Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-07-01
CHAPTER XI.


Day after day passed, during which
Ethel became quite accustomed to her
! routine of work, and quietly persevered
in her duties. Nothing difficult to accom-
plish was required at her hands: nothing
beyond spending couple of hours each
morning in her own room writing letters,
of which an abstract was taken from Sir
Reginald's own lips; then an hour or two
reading the daily papers for his amuse-
ment. Very often would he find q chance
to whisper the question:
do you perform your evening tasks
regularly and well? Does all 60 on az
safely as 1 could wish?"
Then when the answer came, "All goes
WE'LL" he would seem so satisfied and re-
lieved that she felt almost happy in Civ
ing the information.
About a month after her arrival at
Glendenning Hall she had been reading
one afternoon a work in which he was
particularly interested, when she was in
terrupted by the entrance Of DR.. Elfen-
stein.
As the baronet motioned to her to re-
main where she was during the inter-
view, the regular nurse being absent,
and as the doctor might need some things
from her hand, she became interested in
the conversation that ensued.
DIR. Elfenstein was rather small
talker. and this natural reserve tended to
make his professional interviews at the
hall brief, and usually confined closely
to his medical work.
But this morning he seemed to linger,
and conversed quite freely upon many of
the topics of the day. Finally he COM
menced giving an account of the severe
storm that had swept over the country
the night before the baronet's accident,
and ended by relating his own adven-
lures, and what he had seen in the tow
er.
"Sir Reginald, 1 thought I would tell
you this, and ask if you can explain the
meaning of the spectacle then manifest
edY'
Il cannot" was the reply Ethel watch
ed for with anxiety. Il am told by peo-
pie far and near of strange appearances
| in that tower, but ! have never seen
| thing of the kind there myself, therefore.
put no faith in the story"
But you may believe me, sir, when l
assure you such things are really to be
seen there. Now, in order to satisfy my
mind, and perhaps enable me to explain
the mystery to the frightened inhabitants,
I crave your kind permission to visit the
l.
"It is impossible for me to grant it.
When these things were first whispered
about twenty-five years ago, we, as a
family, were exceedingly annoyed by con-
slant visitors to the spot, and the thing
became so much of nuisance that it was
closed forever from all inspection. No,
you must not ask this, doctor, as I can
not consent to the place being entered,
after being so long sealed. AS it is, take
my word for it, and be satisfied. It is
merely a vagary of the brain, an optical
delusion, something better to be forgot
ten."
DR.. Elfenstein said no more, but in
wardly resolved to pay surreptitious
visit there, if not permitted one, as this
mystery he determined should be unrav-
eled.
AS he rose to leave, he happened to
glance towards the young girl opposite
to him, and saw her head bent low ovea
the book she held, while sad and pained
expression had foated over her speaking
face.
After the reading had concluded, the
baronet said he would excuse her further
attendance upon him, therefore she start
ed out for a ramble over the grounds.
She had not gone far, before she re-
gretted having done so, as she was join
ed a short distance from the house by
Robert Glendenning, person she instinc-
lively disliked. ....
This young man was a great admirer
of a pretty face, and from the first look
into Ethel's speaking eyes, and upon
her rare beauty, he had acknowledged
that he had never seen person that so
exactly met the standard Of the beautiful
he had raised in his soul. But her proud
bearing in his presence, her shrinking
from his approach gave such evidence of
her dislike that he felt irritated, and con-
sequently determined to annoy her in
every way possible during her stay at
the hall.
CTo be continued.l