Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1908-06-25

Sigh OIL I'LL opening could be fOunQ and
at this hour of the night decent regard
for ones fellow-creatures forbade an
attempt to kick it down. | went to
bed in a temper, resolving that the
9anel should be opened tomorrow,
even If 1t had to say open all night and
admit the whole army of Monica's
ghosts, from the anti-Scot demonstra-
tor downwards.
Next day, however, the question was
settled in the. simplest way. l asked
Monica for more details about Nancy,
whose history she had slurred over so
slightingly on the evening of my ar
rival; and Monica, weary of such
long silence about her favorite ghosts.
and thankful for any one who would
take an intelligent interest even in the
least exciting of them, told me the
child's story She and her brother
had been objects of bitter hatred to a
stepmother whose own children they
would prevent from inheriting title
and large estate. She had resolved to
get rid of them, and had apparently
succeeded The boy had fought on the
English side In the As rebellion and
had been killed; and the sister, sick
~, scared child, had died of illtreat-
ment. There Vas an old letter among
the family papers describing how the
writer had found Nancy living alone,
day and night, in two rooms in a de-
serted, tumble-down part of the house,
III with cold and starvation, seeing and
speaking to nobody except the evil
woman whose visits to her We're al
ways followed by outcries and sobs
which the servants talked about in
frightened voices. When she was be-
tween II and 10, Nancy died One Of
the two rooms described in the letter
was apparently the room in which
was sleeping, the other being connect
ed with it by sliding door and short
passage, which Monica proposed to
show me. The panel opened readily
enough under the accustomed fingers
of my guide, and we passed on into
the next room.
1t was smaller room than the
other, unused and completely neg
lected. The floor was bare, and in the
middle of it stood round, empty ia
BILE, thick with dust. There were some
curious three-cornered drawers in the
table, which swung open sideways, in
stead of allowing themselves to be
pulled out; and we looked into them
hurriedly, fastening to see what was
n no WI fhn J,,;r,
light lasted. In the first two drawers
were only scraps of paper; il he third
was more paper and small, square
picture-book. The next and last
drawer was locked, and as l moved it
about, wondering how readily the lock
would yield, l felt Monica's hands sud
denly clasp on m. arms with a clutch
of terror. Her f zee was gone ashen
white, and her f frightened eyes were
staring into corner of the room.
Following their look, l saw Nancy
there She was anding very quietly
with her hands fo4Ied in front of her.
but there was a new look of content
ment on her face, as if she were thank
full that we had found our way at last
to this lonely prison-room. Peering
forward, | saw for a ne aent the
quantity dressed little lady, and the
gray eyes with this new light of pleas
ure in them. Then the figure van
ished | turned to console my weep
ing, trembling companion, who was
protesting that she didn't mind seeing
ghost, but this one had come in so
quietly" christening the locked
drawer seemed the best chance of
making her forget her fears. There
| must be something in it, we agreed
or perhaps something which Nancy
wanted With one or two vigorous
pulls we wrenched the drawer open
1t drew out lengthways like an ordi-
nary specimen OF its kind but two
very blank faces stared into it when
open, for it was empty Then, with
a simultaneous fash OF Intelligence
Monica and | are the same age, really
though P have lived in the world few
more years than she has-I and my
companion began to feel about for the
spring which should open one of those
secret drawers familiar to so many
generations of youth We found it at
last-it was but an ill-fitting false back
to the drawer, an Notwithstanding
affair-and with vague awe we picaed
up small wooden doll which was ly-
ing there. Its face was wooden, the
Features and hair being merely painted
IN, and the arms and legs We're I'M
Vending and roughly shaped, resem-
cling in no way the graceful and agile
limbs of its modern descendants
NTH 1t was a piece of paper hall ~
cred with round faded child-writing.
Monica and ! took it to the window,
and having sacrificed a handkerchief
to the removal of few cobwebs, we
read the sheet, which was something
in the nature of last will and tesla
ment
Betty has told me tonight that am
very i'll and perhaps L shall die. If die,
| want my doll to be buried with me- She
is the only person | love in the world,
and the only person who loves me-
Nancy"