The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1904-12-01
share my feelings, though from an en-.

share my feelings, though from On en-
tirely different cause.
"Pistols and lanterns are no good
here" he grumbled. what we want
at this blessed minute Is a priest with
q sprinkling OF holy water; and I for
ONE
He was actually sliding OF.
With smothered oath I drew him
back
"see herew I cried you're not a
babe In arms. Come on or Well.
what nowP'
lie had clinched my arm and was
pointing to the door which was slowly
swaying TO behind us.
Notice that" he whispered. mo
key In the lockl Men use keys, but
My patience could stand no more.
With n shake rid myself Of his clutch.
muttering:
"There. go! You're too much of a
fool for me, I'm In for 1t alone" And
In proof of my determination turned
the slide of the lantern and flashed the
light through the house.
The effect was ghostly; but while the
fellow at my side breathed hard. he
did not take advantage OF my words
to make his escape, as | half expected
him to. The truth is was startled
myself. but was able to hide the fact
and to whisper back to him tlercely:
"IIushw
had Just heard something
For moment we stood GREATNESS,
but MS the sound was not repeated I
concluded that 1t was the creaklng OF
that farawny shutter. Certainly there
was nothing moving near u.s.
shall we go upstairs2" whispered
Hubbard.
Not till we have made sure that all
Is right down here"
A door stood slightly ajar on our
left.
Pushing 1t open. we looked In. A
well furnished parlor was before us.
Here's where the wedding took
place." remarked Hibbard, straining
his head over my shoulder.
| There were signs of this wedding on
every side. Walls and ceilings had
been hung with garlands. and these
still chung to the mantelplece and over
and around the various doorways. The
clock occupying the center of the man.
telpiece alone gave evidence OF life. IL
had been wound for the wedding and
had not yet run down. Its tick.tick
came faint enough however, through
the darkness, as II 1t, too, had lost heart
and would soon lapse into the deadly
quiet of its ghostly surroundings.
ITS 49, it's funeral.likc," chartered
Hubbard.
He was right; felt us If were
shutting the lid of a coffin when final,
| ~ closed the door.
Our next steps took us into the rear,
where we found little to detaln us, and
then, with a certain dread fully JUST.
fled by the event, we made for the
door defined by the two Corinthlan
columns.
1t was ajar like the rest, and, call me
coward or call me fool have called
Hlbbard both, you will remember
found that 1t cost me an effort to lay
my hand on its mahogany panels
! Danger, If danger there was, lurked
here, and while I had never known
myself to quail before any ordinary
antagonist, I, like others of my kind.
have no especial fondDess for unseen
and mysterious perils.
Hibbard. who up to this point had
followed me almost too closely. now
accorded me all the room that was nee.
essary. 1t was with sense of enter.
Ing alone upon the scene that finally
thrust wide the door and crossed the
threshold Of this redoubtable room
where, but two short weeks before, II
fresh victim had been added to the
list OF those who had by some unheard
OF. unlmaginable means found their
death within its recesses.
My first glance showed me little save
the ponderous outlines of an old set.
tie, which jutted from the corner OF
the fireplace half way out into the
room, AS 1t was seemingly from this
seat that the men, who at various
times had been found lying here. had
fallen to their doom, n thrill passed
over me as | noted its unwleldy bulk
and the deep shadow 1t threw on the
ancient and dishonored henrthstone.
To escape the CHASTITY memories 1t
evoked and also to satisfy myself that
the room was really as empty as It
seemed. I took another step forward
This caused the light from the lantern
! carried to spread beyond the point
on which it had hitherto been so ef-
fectively concentrated. but the result
The dead bride