The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1913-03-29

in it."
"Oh. YES I said again, but this time
more family. for when ] thought of
whom was to face some cowarIly
thing in me wavercd. I went back
into the hall. told the Mexican in SPAN
ish yes. that | would come quickly.
Mr.. Dingley did not at all take the
way ! expected. We went roundabout
through unexpected short cuts and
then across the empty stretches of the
sand lots toward where the long gray
facade OF the convent stretched. AMI
close beside it the high fence with the.
latticcd top which surrounded the Span
ish woman'S house. Above the fence
the roof and the small windows b c
meath the caves were just visible. As
we drew near my heart beat quickly.
and still | felt that. as when | was Il
child. | was only going To pass it. But
We turned. and ! realized | was ac-
tually stopping mt the gate.
This was 81 high it was merely n
door cut IN the fence. allowing no
glimpse Of what WAS within. aud in
stead of Immediately opening it Mr..
DinGley raped uuon il with the iron
knocker. whose lion head had been
wont to snarl mt me years aSp. | heard
a sharp clicking US of something bc-
ing unlocked. and the gate opened.
But after we were inside | got an uii-
canuy shock. for excepting ourselves
there was not II soul to be seen.
Clever eoutrivancc that" said Mr..
Dingley. claiming up. And then | no
tieed n wire which ran from The fasten-
ing Of the gate to its top. and from
there i'm n straight line TO the house.
But even this discovery didn't remove
my uncasy sense of being in all ell
chantment.
Around us were wecdy grass plots,
bushes smotlIering in vines. broken
flower urns. n dry and weather stained
fountain. and to and fro across the
neglect of il all moved the shadows Of
the restless eucalyptus trees. \ brick
path. very messy and giving unccr-
tain foothold. ran straight to the front
Of the housed blank looking facade,
all the shutters closed oven the win
dows. and n deeply hooded door.
Mr.. Dinglcy gave the bell handle a
vigorous pull, but not the ~faintest tin
kle re-echoed through the interior. We
waited. There wasn't IL sound of any
one inside approaching through the
hall. | was fully prepared to he admit
ted by the amt unseen agency that
had moved the gate. But when. quite
suddenly. the door opened | was aware
Of Il figure. very dimly seen in the
gloom of the hall. We were allowed TO
enter. without "A question. without a
word, and as quickly the door closed
upon Us. Afte2 the broad sunlight the
hall seemed SO dark ! could but ms
high ceilings and hanging ~draperies
above my head and feel beneath my
feet the soft depth OF Il carpet. All
that my eyes could distinguish was
the little white -limmcr OF Mr.. Ding
ley's card.
We were led through several rooms.
but either they were interior rooms
without windows or else the windows
were closely muffied. for they were 50
dark | could hardly find my way. But
when at last our conductor drew back
n curtain tempered light streamed
upon us and showed me that the cor
nices OF the anteroom where we we're
standing were silded. that the carpet
which | was crushing under my feet
was the color of wine. sand every fold
of the velvet curtain. where it took the
light. like IL ruby. The servant. hold
ipp III hack NNaE a Sfrlnwn Ern1fuIp
with a tightly closed mouth and eyes
that looked as If he kept them open
only n crack TO see out of. but not on
any account to let any one peep in.
lie waved Mt the room in front of us
and then. still silent as an apparition,
returned. disappearing into the gloom
through which he had come. carrying
Mr.. Dinsley's card with him. | fol-
lowed Mr.. Dinsley into the great apart
ment. which | thought must be the
sala Of the house. and sat down in the
midst of its magnitccnce.
1t was in strange contrast to the neg
lect of the garden without. and to my
Eyes it was novel in character. There
were dark portraits in Old gold frames
tH lit WALL tbANAiS u ~
light. but the. faintcst and most col
ored: mirrors multiplying the tapes
tries and marble statues and seeming
TO extend the very walls of the room
itself. | kept catching glimpses of tiS-
ures standing in these delusive vistas,
and then. with a start, realizing they
were but myself. Presently the SER
vant returned. ! saw multiple images
of him advancing upon me from all
sides as if 10 surround me. They fit
ted. disappeared. and the real presence
bowed.
"The sonora wishes TO say she is too
i'll to descend to the sala. VIII the
senorita graciously come upstairs:"
Mr.. Dinglcy turned to me. THAT'S
about as | expected. Then will wait
.. In