Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-06-14
THE
SHADOW
A Story of
Hypnotism
By ETHEL B. HAYNES
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.


ious to sell the place" she said slowly.
Your offer Is satisfactory to me, but
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 word about it un-
less you want to relieve your mind.
I'll take it even If the shadow is a
ghost" assured Mr.. Baker warmly.
ut isn't an ordinary ghost" protest
ed Estella. in fact. it isn't q ghost
anyway. | tell myself | can't believe
in them and be a member of the
church at the same time, but it's very
queer that the shadow should be there.
just the same"
"Show 1t to me, please" requested
Mr.. Brooks. and in silence Estella led
the way down the froE n cps to the
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 or
gray leaden clouds: he looked at Estei-
In standing beside him with every
muscle tenSed her wide brown eyes
staring ut the roof.
~ can't see anything, Miss Brooks
he said gently.
Estella turned disappointed face
to his. y was afraid you couldn't see
anything. But It's there, right be-
tween the two chimneys. great black
shadow as plain us can be on the roof
I suppose it's only for the family to
see and remember.
Tell me about it if you care to.
Miss Brooks. But | assure you that
it won't make any difference in my
decision. I'll take Wistaria farm il
you will accept my Offer
'I'n tell you about the shadow first.
said Estella. leading the way back tC
the deep shaded yeranda. After
| that. IL you want to conclude the bar
gain, am quite ready. My father
was a very stern man. cold by nature
but possessing n powerful magnetism
that bound IFS family 10 him by CORDS
Of fear as well as love. Ny mother
died while | was little girl. and my
sister and | were brought up under
my fathers strict rule. As Barbara
my sister. grew older she seemed to
develop the same magnetism, ana 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 | was twenty-five. My
sister met and fell in love with q
young man who wrote poems for a
living. He was spending the summer
In Rivcrdae. and he wrote verses
about Burbaras beautiful eyes and
her lovely hair, and of course he was
in love with her. Ny father diScov
cred the verses and forbade him the
house. arraigning him in the most
stinging terms. accusing him OF seek
ing to marry Barbara for the little
Datrimony that would one day be hers,
calling him Il beggarly scribber anG
saying other terrible things, although
he really was most manly fellow.
and liked him exceedingly. AS for
my sister. poor Barbara was deeply il
love with him from the beginning. and
when my father sent her lover away.
tossing the Gespised verses after him,
Barbara deied father to his face and
declared she would marry Allen In
spite Of everything.
THAT night she bade me farewell
and went away with Allen Searle and
was married by her own minister here
in Riverdale. In the morning when
my father discovered her fight and
read the letter she had left for his
perusal he led me out to the gate
yonder and. pointing to the roof of
the house. be said solemnIy:
"'Esteila, there is Il shadow on our
house Do you see that grim, black
shadow Of disgrace staining its pure
roof? Look long ut 1t. Your sisters
| defiance of me and her elopement with
q peuni!eSs stranger has broken my
heart. Mark we'll the shadow on oul
roof, for it will never pass away-no'
| i'm your lifetime or mine!
II looked. and. Mr. Baker saw the
| shadow. grim and black and shape
| less. lying there where no shadow had
ever rested before The day VAS
cloudy aud forbidding. even rs II Is
now. and yet the shadow lay there,
and it has always lain there sine"
that day when my sister went away
Nearly every day my father would
take me our to til" gate and show III"
the shadnyy md repeat his denUncia
ton Of Barlr.ra Re died iTe years
ago. and nave been left alone WIN
the shadow ou the roof. for beyond Il
letter now ard hen have rarely
| heard from Barlmrn
Il see" S"id that gentleman. with
IN mir or Sudden enlightenment
Now, hetu", | gn back 10 town this
! aftrrrona ;nG "p:"rc pay the money
TO bind ihr bH":an | would like tC
nsk yea urr>rion Miss Brooks. Now