" ht
said. But come in, young ladies, we've
no time to lose. You must eat your din
ncr in Il hurry, and then dress for thc
! ball"
Dinner over, we lit our candles and hur
ried up to dress.
This way, please, mademoiselles,