News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1911-12-20
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THE
SEEA DOW
A Story of
Hypnotism
By ETHEL B. HAYNES
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation, 1911.
By ETHEL B. HAYNES
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation, 1911.

the prospective buyer I'm very anx-
lous to sell the place." she said slowly.
"Your offer is satisfactory to me, but
l hardly think you will want 1t after
have told you about the shadow" As
she uttered the last word all the color
forsook her cheeks, and she looked
years older.
"You needn't say a word about it I'M
less you want to relieve your mind.
I'll take it even if the shadow is a
ghost. assured Mr.. Baker warmly.
at isn't an ordinary ghost" protest
ed Estella. I'm fact, it isn't a ghost
anyway. | tell myself I can't believe
in them and be member of the
church at the same time, but it's very
queer that the shadow should be there,
just the same"
SHOW it to me, please" requested
Mr.. Brooks, and in silence Estella led
gate that opened into the highroad.
Here she paused and turned, facing
the long farmhouse, with its low pitch
ed roof and many gabled windows.
Look there" she said simply, point
ing up at the roof of the house. "The
sun is behind the clouds, yet what is
there to cast shadow like that on
the roof"
Mr.. Thomas Baker scanned the red
stained shingles with a critical eye.
He glanced up at the sky, mass Of
gray leaden clouds: he looked at Estel-
la standing beside him with every
muscle tensed. her wide brown eyes
staring at the roof.
~ can't see anything Miss Brooks"
he said gently.
Estella turned a disappointed face
to his. 81 was afraid you couldn't see
anything. But it's there, right be-
tween the two chimneys. a great black
shadow as plain as can be on the roof.
l suppose it's only for the family to
see and rernember!'
Tell me about it if you care to,
Miss Brooks. But l assure you that
it won't make any difference in my
decision. I'll take Wistaria farm if
you will accept my offer"
IN tell you about the shadow first"
said Estella. leading the way back to
the deep shaded veranda. After
that. If you want to conclude the bar
gain, I am quite ready. My father
was very stern man, cold by nature.
but possessing a powerful magnetism
that bound his family to him by cords
of fear as we'll as love. My mother
died while l was Il little girl. and my
sister and l We're brought up under
my fathers strict rule. AS Barbara,
my sister, grew older she seemed to
develop the same magnetism, and so
it was that her will and my fathers
often clashed over little matters and
at last over larger affairs.
about ten years ago Barbara was
twenty and l was twenty-five. My
sister met and fell in love with a
young man who wrote poems for a
living. He was spending the summer
in Riverdale, and he wrote verses
about Barbara's beautiful eyes and
her lovely hair, and of course he was
In love with her. My father discov-
cred the verses and forbade him the
house. arraigning him in the most
terms, accusing him of seek
ing to marry Barbara for the little
that would one day be hers,
calling him beggarly scribbler and
saying other terrible things. although
ne really was a most manly fellow,
md | liked him exceedingly. AS for !
ny sister, poor Barbara was deeply in !
owe with him from the beginning, and |
when my father sent her lover away. |
ossing the despised verses after him, |
Barbara defied father to his face and |
declared she would marry Allen in /
pite of everything.
"That night she babe me farewell
nd went away with Allen Searle and
vas married by her own minister here
q Riverdale. In the morning when
ny father discovered her flight and
cad the letter she had left for his
erusal he led me out to the gate
onder and. pointing to the roof of
he house. he said solemnly:
Estella, there is a shadow on our
ouse. Do you see that grim, black
hadow of disgrace staining its pure
)of? Look long at it. Your sisters
efiance of me and her elopement with
pennilesS stranger has broken my
cart. Mark well the shadow on our
,of. for it will never pass away-not
your lifetime or miner
81 looked, and. Mr.. Baker, saw the
ladow. grim and black and shape
IS, lying there where no shadow had
yer rested before. The day was
oudy and forbidding, even as it is
NV, and yet the shadow lay there,
I'd it has always lain there since
lat day when my sister went away.
early every day my father would
Ike me out to the gate and show me
e shadow and repeat his denuncia- |
On of Barbara. He died five years
70, and / have been left alone with
e shadow on the roof. for beyond q {
tier now and then l have rarely
ard from Barbara" {
II see." said that gentleman. with 8
air of sudden enlightenment. {
Tow, before | go back to town this I
ternoon and before pay the money {
1,;,d sbo 10 rr-os, I ,,-o,,la III 4. 4