Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-01-25
T H E S e c r E T /.

But how is it that you know more
than ,he rest of the world?''
II was there when it happened Miss
Artois quietly replied, but to this day
they have not the slightest suspicion
that Miss !rtois is an acquaintance"
Belle Hampton opened her eyes wide.
What on earth do YOU mean,
Blanche?" she exclaimed.
"Only that l was there as parlor
maid" Miss Artois coolly responded,
her naughty eye sweeping the magnif-
icent width of the handsome conserva-
tory through which they were saun-
tering.
"As parlOr maidr' echoed Belle, up
setting a rare exotic as she hastily
| turned to look at her companion. "a
parlor maid! What would mamma
say?"
At this little ripple of laughter
parted Miss Artois' handsomely curved
| lips, but the next moment she said
| gravely:
"You need not tell her. 1 am in the
confessional to you alone, remember"
And then she continued abruptly:
"When the world said 1 was rusti-
eating among the Yorkshire hills was
playing parlor maid at Red Moor
| Wherefore? That is my secret.
1.-THE three old ladies of Red Moor
reminded me more of three little
sprites than aught else. When prop
| erly disguised, aproned and capped l
L T1Yf
fortunately for me, their keen, bright
eyes rested favorably upon me, and
with my good star in the ascendant l
entered upon the somewhat promiscu-
Gus duties assigned me.
81 had not been in the house three
weeks before discovered that it con-
cealed a mystery.
1.-THE discovery was made by me in
this way: One night. after restlessly
| tossing for hours with an aching face,
I rose, intending to go down to the IL
brary fire.
'I softly crossed the upper hall, al
ways kept dimly lighted, and was
about proceeding downward when the
weird sight of old Mrs. Vasser, the
eldest of my three mistresses, sudden
| " arrested me.
'sInstinctively paused and gazed-
She was standing with her back to-
ward me in a dark, narrow angle Of
| the building at the extreme end of the
hall, her splendid waves of snowy hair
| floating in wild disorder over the blood
red dressing gown sweeping far be-
| hind her But the spell binding me
| was broken by what appeared to be
| her sudden disappearance through the
solid wall. 3I ~ .aas
Stranger 1 exclaimed under my
i breath. The servants told me that
| part of Red Moor was fearfully haunt
| ed and consequently had been walled
| up and rendered wholly inaccessible
"Of course 1 was curious, but re-
| turned to my bed and fell asleep.
"a month later 1 was passing along
one of the many narrow, winding cor
ridors with which the house abounded
when at sudden turning came upon
the old, gray headed butler bending
under the weight of large tray filed
| to overlooking with all the luXuries of
| the season.
/" 'Jaspery 1 involuntarily exclaimed.
Where in the world are you taking
that repast? Everybody in the house
has been served
"Silent and mOtionless, he stood gaz-
| ing at me in blank dismay. The next
instant there was a soft rustic of silk,
and the old housekeeper's voice rang
| sharp and stern from the other end of
the corridor:
Jasper, attend to your businesst
Myra, come here adding still more,
sternly as 1 obediently approached,
and do you attend to yours, girl. What
/ brings you here at this hourY
"She listened to my excuses and
then sharply dismissed me.
1.-TWO days after as Bradley and
slipped our tea together we were star
| tied to our feet by the sudden clank-
| ing of heavy chains in the adjoining
room, and the next instant the door
flew violently open, and an old man of
herculean proportions dashed I'm upon
US, his trailing chain, wild, bloodshot
eyes and disordered apparel proclaim
ing too plainly the frightful truth.
"'Not here eitherH he shrieked,
4 lOOI III 1OdulluS rage
his glance rested upon us. Not here!
| Not here!
Bradley, apparently paralyzed with
horror, looked appealingly at me and
| said:
"'Your mistresses! Save them! RUM
"I got to the drawing room door
/ when the creature seized me by the
shoulders and sent me whirling to the
| floor. 1 was on my feet again in an
| instant, but his wild eye had caught
sight Of poor Mrs. Vasser, who, with
| her sisters, had started up and stood
! gazing at him in petrified horror. The
next instant he caught her, with
fierce shout Of triumph and delight, in
| his arms.
"Swift as lightning he bore her out
to the great winding staircase. You
know the rest. In a seconds time she
| Law dead below. and he in leaning over