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

iron hook. This led to the ruin, and
with beating heart she opened it
Close by the door she found small
covered basket that she knew must con-
tain what she sought. Grasping it quick
ly, she again fastened the door, as Sir
Reginald had instructed her to do, and
passed down the corridor.
There she found the entrance to the
tower, and resolving to take some bright
sunshiny day to visit this spot, she turn
ed, as she had been directed, to count out
the, number of panels on the left hand
wall, and Immediately discovered the
she sought. Inserting the point of the
knife, she turned three times, when the
panels parted and there lay the shelves.
Opening then the basket, she found
food in small pieces, consisting of broken
biscuits, bits of chicken, potatoes, and
quite a quantity of meat, cut In mouth
fuls. This she placed on the shelves
upon the wooden plate on which it was
heaped. Then gently showing the shelves,
they slowly whirled around, and when
the same side returned to her, the plate
stood upon it empty ready to be placed
again in the basket.
"That ape must have been trained"
she thought, ''to empty the plate and re-
turn it!'
She listened for moment, but all was
still. Showing to the panels, she found
that they relocked themselves, so taking
up candlestick, knife and basket, she
placed the latter again outside the door,
fastened it securely, and reached her own
room in safety.
The task required of her had been a
singularly unpleasant one. She was a
brave young girl, and had endured but
few feelings of fear, but she had trem-
bled, because the thing required so much
secrecy. She disliked mysteries of all
kinds, and her honest, open nature re-
volted from the whole work.
a One thing she decided to do, she
Should take some morning hour to ex-
plore the ruins, and that Haunted Tower.
so that she might become accustomed to
all the dangers and peculiarities of the
| place before other offices were required
at her hands.
With this resolution still in her mind,
! she sought the luxurious bed that await
ed her, and there fell at once into a
pleasant sleep, from which she never
aroused until the bright rays of another
morning sun stole into her room.
Springing up, she dressed as soon as
possible, and opening her door, found
by questioning a maid, that the family
did not rise until late, as their breakfast
hour was from ten to eleven.
All being quiet in the room Of the in
valid, she returned to her own apart
ment, and fastening the door securely,
resolved at once to start upon her explor-
ing expedition, as she felt that she would
be for at least an hour and half unob
served, and mistress of her own time and
motions.
With q little of the trembling nerv-
| business of the night before, the brave
girl opened the intervening doors and
stepped into the corridor. All was fold
ed in the same solemn stiffness that made
the place oppressive on the previous
night.
She resolved to explore the ruined
parts before she sought the tower, there
fore unlocked the door, and stepped out.
As she did so, she noticed that the COW
cred basket was still there.
The door opened directly into a small
rickety hall that led into several large
rooms, all dusty. mouldy and more or less
dilapidated. Broken windows, torn wall
papers, bare rafters, seen through i'm
mense places where ceilings had fallen,
were everywhere visible Some rooms
were filled with broken furniture, pieces
of old china and fragments Of time-worn,
castoff clothing.
Ethel looked at these dilapidated OBJ
jects, and found herself wondering why
Sir Reginald had not had the whole pull
certainly would heighten the value Of the
property, while it's presence only spoke
of neglect and untidiness.
One thing she observed in her ramble
there was. an easy mode of egress and in
gress to this part into the hall, and
| marks of recent footsteps on the floor
told that this formed the entrance place
to the person who prepared and brought
the food she was nightly to place ON the
iron shelves.
Another thing struck her; in all the
premises there was not the slightest ap-
pearance of the concea ed room. Only a
bare, blank wall appeared upon the side
where she knew It must be.
Retracing her steps after all had been
examined, she refastened the door, and
then sought the Haunted Tower. The
door leading to this was closed, but not
bolted, SO she opened it, and crossing
quite large square place, she began as
cending long flight of stairs. The steps
were steep. and not at all easy, and she
| became very tired before she reached
the top, but pressing on, she did reach it,
but not before she paused to rest upon a
broad fiat landing; paused. too, with hor-
ror, at an unexpected sight that there
presented itself.
1t was the stuffed image Of a man,
| fixed upon wires, that worked upon the
same principle as the jumping jacks often
| bought to amuse children.
This, however, was nearly as large as
| life; it's head was hollow, with red glass
| in place where the eyes would be, so that
| lighted glass lamp, placed within,
would give flaming appearance to those
eyes.
From each side horns projected, and
she could easily imagine what the whole
terrific effect must be to an outside be-
| holder. This figure she saw could be
elevated and put in motion by winding
up a crank to which it was attached. Ar
rangements for different colored lights
were also on every hand.
| After carefully examining all the ma
chinery, until she perfectly understood its
| work in0a and the whnIa wicked nlan tn