Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 7, Number 24, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 9 December 1876 — Page 6

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A PAPER

wtse-

WHS

-V

THE MAIL

Of tile quivering hfcre and her desperate Of U^ntmble giajr SQttirTsl,

A»? the quails In thestnbble, the docks in

hare on th® common, the biros on tne Wer^afrata. Tliev are safe enough now, 1Ttr a'I we csm liarm them, the game must ^l.^^Tldthews cits fashloningbows In the

Forgiving. Wo never hunt more.

ITor

time. eo»l and hardship, harestiffened hl« knees, Jfe. And since little Lottiedied, often I s»e HI, han-iM tremble sorely, aud got hisey** I?ur the lost Imby-oaughlcr, to pr«.ty and

i»akit»n day in the rstahllMlmient

of Mr. Andrew Treverton, when the messenger intrusted with Doctor Chenmery's letter found his way to the garden «1OJV

tho utugo fit Bavs^ator. After

TIFFED

rutiK Mireotimes, he hoard a grutr

ott tin* Other sldoof tho Wall,

rwifrlntf «t him to let tin* bAll alono, and qpikliig vybo lie wan, mid what the devil he

WANTED.

loiter for Mr. Treverton." said tbe «h«*settf{or, nervously backm« away (r.on the l-or while ho smiko. "Chuck it over tho wall then, and be Oil with you!" answered the gruff TBICE.

Tt.e ntewtengur obeyed both injunrliun".* He srtmn met»K, modest, elderl mnn and when natnre mixed up the flmriHlietita of his dispooilion, Iho capa WPH' of rwnting iidttrtea was noi. -ng them.

Tbe man with tho grnflT voice—or, to •ut it In plainer teruin, the man Shrowl —niekfHi up the letter, weighed it in bin Irtftid, 1#ked at tho address on it with *h exprwwinn of contemptuous curiosity l.l-» bull terriers'a eyes, put it in bH tHilntcoat inKsket, and waiketl round ht. th« kitrhvn cutraimo of the JtU||re.

To the upartmont which would probaJflv havi» »eeh failed tho pintry, if the had UMnnsfed to rfVlllRed "tenant*, Ahatvl mill had been set up and. at the •gfitiVMit wh»oi Shrowl made his way ihmnvim, Mr. Trevertoa was engaged th a«»tirim« hU independen of all the •riUler* In P.«»g1a»»d by grinding hh own g^rti. He put**.! Irritably in turning the handle of the mill, when his servant MiHean*l at the door. '•Wuat do you

COME

a*!'

PKOPLS^

FOR IHE

A DOG'S DAY ENDED

da ended.

am only a dog. .nd fttfj Sb. Idle and drernnlnn *rttrli«-d out I lay fi» the w- Iconie warmth of the summer A Old hunt**. whpss work Isflane. frmm Yes Indeed, though 1 am but a Don't*?dream of Urn pattfdfe I «P nog by

A fB.l8lf.lO-J

C®u H-'» sad to ho old, anJ to aee the blue

E*x« further away to the dim fading eye, fb frei Sh« Hunt foot row tug w*ary and sore .... That In fbrrat and hamlet shall lag evermore. lam going—I hear the great vroif on my tr&vke Already aronnd me the ahadows Ml b'ock. One hunting cry more! Oh master! conw n'g'1 And lay the white paw In yourownasl die

Oh, com*? to me master, the last hedge Is pilHKcd, OOr tramps In the wlidwood are over at lust Stoop lower, and lay down my head on your knee What! iearn for a useless old hunter like 1 1 1 0

You will sue 1 ltus lottie again by aud-bv, I»ti*iit—they d«nf have any negs In the

!%ll tier, loving aul trasy besideyoy died. And bury n:e, master, not far^ frgru

For we loved little Lottie

ting

to iu

Itumrra (ke lop Of Uie hickory tree, JUK*1"R down mlr and saucy at Matthew* •ad n#e» U!l the baud true and steady a messenger

AB^JU' creature upbonrided and fell and ww notg OjjJ Matthew* mT»il!1u|f of 1be wood ran

well, you and

fla! m.i»U r! ihn ShadoWS! fire low! It 1.* ui-dil" Therli was nrtyer a»oand In the still inornfiig hsarl. But'11 heart of the hunter hi* old Jacket surfed, As bo fluug himself down on the brutes «ha. gv coat. Ami watched tlis faint life In Its quivering throat Till U-topped quit*at last. Tceblick wolf bud won Alvl iite d«iaih'#Mtff«i tround Into cover had run.

Dnt long ere the snow over graves softly fell, Q21 viuttU«wH vvai rjb'.tBg from labor &r wi-U While the cottage stood empty yet back from the hlli Tbd voice of It* hound In the ino- «cbee

IP' i.

The Dead Secret.

BY WILKIE COLLINS

iltt*nMdv |nu mgserlal waiC 'tn y» Mali of Sep ••"•Mr

v«»!.

rv \rt L'O s' ltt by iu»U tm tec ip

CHAPTER XVIII. THE BEGINNING OF THE END It was baking day in the establishment

her© for?"

eiked. "When U»e flour's ready, 1*11 cult for you. lon't let's look at each Oth rofienor than we can 1 never wt you, Shrsiwl, but ask my d|1f whether, in the whole range «*rattlon, there is any animal as ngly 1 smw a eat, fi!» tnorning, on the garden wall, and there wasn't a alnale Dointln whieh yon would bear ompuri grtn wHh him. The oat's rye* were ^Miwyofff* are muddy. Tbe oat's rx*c straight--yours crooked. The At'a whisker* were clean—yours are 2Trtv The eat'a coat tt:tei him—your* fcanga alvout vou like a sack. I tell you ILin Shrow'i. the spe if to which you PRia '^idievton the whole keeof creation. Dout let us revolt 2aoh other by keeping In company any fcma r. y°« taflrineft freak of Natum-go a ay

Stiroal llsteued t© thia ooinpllu»ei»t*ry Jj-- with an a»p*Ctof surlyaerenity. When It Imri com# to w» end. be took Art letter from hia wal»Voo«t pocket, without

ROOD«o«mdinK in

pri

11,1 tf9\ by this time, too thor-

^iblV o^n^oioaa of *»to own power over to altaeb the smallest Un«nce to any

ilnt often io

£*ther

MR.

done^yoor talking,

mnoowe you take look at that, aakl

ffiJfffX'SSZS?'•%

think your

hU,k

„l«ntoth^hH.WBlng. Th.thln«..W 1» b.d Ml hlmMlfdown on Ik. I^nlile oomplete withodi yda tbo floor. ^piuiy would be «fec« to wwtt j®ur smiling fkee at the table to make 'em jolly. Jast let nie lake a grind at the mill, while you g^mit and gst a sliver muK. The a* and beir expects a mug, vou knaw, and bfcl nurse expects hall a guinea, tod bis &i«nma expects all your fortune. What a pleasure to make tbe

Innocent creeturs happy 1 Its you pulling wry faces be letter. Lord! lord

three

like that, orer tbe where can all your natural affection have gone to 7—" "If I only knew where to lay my band cm a K&g. rd cram it into your infernal mouth orled Mr. Treverton.

ber mean by harping perpetually on nay fortaneT 8ooner than leave it to the play actress* child, I'd even leave It to you and kooner than leave it to you. would take every farthing of it out in a boat, and burv it forever at the bottom of these*!" Vet.ting bis dissatisfaction in these strong terms, Mr. Treverton snatched up Dr. Cliennery's letter, and tore it open in a humor which by no means promised favorably for the succen of the vica's application.

He read the letter with an ominous scowl on his face, which grew darkor and darker as be got nearer and nearer to tho end. When he oame to the bignaturn bis humor changed, and he laughed sardonically. '"Faithrull

Faithfully yonrf. Robert

Ohennery," be repeated^ to himself.

Yes! Faithfully mine, if I humor your whim. And wlatif I don't, Parson? He paused, and looked at the letter again, the scowl reappearing ©n his face as ho dii so. "There's a lie of some kind lurking about, under these lines ol ffcir writing," he muttered,suspiciously. "I am not one of his congregation the law gives him no privilege of imposing on me. What does he mean by making the attempt?" He stoppod again, re fleeted a little, looked up suddenly at Shrowl, and said to him

Have you litthe oveu fire yet?" No, I haven't," answered Shrowl. Mr. Treverton examiued tho letter for tbe third time—hesitate I—then slowly tore it in half, and tossed tVse two pieces over contemptuously to bis servant "Light the fire at once," he said. "Aud, if yon want paper, there it is for you. Stop!" he adaeu, alter Shrowl had picked up tbe torn letter, "If any body comes here to-morrow morning to ask tbr an answer, tell them I gave you tinletter to light the fire with, and say that's the answer." With those words Vlr. Treverton returned to the mill, and began to grind at i: again, with a grin of malicious satisfaction on his haggard face,

Shrowl withdrew into the kitchen, closed the door, and, plac ng the torn pieces of the letter together on tbe orqsser, applied alunself, with the cool ust deliberation, to tho business of read trig it. When be had gone slowly and carefully through it, from the address ai tho beginning to the name at the end. he st-ratelied reflectively for a little While at his raggei, neglected beard. then folded the letter Up carelully and put ir. iu his pocket. "I'll have another look at it, later in the day," he thought to himsolf, tearing off a jico«of an old newspaper to liuht the fire with. "It strikes me, just at prosent, that there may be better things done with this letter than horning it."

Resolutely abstainiiig from taking the letter w, of his pocket, again, until all the doties of the household for that day had been duly performed, Shrowl lit the fire, occupied the morning in making *»nd baking the bread, and patiently took his turn afterward at digging in th© kitchen garden. It was tour •"•'clock in the afternoon before he felt bimsrlf at liberty to think orhif-- privat •flairs, and to venture or, retiring into solitude with the obj«*ft of looking secret ly over tbe lettar atiain.

A second peTtlsal 6f DmrtorCHipfnhery's unluckv application to Mr. Treverton helpod to confirm Shrowl in his resolution not to destroy tho letter With great pains and perseverance, and much incidental Rcratehlng at his heard, he contrived to make himself master of I hreedlstlnot points in it, which stood out, in his estimation, as possessing prominent and serious importance. The first point which he contrived to establish olearly in bis mind was, that the person who signed the namo of !Mert Ohennery was desirous of ejuur.iijing a pUn, or printed ncrount, Of the north side of tbe intA-lor of a certain old house In Cornwall, called Porthgenna Tower. The second point appeared to resolve itaelf Into this tint diert 'hennery believed some such plan, or prifttod anonut, inlght be found among the collection of books belonging to Mr. Treverton. The third point was, that Mils same Robert Chetmery wouid re oeive the loan of the plan, or printed account, as one of the grea'est favors that could be conferred on Mm. Meditating on the latter fact, with an eye exclusively fixed on the contemplation of his own^nt^resta, Shrowl arrived tilths conclusion that It might be well worth while, in a pecuniary point of view, to trv if he v»nld not privately place himself in a position to oblige Robert Ohsn rery by osarchlng In secret among his master'* boftks. "If- might be worth five wnd nolo to me, If I managed it well,'' thought Shrowl, putting tbe letter haek in his nocket again, and ascenl ing the stairs tbouuhtftilly to the lum-her-roo"ns at the top of the bouse.

Tbeie rooms were two 5n number, ware entirely unfurnished, and were lit--.ered all over with the rare collection of l»ooks which had once adorned the 11 brary at Porthgmna Tower. Covered with dust, and scattered in all directions atul positions over the floor, lay hun rods on hundred* or %*olume«, cast out of their packing cases as coals are cast out of their sacks ir to a cell r. Ancient books, which students would have tress ur$d

priceless, lay in chaotic equality neglect side by side with modern puVilicatlons whoso* chief merit was the heauivof the binding by which they were incb-sed. Int-i this wilderness of scattered volume* Shrowl now wandered, fortified by the supreme self-posses-

aion

of ignorance, to search resolutely or on© parti u'ar book, with no other light to direct bim than tbe faint glimmer of the two guiding word*, Porthgenna Tower. Havl»g got them firmly tlxrd In bis ndnd. his next object was to MMrrh

unti*

1,6

make any

Tmfenon

*9Unrt

rare

*..7r« u» Voo—tsl Who do! of Jeeis, books of na urai mawry. oooas

them

primed on

the first page of any one of tbe hundreds of volumes tbst lay aronnd him. This was, for tbe time being, emphatically bis business in life, and there be n« stood, in tbe largest of tbe two attics, doggedly prepared to do it

He cleared away space enough with bt« feet to enable bim to ait down comfortahlv on tbe floor, and then began to look over all the books that lay within arms lenjphof him. (Md volumes of

Before removing to another poaltlmi, and contending with a IVesli aeeanatam tion of literary lumber, be oonaidered a little with bim^fllf, wbetb« there might net be some eaMer anfl •lore orderly method than any, ho bad yet devised of working bia way througB tbe scattered mass of volumes wblcnyil remained to be examined. T|i»rMatt of hla reflections was, that it nottld lees confusing to blin, if he searched through the books in all parte of the room indifferently, regulating his selection of tbem solely oy their various »i»s disposing or all the largest to begin with then, after stowing them away together, proceeding to the next largest, and so wing on until be came down at last to tbe pocket volumes.

Accordingly, he fbared away another morsel of vacant spaoe, near the wall, and then, trampling over the books as coolly as it they were so man/ oloda of earth on a plowed field, picked out the largest of all tbe volumes that lay on the floor.

It was an atlas. 8hrowl turned over the maps, reflected, shook bia head and removed the volume to the vacant space which he had clcared close to the wall.

The next largest book was a magnitt crntly bound collec.ion of engraved portraits of distinguished characters. Shrowl saluted the distinguished char acters with a grunt of Gothic disappro bation, and carried them off to keep the atlas oompany against th» wall.

The third largest book lay under several others. It projected a little

one

end, and it was bound in scarlet morocco. In another position, or bound in a quieter color, it would probably have escaped notice. Shrowl drew it out with some difficulty, opened it with a portentous frown of distrust, looked at tne title page—and suddenly slapped his thigh with a great oath of exultation. There were the very two words of which he was in search, staring him in tho face, as it were, with all the emphasis of the largest capital letters! lie listened for a moment to assure himself that his master was not moving in tho house then turned to the first leaf of the book, with the intention of looking it over carefully, page by page, from beginning to end. The first leaf was a blank. Tbo second leaf had au Inscription written at 1 he top of it, in faded ink, which contained these words and initials: "Rare. Only six copies printed. J. A. T." Below, on tbe middle of tb« leaf, was the printed dedication "To John Arthur Treverton, Esquire, Lord of the Manor of Porthgenna, One of Hia Majesty's Justices of the Peace, P. R. S., fcc„ «fcc., Ac., this Work, in which an attempt is made to deaoribe the ancient and honored Mansion of his Ancestor*." There were many more lines, filled to bursting with all the largest and most obsequious words to be found in the Dictionary, but Shrow) wisely abstained from giving himsel! the trouble of reading them, and turned over at once to the title page.

There, indeed, were the all-Important words, "The History and Antiquities oi Porthgenna Tower, from the period of its first erection to the'present time comprising interesting genealogical particulars relating to tbe Treverton family with an Inquiry into the Origin of Goth ic Architecture and a few thoughts on the Theory of Fortification after the period of the Norman Conquest. By the Reverend Job Dark, D. D., Rector of Porthgenna. The whole adorned with Portraits, Views, and Plans, executed in the highest style of Art. Not Publish ed. Printed by Spuldock aud Grimes, Truro, 17.°»4."

That was the title page Tlie next leaf cOutalved an engraved view of Porthgenna Tower, from*the treat. Then came several pagos devoted to The Oruin of Gothic Architecture then more pages explaining The Norman Theory of Fortification. These were succeeded bv another engraving—Porthgenna Tower from tbe oast. After that followed more reading, under tho title of The Troverton Family and then came the third

engraving—Porthgenna

Tower from the

north. Shrowl paused there and looked with interest at the leaf opposite the print. It only announced more reading still, about the Erection of tlie Mansion and this was succeeded by engravings from family portraits in the gallery at Porthgenna. Placing his left thumb et^een the leaves to mark the place, Shrowl itcpatientlyaumed to the end of the book, to see what be could find there. Tho last lear contained a plan of the stables the leal before that presented a ptan «f the north garden and on the next leaf, turning, backward, was tho very thing described In Rooert Cliennery's letter—a plan of tho Interior Rrrangem«nt of the north side of the liow®!

Shrowl's first impulse on making this discovery w.is to carrv the book away to he safest biding place he could find for it. preparatory to secretly ofaring it for sale wtien tho messenger called the next uiorninu lor an answer to the letter. A UttU reflection.hdwen r, convinced liim that a proceeding of this sort boro a dangerously clofw resemblance to tlw act of thieving, and might get him into trouble, if the person with whom he desired to deal chose to go through the ceremony of asking him any preliminary questions toudiing his right to the volume which he wanted to dispose or. The onlv alternative that remained, if the idea of posset*.tig himself of the book were abandoned, win to make the best copv he could of the plan, and to traffic \vi»h ttjat as a document which .he most scrupulous person in the world need not ho*ita'e to purchase.

K*w»lvlngf alter some consideration, to undergo that trouble ol akirg lh^ copv rather than run the risk purloining tb« book, Shrowl stole down to r.?io kitchen softly a* lie could, took from one of the drawers of the dresser an old stump of a pen,» liottlo of Ink, and a crumpbd hall-sheet of dirty letier paper, and returned to the garret to copy the plan as ho best might. It is ol the simplest kind, and it occupied but a small portion of the page: yet it presented to his eyes a hopelessly involved and intricate, appearance, when he now examined it for th® second lime.

The roonn were represented by rows of suiall squares, with names neatly printed inside them and the positions of doors, stair c*s a, and passages, were indicated bv parallel lines or various length* and breadths. After much cog itatlon, frowning, and pulling at his beard, It occurred to Shrowl that the easiest method of copy lag tbe plan would be to cover It with tbe letter paper—which, though hardly half the site of the pa«re, was large enongb to sprmd over the engraving on it—and then to trace the lines which be saw through the paper as carefully as be eoald with bit pen and ink. lis puffed a no snorted and grumbled, aqd got red In tbe face over bis task, but be accomplished it at last—bating certain draw-

pifsn bacl sin tbe shape of blot* and smears— in a snftietontly creditable manner

editions of the classics, odd volnmes of the Rnglisb ^topped to' let the ink dry and to of plays by tbe Elizabethan dramatists,

rfrwW

bvks of travel, books of ssrmous, books ^U!nipt^| to do anything more. nf jests, hooks of ns ural history.^books Toe next ohataci" to beorercems con the nted title page tbe wonts "Kortbeenna j^dV

ii iiitt ton I wonder of upon*, turw-d up In quaint and rapid the difficult* of copying

1 ^SThai took a fancy to sti-xVaskio but no \«*k rooms, which wereprft II ptperi thi* tHl« tb* wor*l* P^ribJw»o»|. nqutmi, Fort«mU?lj fh^wyout J'^P^^ aCnVnd Tower."rewarded the seswhing Indus-1 Shrowl

^0toienafbe^IttirI^MLowe1' it's an, try of Shrowl for tbe first ten minutes-*»IOWI,

jjf, breath freely, before he at*

obstacle to beorercems

the,

Hquarea Fortunately for

twbo

was one of the clumsiest

mankind intheuseof the pen, none of the names were very long. AsH was, be found tbe greatest difficulty In writing tbem in sufficiently small ebaractere to fit into the tquarea. One name in partloular—that ot Tbe Myrtle Room presented combinations of letters in the word "Myrtle" which tried bis patience and bis fingers sorely when he attempted to reproduce tbem. Indeed, the result In this esse, when be had done bis best, was so illegible, even to bis eyes, tbst be wrote tbe word over again in large characters at tbe top of the pgge, and oonnected it by a very wavering line with tbe square which represented tbeMvrtlo Room. The same aeeident happened to him In two other instancea and waa remedied in the same way.

With the rest of tho nsmes, however, he succeeded better: and when he bad finally completed tbe business of transcription by writing tbe title, "Plan of the North Side," his copy presented, on the whole, a more respectable appearance than might have been anticipated. Alter satisfying bUutelf of its accuracy, by a careful comparison of it with the original, ho folded it up along with Dr. Chennery's letter, and deposited It in his pocket with a hoarse grasp of relief, aod a grim smile of satisfaction.

Tho next morning tbe garden door of tho cottage presented Itself to the public eye In the totally new aspect of standing hospitably ajar, and one of the bare posts had the advautage of being embellished by tho figure of Shrowl, who leaned against It easily, with his legs crossed, liis hands in his pockets, and his pipe in his mouth, looking out for the return of the messenger who had delivered Ds9ptor C'hennery's letter the day^before

'lM CHAPTER XIX XRRNOACHINO THE PRECIPICE. Traveling from London to Porthgenna Mr. and MrS. Frankland had stopped, on the ninth or May, at the West Winston station. On the eleventh of June they left it again, to continue their journey to Cornwall. On the twelfth, after resting a night upon the road, they arrived, toward the evening, at Porthgenna Tower.

There bad been storm and rain all the moruing it had lulled toward tbe afternoon and, at the hour when they reach ed the house, tho wind had dropped, a thick, white fog bid the sea from view, and sudden showers fell drearily from time to time over tho sodden land. Not even a solitary idler from the village was hanging about th3 west terrace, as the carriage containing Mr. and Mrs. Frankland, the baby, and the two serv ants who were with thom. drove up to tbe house. No one was waiting with the door open to peceive the travelers for all hope of their arriving on that day had been given up, and the ceaseless thundering of the surf, as the stormy sea surged in on the beach beneath, drowned the roll of the carriage wheels over the terrace road. The driver was obliged to leave bis seat, and ring at the bell for admittance. A minute or more elapsed before the door was opened. With the rain falling sullen and steady on the root of the carriage, with the raw dampness of the atmosphere penetrating through all coverings and defenses, with the booming of the surf soundiog threatf Ingly near in the dense obscurity of the fog, the young couple wa ted for ad mission to their own home, as strangers might have waited who had called inopportunely.

When tbe door was opened at last, tbe master and mistress, whom the servants would have welcomed with tho proper congratulations on any othf-r occasion, were now received with the proper apol ogles instead. Mr. Mtindor. Mrs. Pen treatb, Betsey, and Mr. Frankland's man, all crowded together in the hall, and all begged pardon confusedly for not having been ready at the d«or, when the carriage drove up. The appearance ot the baby cba ged the conventional oxrtisesi of the housekeeper and the maid into conva-itioual expressions of admiration but tho men remained gr#v6 and gloomy, and spoke of tbe miserable weather apologetically,as if the ram find the fog had been of their making. The reason for their persistency in dwelling on this one drearv topic, came out while Mr. and Mrs. Frankland were beins conducted up the west stair case. The storm of the morning had been fatal to three of the Porthgenna fishermen, who had been lost with their boat at sea. and whose deaths bad thrown the whole village into mourning. The servauts had done nothing but talk of the catastrophe ever since tbe intelligence of it had reached tpem, early in tho afternoon and Mr. Munder now thought It hi* du'.y to explain that tho absence of the villagers, on

the oefcasion of the ar

rival of hia master and mistress, was ontirelv attributable to the effect produced among the little commun'ty by the wrefck of the fishing boat. Under any less lamentable circumstances the we«t terrace would have been crowded, and the appearance or the earring* would have been welcomed with cheer*.

Lenny, I almost wish we bad waited a little longer, before we came here," whispered Rosamond, nervously pressing her bustand's arm. "It is very dreary and disheartening to return to my first home on such a day as this Tliat story ot the poor fishermen 1h a sad story, love, to welcome me back with to the place ormy birth. Let us send the first thing to-morrow morning, snd «ee what we can do for tho or helpless women snd children. shall not feel ea«v in mv mind, after hearing that story, till we have dono something to comfort ihem." "I trust von will spproteof th® repairs, ma'am," said the housekeeper, pointing to the stftlr can® whloh led to the second storv.

Tho repairs?" said Rosamond, sb sently. "Repairs! 1 never hear thj word now, without thinking of the north rooms, and of the plans we devls ed for getting my poor dear fatler to live in them. Mrs Pentreath. I have a host of questions to ssk you and Mr. Muntier. about all tbs extraordinary things that happened when that mysterious lady and that incomprehensible foreigner came to see the house. But tell me firwt— this Is the west front, I suppose?—how far are we, here, from tbe nortn rooms? I mean, how long would it take us to get to them, if wo wanted to go now to that part of the hou-e?"

Oh, dear me, ma'am, not flvo minutes!" answered Mrs. Pentreath. "Not five minutes!" repeated Rosamond, whispering to ber husband again. "Do you hear that, Lenny In five minutes"we might be in the Myrtle Room I" ,,,

Yes," said Mr. Frankland, smiling, '•in our present state of ignorarce, we are just as far from It, as if we were at West Winston still I"

I can't think that, Lenny. It may be only my fancv, but now ws are on the spot, I feel as If we bad driven the mystery into its last hiding place. We are actually In the bouse that holds the secret and nothing will persuade me that we are not half way already toward finding It out. But don't let us stop on this oold landing. Which way are we to go n' xt?"

This wav, ina'am," said Mr. Mnndsr seising the first opportunity of placing himself In a prominent position. "There Is afire in tbe drawing room. Will ion

allow me tbe honor of leading and con-t heralded *o any |mortal was unfortunate snoaghto ducting you, Sir, to tbe apartment in qaestlonf"' ln^ out his

TvU| »uv au he sdded, officiously,stretchis hand to Mr. Frsnklsnd. Certainly not!" Interposed Rosamond, sharply. She bad noticed, with her usual quickness of observation, thai Mr. Munder wanted, the delicacy of feeling which onght to have restrained bim from staring curiously at hia blind master, in ber presence and she wss unfavorably disposed toward him in oonsequence. "Wherever the spartment in question may hsppen to be,'*she continued, with satirical emphaais, "I will lead Mr. Frankland to It, if you please. If you want to make yonrself useful, yon bad better go on before ue,and open tbe door."

Outwardlv crest-fallen but inwardly Indignant, Mr. Munder led the way to the drawing room. Tlie fire burned brightly, the old fashioned furniture displayod itself to tbe most picturesque advantage, the paper on tbe walls looked comfortably mellow, the carpet, faded as it was, felt soft and warm underfoot. Rosamond led her husband to an easy chair by tbe fireside, and began to feel at home for the first time. "This looks really comfortable," she said. "When we nave shut out thst dreary white fog, and the candles sre lit, and tbe tea is on the table, we shall have nothing in the world to complain of. You enjoy this nice warm atmos phere, don't you, Lenny? There is a piano in the room, u.y dearj I can play to you in the evening at Porthgenna. just as I used in London. Nurse, sit down and make yourself and the baby as comfortably as you can. Before we tnko our bonnets off, I must go away with Mrs. Pentreath, and see soout the iiedrooms. What is yotir name, you very rosy, good natnred looking girl?

Betsey, is it? Well, then, Betsey,suppose you go down and get (he tea and wo shall Tike you all the bettor, if yon can contrive to bring us up some cold meat with it." Giving her orders in those good humore terms, aud not noticing that her husband looked little uneasy while she was talking so familiarly to a servant, Rosamond left the room in company with Mrs. Pen treath.

When she returned, ber face and man ner were altered she looked and spoke seriously and quietly. "I hope I have arranged every thing for the best, Lenny," sbe said. "The airier and largest room, Mrs Pentresth tells me. is the room in which my mother died. But I thought we bad better not tnake use of that I feit as if it chilled and saddened me, only to look at it. Further on, along tbe pas sage, there is a room that was my nnr serv. I almost fancied, when Mrs Pentreath told me she had beard I used to sleep there, I hat I remembered the

frotty

little arched door way leading

ntotbo second room—tbe night nursery It used to be called in former days. I have ordered tbe fire to be lit there, and the beds to be made. There is a third room on the right hand, whioh oomtnu cates with tbe day nursery. I think might manage to establish ourselves very comfortably in tbe three rooms—i you felt no objection—though they are hot so large or so grandlj7 furnished a* thecompany bed rooms. I will chance the arrangement if you like—but the house looks rather lonesome and drearv just at first—and my heart warms the old nursery—und I think we might at lea«t try it,*to begin with—don't you Lenny?"

Mr. Frankland was quite of his wife': opinion, and was ready th accede to any domestic arrangements that she mi^ht think fit to make. While be was assuming her of this, the tea came up and the pight of it helped to restore Fosamtind to her usiml spirits. When the mesl was over, she occupied herself in seeing the baby comfortably established tor the night iu the room on the right hand which communicated with the dav nurSery. That maternal duty perform led, she came back to ber husband in tbe drawing room .and tho conversation between them turned—as it almost tl ways turned, now, when they wer

a]ohe—on

the two perplexing subjects

of Mrs. Jaz" ph and the Myrtle Room. I wish it was not night," said Rosa mond. "I should like to begin explor ing at once. Mind, Lenny, ou must be with me in all mV investigations. 1 lend you tnv eyes, and yen give uie y*ur ad vice. Vou must never lose patience and never tell me that y«n c«n be of no use. I look to you to keep up my courage, as well as to help me with ad rice. IIow I do wish wo were starting on our voyage of discovery at thie very moment! But we may make inquiries at any rate," she' continued, ringing the ball. "Let us have the housekeeper and tbe steward up and try if we can tnake hetn tell us something rhore than they told us in their letter."

The bell was answered by Betpey Rosamond desired that Mr. Munderand Mrs, Pentreath might be sent up stairs. Betsey, having heard Mrs. Frankland express her intention of questioning the housekeeper and the steward, guessed why they were wanted, and smiled mysteriously.

Did you see anything of those strange visitors who behaved so oddly asked Rosamond, detecting thesuiile "Yes. I am sure you did. Tel1 us what you saw. We want to hear every thing that happened—every thing, down smallest trifle."

Appealed to in these direct terms Betsey contrived, with much clrcumlo cutlon and confusion, to relate whether own pers irtal experience had been of the proceedings of Mrs. Ja» ph and her foreign companion. When she had dont, Rosamond stopped her on he wav tothedror. bvasklngtldsquestion

You sav tbe lsdy waa found lying in fainting fit at tbe too of the etalr*. Have you any notion, Betsey, why she feinted

The servant hesitated. ••Come! come!" said Rosamond. "Yon have some notion, can aee. Tell us what it i»." "I'm afrdd vou will be angry with me. ma'am," «i*ld Betsey, expressing embarrassment by drawing lines slowly with her fore linger on a table at ber

••Nansense! I shall onlv be angry with yon. If you won't speak. Why do you think the lady fainted

Betsey drew a very long line with ber embarrassed forefinger, wiped it alter ward on her apron and answered:

I think she fainted, if you please ma'am, because she see the gh *t. be ghost! What 1 is there a ghost In the house? Lenny, here is romance that we never expected. What sort of ghoet Is It? Let us have the whole gtnrv."

The whole story, aa Betsey told It, wss not of a nature to aflbrd ber bearers any extraordinary'Information, or to keep tbem verv long in suspense. The ghost was a lady, who bad been at a remote period tbe wife of one of tbe owners of Porthgenna Tower, and who had been guilty of deceiving ber bu»b*nd in aome way unknown. 8' bad been condemned in consequence to wain about tbe north roems, saiong as ever tbo walls of tbem held together. She had lorg curling light brown hair, snd very white teeth, snd a dimple in esch cheek, snd was altogether "awful beautiful" to look at. Her approach was

by the blowing of a oold wind and nobedy who had once felt thit wlo® had tbe slightest chance of ever feeling warm again. That was all Betsey knew about this ghost and it wss In her opialon enough to freete a person's blend only to toink of it, only to toink of it.

tne gB nougb to thin

Rosamond smiled, then looked again. "I wish yon could have told 1

gair .little more," she said. "But,aayo« can not, we must try Mrs. Pentreath & and Mr. Munder, next. Send tbem ap here, if you please, Betsey, ss soon as you get down stain."

The examination of the housekeeper and the stewsrd led to no result what* ever. Nothing more than tbey had already communicated In their letter to Mrs. Frankland could be extracted from either of tbem. Mr. Munder*s dominant idea was, tbst tbe foreigner bsd entered the doors of Porthgenna Tower with felonious ideaa on the subject of the family plate. Mrs. Pentreath concurred in thst opinion, and mentioned, in conneetion with it, her own prlvste impres- f? sion that tbe lady In the quiet dress was sn unfortunate person who bad escaped from a madhouse. As to giving a word of advice, or suggesting a plan for,, solving tbe mystery, neither the housekeeper nor the steward appeared to** think that the rendering of anyasalst-W anceot that sort lay at all within theirs province. Tbey took their own practical view of the auspicious oonduot of the two strangers, aud no mortal power oould persuado tbem to looksninch^ bevona it.

Ob, the stupidity, the provoking,H impenetrable, pretentious atupid ty off! those two people!" exclaimed Rosamond, when she and her husband' were alone again. "No help, Lenny, to ,| be hoped for from either of them. We have nothing to trust to n'.w but tbe ex-'* amination of the house to-morrow and*f that resource may fall us, like sll them rest What can Doctor Cbennery be about? Why did we not bear from* him before we left West Winston yester-M day?" "4

Patience, Rosamond, patience. We^( shall see what the post brings to-mor-.. row." I: "Pray don't talk about patience* dear. My stock of thst virtue was* never a very large one, and it was alio exhausted ten days ago, at least. Ob^j tho weeks and weeks I have been vainly asking myself that one question. Why" should Mrs. Jaseph warn tne against*1 going into th Myrtle Room Is shea, at raid of my discovering a crime? or, afraid of my tumbling through the floor? What did she want to do in tho rocm, when she made that a tempt to get into it? Woy, in tbe name of wonder, should she know something about^ this houso that I never knew, thai, my father never knew, that nobody else?—"

And j'our fathor nevqr heard of her ."•! Js#ar»3f .iM it Is a lipid guess to make, samond but tho impression is strong onf) iny mind that,, on tho day when Mrs,' zeph came into your room at W- st Winston, you and thst servant inet, and Blin know it!"*

And the secret, dear—tte secret she was afraid to tell my father?" "Must lie in some "way connected with 'he Myrtle Room."

Rosamond said uothing in answer, She rose from her chair, and bogaa to valk aicltate llv up and down tin room. Hearing the rustle of ber dress. Leonard called her t^ him, and, taking her hand, laid his linger* on her pulne. and then liitJd them for a womont to her cheek, "I w!sli I lind wait'd until to morrow morning before I told you my idea ab nit Mrs. Jazeph," he said. "I hive auitated you to no purpo*e whatever, and have spoiled .yo clianco of a good night's rest..'

No, no! nothing ol the kind. Oh, Lenny, b«w llils guess of vnurs adds to the inteie.xt, the fearful, breathless interest we have in tracing that woman, and In finding out the Myrtle Room. Lo you think—" "1 have done with thinking, for the night, my dear aud you must have done wit it too. We have snld more tlun enoug'' about Mrs. Jnz ph already. Change the subject, and 1 will !alk of any thing else you please."

It is not *o easy to change tlie subject." ald Rosamond, pouting, and moving away to walk up and down tbe room again. "Then let us change tbo place, and make it easier that way. I know yota thiuk me the most prrvokingly obstinate man it* tho world, but there is reason in my obstinacy, and you will acknowledge as much when you wake to-morrow morning refreshed by a good night's rest. Come, bt us give our anxieties a holiday. Take me into one of tae other ro ms. and let uie try if I can guess what it Is like by touching the furniture."

The reference to hit blindness which the last words contained brought Rosamond to bis aide In a moment. "You always know best," she said, putting ber arm round his neck and klwlng him. *'I was looking cross, love, a minute ago, but tbe clouds are all gone now. We will change the scene, and explore some other »em, as you pro-

P8be paused, ber eyes suddonly sparkled, ber color rose, and she am ted to herself, ss If some new fancy bad that Instant crossed her mind.

Lenny, I will take you where you aball touch a very remarkable piece of furniture Indeed, sbe resumed, leading bim to lbs door while she spoke. "We will see If vouosn tell me at once what it *s like. You must not be Impatient, mind and you must promise to touch nothing till you feel me guiding your

'"she drew him after ber along the psaeage, opend tbe door of tue room In which the baby bsd been put to !ed, made nitm to the nune to be silent, snd, [Omlmued on Seventh

•F

re.wna III he?

li'

"Rosamond!" cried M- Franklandp suddenly changing color, and start ng "I thiuk I can guess whet

iii his chair. 'T thiuk I can guess who Mrs Jazephis!" "Good gracious, Lenny! What do yon mean?' "Something in those last worda of yours started tVe idea iu my ui nd tho instant you spoke Do you r.-member, when we were staying at Ht Swithln's on Sea. and talking Hbont the chant es for aud airainst our prevailii-g on your father to live with us hero—do you roraembor, Rosamond, telling me at that' time of cartnln unpleasant a.*stations which he had with tbe houso, and men* tinning among them the mysterious, disappearance of a servant on the morning of j-our mother's death?"

Rosamond turned pale at the question. ••How caw® we never to think of that tietore she said.

You told tne," pursued Mr Frank-^ land, "that this Servant left a strange', letter behind her, in which she confessed hat your mother had cbargad *er with.! tbe duty of tailing a secret to your father—a secrrt that sho was afraid to divulge,and that she was afraid of being questioned about. I am right, am I not, In stating those two reasons as tlie reasons she gave for her disappearance "Quite right."

f-k*