The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-07-26
MY
LADY RUTLEDGE


Hall?"
, The man stared. Nobody goes Il
Rutledge Hall these days" he pro
tested
Somebody's going there today
however," / returned. And so |
proved. for little later we we're OF
our way. while my companion, tn,
stage driver, was Informing me that
In his opinion. the present owne
Of the Hall. Percy Dalton. must be ,
wild sort OF chap. trottin all oyel
the globe, yet In all these years
since old Stephen Rutledge had diei
and left the property to his nephew
the man had not once been near Thu
place. He also added the informa
ton that not even the caretaker was
! living at the hall now In all Of
this / was more or less interested
for | myself was Percy Dalton, ana
was there for the express purpose OIL
looking over my inheritance. The
fact that the caretaker was gone was
news and not altogether pleasant
and further inquiry brought out the
surprising assertion that the man had
been frightened away. They say
! there's a lady seen walkin bout the
house. my Informant went on, "one
that was dead and buried years ago.
he added.
DO they give her manner"
asked.
The young wife o. old Thomas
| Rutledge," was the answer. "Shc
| died sudden"
| knew that my grandfather's
second wife had died soon after their
marriage, but that there was any
thing suspicious in the fact | had
never heard and did not now believe
My reason for coming to tho hall
was to find II my hope of giving
house party there seemed feasible
A massive and imposing pile found
tue house to be. but ruin and neg.
lect was vii ten all about It, ] had
brought the keys and at length found
myself in one of the front rooms
and fire roaring up the broad CHM
ney. There was no way of lighting
ths place. but it was moonlight, and
after drawing out an old couch on
which | proposed to sleep sat look
Ing out into the unchanged garden.
Suddenly shadow fell across the
pathway and moment later wo-
man appeared, slight and girlish,
and enveloped in long garment Of
gray. Slowly the form advanced,
paused as If looking over the old
garden, then, turning, disappeared.
MY lady of Rutledge HALL" I
exclaimed under my breath.
| determined that on the following
day would make thorough exam
ination of the house both within and
without, and began bright and early.
1t was nearly noon, however, be-
fore anything unusual happened.
Then, while In n chamber, glanced
into long mirror rejecting the
part of the room toward which my
back was turned. A crimson cur
tain hung there as | looked last,
now--like a portrait inclosed by the |
mirrors frame-stood a girl whose |
right hand held the curtain aside, |
her red lips slightly parted and
startled look in her brown eyes
turned to confront the original She |
was gonel Pulling aside the drapery I
I found a door, closed and locked.
Had | been tricked by too vivid
/ did not believe 1t.
Neither could bring myself to fancy 4
anything supernatural In the myster,
GUS figure, she had too much the look
Of flesh and blood. Presently re-
newed my search, with greater eager
ness than ever. but It was several
hours later before ! entered that
part of the house previously occu-
lied by the caretaker Then | ap.
preached from the outside; but
What was this? Was he here after
III? There were signs OF life.
Puzzled, knocked at the door.
{ opened, and for the second time
found myself looking into pair OF
tartled brown eyes Yes, l had
ound the mysterious lady. and after
Introducing myself found her name
O be Arvilla French and learned
low abe came to be here. Her
ather was not living. her mothers ,
ealth required summer In quiet ,
lace. Miss French had been at ,
raoted by the romantic neglect OF
Hall, and coming across
he man who had cared for the place.
earned that she might occupy a
sw of the back rooms gratuitously
Or the sake of there being someone c
bout the house.
We soon found that. we had sew
ral acQuaintances in common. and
happy thought occurred to me.
Miss French | began, II am con-
Inced that you are Just the person
, help me decide the matter :hat !
rought me down here. Do you '
link II possible that this old house .
IN be made to accommodate a n
ouse party within two or three
onthsf"
She looked thoughtful. There
e great possibilities. she adnitt- e