The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-16

life of the house, and found that it did
me good to be young and merry again.
even tho the ache at my heart was per
slstent still, and my night dreams my
chefest solace.
But ! did not dream now of the coral
strand and the ripping waves. I could
not have told where it was I met my low
er: only that we still seemed to meet
somewhere, and that there was an eager
buoyancy about him now that had been
less noticeable before. not infrequently
woke with a start in the dead Of the night,
feeling somehow as tho he were near me
not vislbly, or not In any distress, you
ur derstand; the feeling was one of pure
Joy when it came, and would lie tingling
all over, scarce knowing whether l slept
or woke
| Rut I think this strange happiness.
which / did not understand myself, helped
me to tnJoy my days all the m ore. Life
iii a country house in those simpler days
was very pleasant affair. We rode and
walked, some of US hunted, AMI occasion
ally l tt ok a gun and went out shooting
with the boys. On wet days We some
times retired into big, empty coach
house and fired 1T a mark. a prize was
offered by one gentleman Of q, pair of very
beautifully mounted small pistols In a
case, ana to my great delight l won II
away from all the boys and young men
who competed. I mention th:,, as those
pistols had a pa1t lo play in the story I
am telling.
At Christmas the house filled UP from
garnet to basement; and when on the
very day Of the festival some unexpected
cousins begged to be allowed to come at
once to stay awhile it was a puzzle to
Know where to pack them. The girls Of
the house, and the boys, too. had done
everything that was possible in the way
of slowing themselves into holes and cor
ners; and when I heard of the Difficulty
! 1 at once offered to give up my room,
which was a large one. -
But, Beatrice, where shall we put your
We haven't hole or corner left. except
except"
well what? Anything will do for me.
What have you got left still?'
why, there's the haunted room at the
end of the west gallery. But it's half dis
nantled; it's not been used for years. !
really don't think mother would like to
put anybody there"
"Why, the very thing!" cried. For, as
} I say. was not superstitious in the ordi-
nary sense of the term. Don't tell your
mother anything about it. Just say I've
been arranged for, and that my room is
vacant; and give me the haunted one;
should like it; really should. I'm not
, afraid Of ghosts. What sort Of g. ghost
Is it? It won't eat me, I suppose?"
"Oh, l don't think there's any danger
. you know. I never really knew what the
rats or owls, or wind down the old chin
! ney. But all the same the room is never
! used and there's hardly anything left II
it now except the old four-poster and al
$ oak press or tWo.'
, We rushed off to look at it, and wa!
charmed with the old room. What did i
matter that it was bare and full of dus
. and cobwebs? We got broom and busters
/ ourselves. We foraged for odds and end
? Of furniture from other places. My be
, longings were speedily transferred here
g and I could have had a bedfelow for tn
4 asking, I am sure. But I saw that non
/, of tle girls really wanted to sleep here
t and as l had not the smallest fear myself
did not make the suggestion
The room was not particularly larg
nor ghostly- looking. The window wa
= overgrown, to be sure, with heavy iv
: trailers; for great stem Of ivy had grow
= up the wall and the whole face of it wa
a mass Of twisted stems and strong, trail
= ing strands. But at this time of year Their
i is never much light in old -fashione
= rooms, and a big, glowing fire of log
!, would quickly do away with dark corner
- and boSey1Sh feelings. The most ghcstl
. thing about the room was that it opene
=, by a very curious door into one of tn
= floors Of the old disused towers, three
y which still stood at the angles of tn
:, house. This door was covered by a cur
;, tain, the curtain hiding a small recess
SthAN "ilClk Sou Gllleftu llilS recess yO
Il thought at first that the back Of it wa
- solid wall, but if you pushed against
~ with your shoulder, the wall gave wa
slowly, and if you pushed a certain dis
- lance the revolving door opened wide
~ its own accord-but without any noise
-, and you found yourself with another dee
- recess before you leading into this tower
. room 1t was a bare, bat-haunted place
~ with rough stone wall and floor and ur
= glazed windows; and only an ancient oak
~ en- table and couple Of moulderin
d benches seemed to indicate that once
. might have been used as a guardroom
III the old castle. There was g. little dot
10 opposite which I was told opened upon
IL spiral stone staircase; but the key WE
20 lost, So could not make any further e.
10 plorations in that direction. I found tn;
IN the revolving door set in the little angul;
H. passage forming the two recesses wou
IN open either way and stand open whe
We pushed in either direction. There was l
ny sort Of fastening upon it. And when
was shut 1t looked like a part of the wa
er AS, however, the outer door of the towe
ed room was securely fastened, was just
al safe as tho my own room were lock-
Re both sides.
as II expect it's this queer door into Il
10 old tower that has given the room a b:
III name,' said my cousin, as We finished O
ne explorations. 'People have heard raj
or and bats, and things like that next doc
olt ana nave mad a scare. You're not t.
nd kind to be frightened that way
ce was not at all afraid, not even tho
cit saw should have to remain solitary
e. my new room. I slept In it that We
night, quite peacefully and untrouble
II and the next day the new guests arrive
IL And as they were both very merry a.
ce lively girls the fun and frolic seemed
Id take a distinct impetus with their g
h rival.
al BY the time the third night came
lly had lost all feeling Of doubt or Dire
on about my room. On the other two ey
ng nlngs l had piled UP an immense fl
It'll which hod lighted the room and given ,
tsp a cosy. warm light far IL to the night
I'm long after I needed it, ir fact, since
err slept particularly soundly and we'll. Z
ffe night however, it so CHANGED that the 81
Of want had omitted to fill my wood bash
yer and unless I rang or foraged about :
rll house my fire would not last long after
on was In bed. However, was tired a
ay sleepy, and not the least afraid. and
I've weather had turned milder, so that I "
$50 not disposed to trouble myself. 1 l
X dressed quickly and was soon sou
for asleep. But was not destined that mis-
lid to remain undisturbed until the MOI
1lv ing.
,as woke with a start in the dead of I
till night. stared round me, but the dal
ness was intense and impenetrable TT
md l became aware of sounds close at ha
18th strange sounds for the place and
th hour-the sound Of mems voices and
lad occasional clinll as Of metal or glass
~ Stantly / was reused T sat I'm in h