The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-02-05

CCont2nusd.1
N aEk9 z good man to uncover
Rhfng / Try to hide said nothing TO
yru. Miss Houisser, about the retention
within she walls OF this house OF parts
OF an old one that formerly occupied
the site for the reason that thought
you might refuse TO buy the estate.
5he gentleman for whom built Hope
Aezd was supeEddous, as many men
Of advanced years are, as TO the build
inw or new house, and as the site he
chose - one of the finest In the country
he compelled me to construct this house
which ss the most satisfactory I have
huf1f-an such manner that enough Of
the old should be kept intact to soothe
his superstdtious soul with the idea
that he had merely altered an old
+ house, not built a new one. As it is
the architects business to yield to
such caprices, I. obeyed him strictly.
SO there are two rooms OF an old farm
house hidden under the east wing, and
e amused me once had got into it to
preserve part of the old stairway and
connect the retained chambers with
the upper hall OF this house. had to
patch the original stair, which was
only one flight, with discarded lumber
from the Did house, but f1atter myself
that managed it neatly. even saved
the old nails to avert=the wrath of the
evil spirits When the umbrella and
dyspepsia cure man died-for he did
die, as you know believed the secret
had died with him, as he was very SEN
sztfTe about his superstftions- Most OF
the laborers on that part of the job
were brought from a long distance, and
supposed they never really knew just
what we were doing L might have
known, though, that If q fellow as clev-
er as Ames got to pecking at the house
the trick would be discovered But the
chimney. old man-what on earth was
the matter with it
1T VIII never happen again, and I
promised the ghost never to tell how
fe was DONE
ssYDu were quite right in doing that,
Arnold, a ghosts secrets should be
secred; but let us now proceed to the
hidden chambers" said Miss HoIlister.
rising without further ado.
She summoned Cecilia, to whom we
explained matters briefly, and at Pep
perton's suggestion the four Of US went
directly to the fourth floor, so that
Miss Octavia might see the whole con-
tr1vance in the most effective manner
possible
Ny awkward pen faIters in the at
tempt 70 convey any idea of Miss Oc-
tavfa's delight in Pepperton's revela-
ton She kept repeating her admira-
ton Of his genius, and her praise of
my cIeverness. which, to protect Heze-
kfah. was forced to- accept meekly.
When In broad daylight Pepperton
found and pressed the spring in the
upper hall, and the hidden door opened
with g sIowness that indicated a real
Octavfa cried out g1eefu1ly, like child
that witnesses the manipulation OF a
new and wonderful toy
Beyond any question: she kept as
serting, beneath the chambers of the
old house down there we shall ind the
bones Of that British soldier who per
1shed here, or It is even possible that
= chest OF hidden treasure is concealed
beneath the floor"
we were lighting candles prepare
tory to stepping down into the dark
stairway, and Pepperton was plainly
bard put to keep from laughing.
Miss Octavia followed Pepperton
slowly. pausing frequently to hold her
candle close to the stair walls. whose
rough surfaces confirmed all that Pep
perton had said of the preservation OF
the old tisabers- I had brought q
1AnQIIi OF candies, ana W0en we mao
reached the dark rooms beneath ]
lighted these and set them up in the
black corners Of the old rooms, In
which, Miss Octavfa remarked. not
even the wall paper had been disturb
ed The exit into the coal cellar and
concealed openings left for ventilat foI
which had escaped me before, were
now pointed out by the architect, who
kept laughing astheshuge joke of it all
Miss Octavia searched thoroughly
for any signs OF a trapdoor beneath
which the bones OF the British soldiel
might repose-
If Lhad foreseen her persistence il
clinging to the tradition of the i'll fatet
Briton I should have taken the trouble
20 hide few bones under the flooring
Miss Octavia had brought stick from
the coal room and was humping tn
nsor with IL even while Pepperton tries
70 discourage her further investiga
tiOns- We were all ranged about he
with our candles. and these, with tn
Others had thrust into the corners
lighted the room we'll
I'm afraid you've seen the whole o
st. Miss HOLSTER" said Pepperton
The old house was built after tn,
Revolution. I judge, but your British
soldier was probably left hanging to
tree and never buried at ALL
Miss Octavia had been over the floor
Of the two rooms twice and was abou
90 desfst@ She made her last stand in tn,
corner or the smaller room, and as W,
al stood holding our lights we wer