The Yale expositor., 1907-05-03

Calcutta, Nov. ID nave mad an al
venture to-day. l was riding back
acre from Tom Sadlers place, where a
few of us have been stopping since
last Thursday, when | came upon a
young lady in distress. She had been
trying to ford a swollen stream, and
ner mare, a narrow-chested brute, had
pretty nearly come to grief. 1t was
close thing, and no mistake. They d
have been down the stream anyhow
in another minute, and | doubt IL the
great br1te wouldn't have dragged her
under even II she hadn't been able to
swim. OF course managed to pull
her out, and found her nos much the
worse for her ducking I took her
home, as she really wasn't At to go
alone, but I'm thankful TO say that
escaped the parental blessing. The
old gentleman-he's tea-planter-
was out.
November POI cant get that girls
face out of my mind. i don't kaow
that l ever saw a more lovely one,
Strange thing for me To do. but I've
following What an absurdlty!
am going up country to seek Der at
the house.
December 20.-Just returned.
found the house shut up, and learned
hat the late proprietor and his daugh'
ter had gone to Europe.
December 30.-The mail has brought
me strauSs news. My uncle and cousin
have died suddenly, and l am Sir
Reginald Shagshaft of Shagshaft cas-
lie, Northumberland. Good-by to In
dia, and the army! l sail for England
in a week.
February 20.-I am at Shagshaft
castle, and a grand old place it is, but
terribly desolate. 1t is built on the
summit of a cliff. The screech OF the
sea gulls alone is enough TO give one
the horrors, and in all this great
place there are only three servants
for not a girl in all the countryside
will come here because of the ghost
which Is said to inhabit the western
wing and to walk in the black copse
Mrs. Cross, the housekeeper, seems a
decent sort Of person, but she firm
ly believes in the ghost, and came 10
me yesterday with tears in her eyes
imploring me not TO intrude upon its
haunts.
February 21.-I can't understand
Mrs Cross at all. To-day she would
persist in telling me the story OF
terrible tragedy which took place
near here a few months ago-a man
murdered by a girl-and insisted upon
my giving my opinion about it. ! said
that If the story she told was true, II
served the man right-and so It did
She seemed unaccountably pleased al
my answer.
February 22.-I walked in the black
copse tonight. Unless my eyes lie,
have seen a ghost / was in the gar
den last night and distinctly saw a
white figure move along the battle
ments of the western towers and dis
appear 1t was the figure of WON
an, and, strange though 1t may ap
pear, it seemed somehow familiar to
me.
February 26.-This morning I asked
Mrs. Cross for an old manuscript copy
of the history of Shagshaft castle, as
/ fancied that l had heard something
about a secret room in the western
wing.
What a nervous woman she is!
had scarcely got the words out before
she tainted. There is something al
about this which / cannot understand
When she came to, she declared sol
EMMY that she had never heard oil
such a book. This must be false, fol
have often been told about It.; any
how, l was only the more determined
to thoroughly explore the western
wing, so / commenced at once. On
the topmost story, starting from the
center tower and going to the right
counted Is rooms, all large. empty
and in a neglected state. When
reached the furthermost turned round
with a start to find Mrs Gross just be
hind me.
You have found tbs book7" she
gasped. You know about the secret
chamber"
Precisely" | answered. And il
will go iii with its tenant"
Then she fell on her knees before
me.
For the love of God, don't hurt her
Sir Reginald" she moaned. Don't
give her up; so young as she is, and
so beautiful. and so innocent like
Shed never hurt hair of old Roger
Martins head IL he hadn't offered hel
an insult worse than death; and she