Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1910-12-22
sturdrly. walked in and lighted his can

de.
He did pause. with q moments ir-
resolution. before he shut the door,
and he did look cautiously behind IL
nrst an II he half expected TO be terri
fed with the sight Of Mariey's plgtali
sticking out into the hall But there
was nothing on the back OF the door
except the screws and nuts that held
the knocker on, so be said Pooh.
pooh!" and closed 70 with a bang.
The sound resounded through the
house like thunder Every room above
and every cask In the wine merchants
cellar below appeared to have a sep
arate peal of echoes OF its own.
Scrooge was not man TO be frighten-
ed by echoes. He fastened the door
and walked across the hall ard up the
stairs. si"w's "a. trimming ais can
die as he went
But before he shut his heavy door
he walked through his rooms to see
that all was right. He had just
enough recollection Of the face to de-
sire to do that
and locked himself In. double locked
himself In. which was not his custom.
Thus secured against surprise, he took
on his cravat. put on his dressing
gown and slippers and his nIghtcap
and sat down before the Gre TO take
bis Cruel
II was q very low IRE indeed. noth-
ing on such a bitter night He was
Obliged TO sit close 10 II and brood
over IL before he could extract the
least sensation OF warmth from such a
handful Of fuel The fireplace was an
old one built by some Dutch mer-
chant long ago and paved all round
with quaint Dutch tiles. designed 10
illustrate the Scriptures. There were
Gains and Abels. Pkaraoh's daughters.
queens OF Sheba. angelic messengers
descending through the air on clouds
like feather beds. Abrahams. Belshaz-
zars. apostles putting or TO sea I'm
butter boats. hundreds OF figures TO
attract his thoughts. and yet that face
Of Marley. seven years dead. cazne like
the ancient prophets rod and swal-
lowed up the whole.
"Humbug," said Scrooge and walked
across the room.
After several turns he sat down
again AS he threw his head back In
the chair his glance happened to rest
upon q bell. a disused bell. that hung
IN the room and communicated for
some purpose now forgotten with a
chamber In the highest story Of the
building. Il was with great astonish-
ment and with strange. inexplicable
dread that as he looked he saw this
ben begin 10 swing. "a swung 90 soft
ly In the outset that Il scarcely made
a sound. but soon II rang out loudly.
and SO did every bell in the house
This might have lasted half a min
ute or u minute. but IL seemed an
hour The bells ceased as they had
brgun-- together They were succeed
cd by a clanking noise deep down
below, as II some person were drag
ging a heavy chain over the casks In
the wine merchants cellar
The cellar door few open with a
DOOuulnk SuuHu. duu lueu Nv ueuIu tuo
noise much louder on the floors below.
then coming up the stairs. then coming
straight toward his door
Its humbug STILL" said ScroOge- "I
won't believe It."
His color changed. though, when
without a pause IL came on through
the heavy door and passed into the
room before his eyes.
The same face. the very same-Mar-
ley In his pigtail. usual waistcoat.
tights and boots. the tassels on the
latter bristling like his pigtail and his
coat skirts and the hair upon his head.
The chain he drew was clasped about
his middle. II was long and wound
about him like q tail. and II was made
(for Scrooge observed IL closelyI OF
cash boxes. keys. padlocks. lrdgers.
deeds and heavy purses wrought In
steel His body was transparent. 80