Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-09-22
CHAPTER IT.
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pouring wet day succeeded the one
OF her arrival st the manor. so that Phyl-
lis acquaintance with her new home was
necessarily confined TO the interior of the
house, ana to the outlook from the win
dows, which was certainly somewhat linn
tied. This was owing in the first place
to the deep setting OF the diamond PANIED
easements, and in the second to the dens-
ity OF the trees, which entirely encircles
the manor, screening it most effectually
from the outer world.
Towards afternoon. however. the per-
sistent downpour changed TO a lighter
drizzle, and about half past > the weather
had SO far improved that Phyllis was
tempted to don her thickest boots and,
with Benedict for companion, to go
forth, despite the soaking grass and the
pools on the paths, for tour Of inspec-
tion round the grounds.
The rain had ceased but n thick mist,
raw and penetra ting was rising like a
white vapor from the surrounding fields
and underwood, causing the various trees
and shrubs to loom forth gaunt ard spec
ter like in the uncertain light, and en-
doWing the whole scene with most
weird and gloomy aspect 1t was a dis
NAL place certainly, and as turn of the
path brought Phyllis suddenly into full
veiw of the house she paused and stood
lost in wonder at its ancient appearance.
1t was as she had thought from the
little she had seen of it the night before.
long, rambling building, all turTets and
towers. hut from her position now she no.
ticed that at the north side there was
evidently a wing which must be quite a
hundred years older than the rest of the
house, and which jutted out to form
triangle. 1t was peculiar certainly, hut
from where she stood the manor gave her
the idea of being a much larger house
than it did when she was actually inside
AT the same time" she unused. Il am
positive that not one of the rooms which
we visited today contained windows as
0vergrown with cTeepers as those are in
that older part, though when we were up
stairs in that long corridor Mrs. Mathews
certainly told us that the door at the end
led to nowhere but a lumber room"
Phyllis remembered with a smile the
way in which the housekecper had
stepped before them, as if afraid that
they might insist upon investigating the
one apartment which apparently she held
sacred to herself and turning the KEY
in the lock had forthwith transferred the
former to the depths of her capacious
pocket
1t was strange, very strange, for it, as
Mrs. Mathews had said it was merely
lumber room. it must be room of most
wonderful dimensions possessing at the
very least four, FIVE, siX-yes, eight win
dowsi
Phyllis shrugged her shoulders and
turned to retrace her footsteps, feeling
little exhilarated by her damp walk
As she passed beneath the grim looking
walls Of the old manor a somewhat eerie
sensation took possession OF her. Her
room, she recollected. was in uncomfort-
ably close proximity 10 that locked door;
she was only separated from it by a very
few yards Of space, and though at the
time the mention Of the lumber room
had brought up nothing worse than
visions 81 battered band boxes. decrepit
furniture and a heterogeneous collection
OF rubbish, she began 10 think that a
room of such apparently large proper
tions could scarcely be m0uopoIized bv
lumber alone Still, what else could il
contain
TO BE CONTINUED