The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-14

ghostly-looking. The window was over
grown, TO be sure, with heavy ivy %trailers,
for a great stem of ivy had grown up the
wall and the whole face of il was a mass
of twisted stems and strong, trailing
Is never much light in old-fashioned rooms,
and a big, glowing fire of logs would
quickly do away with dark corners and
about the room was that il opened by q
very curious door into one of the floors of
the old disused towers, three of which
still stood at the angles of the house. This
door was covered by a curtain, the curtain
hiding a small recess. and when you had
entered this recess you thought at first that
the back of ii was solid wall, but it you
pushed against it with your shoulder the
wall gave way slowly, and If you pushed a
certain distance the revolving door opened
wide of it's own accord-but without any
noise-and you found yourself with another
deep recess before you, leading into this
tower-rOom. 1t was a bare, bat-haunted
place., with rough stone walls and floor, and
unglazed windows, and only an ancient
oaken table and a couple of moldering
benches seemed TO indicate that once it
might have been used as a guard-room of
the old castle. There was a little door
opposite which / was told opened upon a
spiral stone staircase, but the key was lost,
so L could not make any further eXplora-
lions in that direction. / found that the
revolving door set in the little angular
passage forming the two recesses would
open either way and stand open when
pushed in either direction. There was no
sort of fastening upon 1t. And when il
was shut it looked like a part of the wall.
AS, however. the outer door of tire tower
room was securely fastened / was just as
safe as though my own roora were locked
both sides.
Il expect it's this queer door into the old
tower that has given the room a bad
name" said my cousin, as we finished our
explorations. People have heard rats, and
bats. and things like that next door. and
nave had a scare. You're not the KIND 10
hn frtnhfnnn1 tho
l was not at all afraid, not even though
L saw L should have to remain solitary in
my new room. l slept in 1t that very night,
quite peacefully and untroubled, and the
next day the new guests arrived. And as
they were both very merry and lively girls
the fun and frolic seemed to take a distinct
impetus with their arrival.
BY the time the third night came I had
lost all feeling of doubt or dread about my
room. On the other two evenings l had
piled up an immense fire, which had lighted
far into the night-long after l needed 1T, in
fact, since slept particularly soundly and
well. Tonight, however. il so CHANGED that
the servant had omitted to fill my wood
basket, and unless L rang or foraged about
the house my fire would not last long after
/ was in bed. However. / was tired and
sleepy. and not the least afraid, and the
weather had turned milder, so that | was
not disposed to trouble myself. L I'M
dressed quickly and was soon sound asleep,
But l was not destined that night to remain
undisturbed until the morning.
woke with a start in the dead of the
night. 1 stared round me, but the darkness
was intense and impenetrable. Then l be-
came aware of the sounds close at hand
strange sounds for the place and the hour
the sound of mems voices and an occa-
sional clink as of metal or glass. Instantly
1 was reused. 1 sat up in bed. and, gazing
about me, / noted a line of vertical light,
slightly widening at the base, which at first
! could not locate. But after a moments
thought l saw that this proceeded from the
curtained recess; in fact, was shining
through the chink OF the curtain, and with
a curious heartleap between fear and
amazement L realized that the door between
my room and the tower stood open, and
that the light was shining from the latter
place. Somebody was there! The murmur
of voices indicated the presence of more
than one intruder. What right had they
there? They could be after nothing good.
1t should be my business to find them out
and TO expose them!
Truth to tell, at the first moment / felt
TO fear. l had an impression that some of
the men servants of the house or the Wallets
of the guests were making use of this tower
likely not even knowing that an adjoining
room was occupied How the door came to
be pushed open l could not tell. L did not
think that | had left ii so. Still, l had
prowled round the old stone chamber once
during that day, and il was just possible
l had omitted 10 close the door after me.
Anyhow. open il was. Possibly one OF the
intTuders, knowing the house, had pushed
it open to glance in and see that the room
was empty. Had my fire been alight that
would have betrayed occupation. AS il was,
everything was pitch dark. for / burned no
night lamp, and every ember on the hearth
was cold and dead.
Slipping from my bed I wrapped myself
up in a dressing gown, and over that L
put a long, heavy driving coat. reaching to
my heels. l did not intend showing myself,
but there was a protection in feeling well
wrapped up. Suddenly. as | completed my
preparations in the Stygian darkness, L
remembered the ghostly traditions of the
room. 1t was haunted Could il be that the
of another world? 1 was conscious of a
little chill shiver running through my
veins as this thought presented itself. But
/ would not leap back into my warm bed,
or forego my quest. / would unraveI this
mystery to the best of my ability, and L
crept cautiously TO the curtain. slipped
noiselcssiy behind 1T, and then with the
utmost caution approached the angle OF the
wall which would give me the view into
the tower room beyond.
l peered round the angle. keeping in dense
shadow myself. / saw five men seated at
the table. but they were not servants of
the house: that saw at a glance. And |
saw something more. too-something which
sent my heart into my mouth. but which
filled me rather with anger than with fear.
These men were highway robbers. L knew
il by the fashion in which they were armed.
for all carried weapons, and two pairs of
horse pistols lay upon the table. More
than this. / saw black masks lying there
also. and the dark. brutal faces OF the men
plainly showed the character of their lives
and occupation.
Moreover. they were talking and plotting
together. l could hear a great part of what
they said. They were planning a highway
robbery; | heard them talk about pearls
presumably some jewelers. agent was 10 be
their victim) and money which the sale Of
other pearls had bought. | heard them de-
scribe a certain spot where the high road