River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-05-02

Copyright by 10
Calcutta, Nov. 13.-I have had an adj
venture to-day. / was riding back
here from Tom Sadler's 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 swollen stream, and
her mare, 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 if the
great brIte wouldn't have dragged her
under even if she hadn't been able to
swim. OF course I managed to pull
her out, and found her not much the
wOrse for her ducking. l took her
home, as she really wasn't fit to go
alone, but I'm thankful to say that /
escaped the parental blessing. The
old gentleman-he's a tea-planter-
was out.
November 90 can't get that girls
face out of my mind. l don't know
that | ever saw more lovely one
Strange thing for me to do, but I've
actually dreamt of her three nights
following What an absurdity!
| am going up country to seek her at
the house.
December 20.-Just returned. I
found the house shut up, and learned
that the late. proprietor and his daugh-
ter had gone to Europe.
December 3O.-The mail has brought
me strange news. My uncle and cousin
have died suddenly, and l am Sir
Reginald Shagshaft of Shagshaft cas-
tie, Northumberland. Good-by to In
dia. and the army! l sail for England
in a week.
February 20-I am at Shagshaft
castle, and 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.
decent sort Of a person, but she firm
ly believes in the ghost, and came to
me yesterday with tears in her eyes
imploring me not to intrude upon it's
haunts.
February 21-I can't understand
Mrs. Cross at all. To-day she would
persist in telling me the story of
a terrible tragedy which took place
near here a few months ago-a man
murdered by girl-and insisted upon
my giving my opinion about it. | said
that if the story she told was true, it
served the man right-and SO it did
She seemed unaccountably pleased at
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 a wom-
an, and, strange though it may ap-
pear, it seemed somehow familiar to
me.
February 26-This morning l asked
Mrs. Cross for an old manuscript copy
OF the history of Shagshaft castle, as
/ fancied that l had heard something
about secret room in the western
wing.
What a nervous woman she Isl l
had scarcely got the words out before
she tainted There is something all
about this which l cannot understand
When she came to, she declared sol
EMMY that she had never heard of
such a book This must be false, for
| 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 10 rooms, all large, empty,
and in neglected state. When 1
reached the furthermost / turned round
with start to find Mrs. Cross just be-
hind me.
You have found the book" she
gasped. You know about the secret
chamber"
PRECISELY" | answered. And it
will go i'll 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 a hurt hair of old Roger
Martins head if he hadn't offered her
an insult worse than death; and she