Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-09-22
SIR GEOFFREY'S GHOST.
Bv the THAT Major, by Consent
Daughter" Etc.

years. giving all directions / hope Miss
eiverton viii find everything as COM
Portable as possible.
In your letter to me YOU mentioned a
Miss Dare, who has lived at the Abbey
as govelness, and who, YOU say, is stay-
ing with my ward until further arrange
ments are made. As Miss Yelverton win
require a companion and ehaperon. l shall
be glad If Miss Dare VIII remain with
her permanently
There, Miss Phyllis" The LAWYER
folded mp the note and laid it down upon
the table You hear what your guardian
has to say-and very satisfactory let
ter it is, too" he added, looking over the
rims of his glasses and blandly surveying
the slight, somberly clad figure before
him. Il shall reply to Sir Ughtred .ai-
mediately- saying that YOU have today
departed for the manor. and also to in
form him that Miss Dare"-here he
raised his eyes to the small, faded looking
woman who had accompanied Phyllis into
the room-"accepts the post he so kindly
offers her"
i can scarcely understand. Are you
sure that Sir Ughtred knows every
thing?' The girls tone was incredulous;
there was an expression of the keenest
anxiety upon her face Does he know
that~the Abbey is being sold; that / am
penniless ?"
He is certainly in possession of full
particulars concerning your fathers af-
fairs, and he is also aware that your in
come all told will not exceed one hundred
a year" was the precise reply. lie has
not, however, received nv last letter in
which / informed him at your request of
your desire to earn your own living, and
OF your anxiety to make yourself perfect
" independent Of him" Here Mr.. Sack
EFT bestowed a somewhat ironical smile
upon his young client. But that is of
small matter. OF course"
Yes, indeed" interposed Miss Dare
approvingly Il hardly think PHYLLIS
realizes the seriousness of the task which
She is so willing TO undertake"
Especially as the alternative which is
offred her is so pleasant" supplemented
the lawyer, as from all / can hear this
old manor must be a most charming
place The house itself has been built
couple of centuries. and, though it Is
somewhat isolated. the surrounding coun-
try Is exquisite. At the same time there
Is little fear of Sir Ughtred troubling
YOU much; he has scarcely been in Eng
land for more than a week or two at a
time since the death OF his cousin, now
ten years ago.
1t was sad affair'-ATr. Sackett
sighed-"a very sad affair indeed OF
course, you will not remember anything
about it, but Sir Godfrey. the former
baronet, was killed in a most mysterious
manner-shot, il was thought at the
time, by one of his gamekeepers. Any
how your guardian inherited the title and
estate, and whether it is for that reason
or not, cannot say, but from that day
to this he has never spent more than
couple of hours under the roof OF the
manor"
And so it came about that Phyllis Vel
verton said sad farewell to her old
home. 1t was all very hurried at the end
so hurried that she scarcely seemed to
realize that she was leaving it forever
that it was the last time she would drive
down the long winding avenue in the
well appointed brougham with its match
less pair of bays. Yet in few days
everything would be dispersed-tbN splen-
did collection of horses, carriages. family
heirlooms and china would be a thing of
the past, and the 1elvertons of Bland
ford abbey would be no more than
name.
Chudleigh manor, the home of the Vi
berts, was undoubtedly a curious old
place.
1t was late when Phyllis and her com
panion arrived at their destination, and
the darkness of the October evening had
fallen, wrapping the house in a cloud of
mist so that beyond the fact that it was
Il long low building, smothered in wv to
the very chimney tops the new corners
had been able to learn little of its archi-
tectural beauties.
When once they had passed beyond
the heavy. nail studded door they had
been in a position to gain q better idea of
what their new home consisted-one
glance at the square old fashioned hall
the low, oak paneed rooms, and the cyi-
dences of mellow age which greeted them
upon every side was enough to assure
them that the lawyer had been perfectly
correct in his surmise respecting Sir
Ughtred's home But even by the aid Of
lamps and candles il was next to impos-
sible TO learn the geography of the ram
oiiHS passages anu 10 DISCRIMINATE De
tween the infnitesimal number Of handle
less doors which all looked so much the
same. Twice Phyllis had mistaken her
way. and instead of entering her own
room had found herself almost precipi-
tated down fight Of crooked stairs, or
had marched into a dark cupboard, to
come face to face with long rows of paper
covered Jam pots,
The household, it seemed. consisted of
four individuals-James the butler who
had grown gray in the service of the vi
barts; Mrs Mathews. his wife. and two
younger women, a daughter and a niece
of the old carctakors
No wonder therefore that this happy
family, which had been left in undis-
turbed possession Of the manor for the