Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-20

3 ''rhe next day my room was changed
according to her promise, but in the
light of the charges have since heard
uttered against that house and the
family who inhabit it l am glad that
/ spent one night in what, if 1t was
not haunted chamber, had certainly
very thrilling effect upon its Occu-
pants"
Second passage, the italics showing
where 1t was most heavily marked:
1.-THE house contained another room
as interesting as the one I have al
ready mentioned. 1t went by the
name of the library, and its walls were
heavily lined with books; but the fam
lily never sat there, nor was ever for
tunate enough to see 1t with its doors
Enclosed except on the occasion of the
grand reception Miss Callista gave in
my honor. l have fancy for big
rooms and more than once urged my
hostess to tell me why this one stood
municative on this topic, and it was
from another member Of the house
hold I learned that its precincts had
been forever clouded by the unexpect-
ed death within them Of one Of her
fathers friends, a noted army officer.
"Why this should have occasioned
permanent disuse of the spot I could
not understand, and as every one who
conversed on this topic invariably gave
the impression of saying less than the
subject demanded, my curiosity soon
became too much for me. and attack
ed Miss Caliista once again in regard
to It, She gave me quick smile, for
she was always amiable. but shook
her head and introduced another topic.
But one night when the wind was
bowling in the chimneys and the sense
Of loneliness was even greater than
usual in the great house. we drew to-
gether on the rug in front of my bed
room fire, and as the embers burned
down to ashes before us Miss Callista
became more communicative.
"Her heart was heavy, she told me;
had been heavy for years. Perhaps
some ray of comfort would reach her
II she took friend into her confidence.
God knew that she needed one, espe-
cially on nights like this, when the
wind woke echoes all over the house
and it was hard to tell which most to
fear, the sounds which came from no
one knew where, or the silence which
settled after.
''She trembled as she said this and
instinctively drew nearer to my side
SO that our heads almost touched over
the Pickering fame from whose heat
and light we sought courage. She
seemed to feel grateful for this con-
tact, and the next minute, f1inging all
her scruples to the wind. she began
relation Of events which more or less
answered my late unwelcome queries.
1.-THE death in the library, about
which her most perplexing memory
hung, took place when she was child
and her father held that high govern
mental position which has reflected SO
much credit upon the family. Her Ia
Their and the man who thus persisted
had been intimate friends. They had
fought together In the war Of 1872 and
received the same distinguished marks
of presidential approval afterward.
They were both members of an impor-
tant commission which brought them
into diplomatic relations with England.
1t was while serving on this commits
sion that the sudden break occurred
which ended all intimate relations be-
tween them and created change in
her father that was equally remarked
at home and abroad. What occasioned
this break no one knew. Whether his
great ambition had received some check
through the jealousy Of this SO called
friend-a superstition which did not
seem possible, as he rose rapidly after
this-or on account Of other causes
darkly limited at by his contemporaries,
but never breaking into open gossip,
he was never the same man afterward.
His children, who used to rush with
effusion to greet him, now shrank into
corners ut his step or slid behind half
open doors, whence they peered with
fearful interest at his tall figure, pac-
ing in moody silence the halls Of his
ancestral home or sitting with frown-
ing brows over the embers dying away
on the great hearthstone Of his famous
library.
'.Their mother, who was an invalid,
did not share these terrors. The IA
Their was ever tender Of her, and the
only smile they ever saw on his face
came with his entrance into her dark
ened room.
'Such were Callista Moore's first
memories Those which followed were
more definite and much more startling.
President Jackson, who had high |
opinion of her fathers ability, advanced
him rapidly. Finally position was
given him which raised him into ma
tional prominence. AS this had been
the goal Of his ambition for years, he
was much gratified by this appoint
ment, and. though his smiles came no
more frequently. his frowns lightened
and from being positively threatening
became simply morose.
"Why this moroseness should have
sharpened into menace after an I'M
expected visit from his once dear but
ong estranged companion in arms, his
daughter, even after long years of
brood{nr ,rpon this c11hinot