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FOURTH PAGE
\HE SUNNY SOUTH
JULY 23, 190*.
Last of the “Mary Ann
99
APTAIN EX.ISHA HOPE-
WELL, of the brig Mary
Ann, of Salem, had been
repairing and repainting
and making his craft
ready for a voyage to j
London and return. The j
year was 1786, and boy j
and man he had been ;
sailing for over thirty I
years. Although he had I
owned and commanded
the Mary Ann for ten
y^ars, she was by no
means a new craft when he got her. in
making repairs he had found many signs
of weakness, and as he finis-hed his day’s
work and started for home his knees I
were stiff and his back ached. He reach- |
ed his house to find his wife, Nancy, and j
supper waiting for him, and as he took :
his seat at the table he looked at her j
critically and for the first time noticed
that there were gray hairs among the
brown on her head.
“Elisha, have you lost your jack knife j
or heard that your brother was dead?” ;
quietly asked Nancy .after awhile.
“No,” ho answered, and followed the
word with a sigh.
“Mebbe ye are coinin’ down with meas- I
les. Your mother says ye never had 'em ,
as a boy.’’ ]
“Mebbe I am,” he gloomily replied.
Hunter Saved by
Modern Miracle /
OHJI S. PAKKBK, a young
man from Boston, who is
■camping at Rocky pond, in
Chittenden, had a hair-
raising experience not long
ago while traveling from
camp to this village, where
he came to see some
friends. The experience
was so strenuous that for
a lime it was feared 'the
boy’s mind would give
way.
■Parker left camp at day-
TlgfiT wfoTT the intention of making
Bridgewater that night and continuing
the next day to his destination. He had
with him a fish rod, basket, a small re
volver and enough food for his luncheon.
While :he could have gone 'the entire
distance by road try striking at Ottaquee-
ohe e valley at Pittslield, he chose a short
er way through the mountains and hiaded
for the Deer’s leap, a crest of rock that
falls in a sheer precipice to the Rutland
and Woodstock stage road at the summit
Ufye White Pigeon
FERGUS HUME.
OING to Tregarth manor?”
said the old gentleman.
“Well, my dear i hone
you'll leave it alive.”
I might have resented
band, has put up with his humors.
Mr. Liffey,” here her eyes flashed angrily,
“has dared to make love to me. I com
plained to Mrs. Tregarth, and she has dis
missed him. He goes away next week.
We were all in the library one warm
evening and the windows were open. Ar-
,, , , ... , ,thur and Maud were talking in a corner,
■this familiar form of ad-| iIrs Tregarth dozed in an armchair, and
dress from a perfect; r was kn j t ting. Mr. Liffey wandered
stranger, but that his last about, opening first one book and then
words aroused my curlosi- another. Suddenly, with a whirr mi wings,
ty. He was a fat, chub- ja white pigeon appeared in the room,
by. cheery person, with a Where it came from no one noticed. But
bald head and spectacles, j ft hovered for a moment over Mrs. Tre-
and had entered the third ! ftarth (whn woke up at the sound), and
class carriage in which I | thPn flPw through the open window.
We all stared at one another.
“It moans death,” said Liffey in an
awed voice.
“Nonsense,” cried Arthur vigorously,
“the window was open, and it flew' in.
Don’t look’so alarmed, mother.”
Mrs. Tregarth was deathly white. The
omen had impressed even her material
mind. "The old go first,” she said in low-
tones. “You will lose me, Arthur, and
soon. It appeared when your father died."
. ,t wdiat time the unseen death
But knew not at 1
would come upon me.
While X prayed there
sound like a groan,
fear. In the darkness it
ble.
i
and
heard a faint
shivered with
sounded horri-
Then slowly I felt the floor slope. It
tilted up. and I was on the end that was
r «in~ At once the solution of the mys.
te'rv "flashed upon me. The whole floor of
the room worked on a central bar. and
no one could keep foothold on its smooth
Sl ‘31owdv I went sliding flown that slip-
’ry slope until I shot over the edge,
and traveled with increasing rapidity
down a long tunr— —
was sitting at the last Devonshire sta
tion. The train was now on the Cornish
line, and traveled along at a fair speed.
After looking out at the rugged, wild
country till I was tired, I turned my at
tention to my companion, and asked him
how far it was to Tregarth. Another
hour would bring us there, he said, and
then he learnt from me that I was bound
far Tregarth manor. His reply, made as'she said.
pie drowned in the
their doom.
Down I went, but rose to
again. Above
of the Green mountain range.
This precipice is 1,000 feet high, and I above, startled me, although 1 am not a
while from the road the face of the rock , nervous person.
appears as smooth as the blade of a knife "What do you mean, sir?” I asked.
Lying in the Main Cabin Fully Dressed Was the Corpse of the Captain.
Nancy waited for three minutes to see
if he had an explanation, but as none 1
came she briskly said:
“Now look here, Elisha, I know all
about it, and I’ve bin sort o’ spectin’ j
this thing would happen any time. You
have bin overhaulin’ the Mary Ann, and
you’ve found out the same thing of
yourself, and you’ve suddenly (Seen it in
me. it has struck you all in a heap, and
you feel glum over it.”
‘‘Then by Josh you've hit it!” exclaim
ed the captain, glad to have an opportu
nity to talk it over.
"Wall, tTT?re ain't no call to cry over |
it,” she continued. "Ever since you got ]
this charter Tve made up my mind that 1
It would be our last voyage.”
“But how can it be, Nancy?”
"It won't be so hard. We are party well
off fur common folks, Elisha. That is,
we’ve got enough money to start you in
ship chandlery, and we own our own
house and lot. No fear but what we'll |
come out all right. We must give up
the sea to younger folks.”
They talked it over for a couple of
hours, and it was fully decided that when
the Alary Ann returned to Salem her last
voyage under Captain Hopewell would be
ended. Perhaps an astroiogist might have
warned them that there woud be no
home coming for the brig which had
borne them safely over so many leagues
of ocean, but Ihcre was no reader of the
future at hand. It got to be known over
Salem that Captain Hopewell was mak
ing his last voyage, and when the Alary
Ann east off from the wharf there, was a (
big crowd at hand to cheer her departure I
and wish Tier a safe return. She headed
out into the Atlantic on a summ
ternoon. and a.s the Massachusetts shores
faded behind them Captain Elisha said
to Nancy:
hour a big yawl with twelve men and
their donnage in it drew alongside the
Alary Ann.
“By Josh, then, but it’s a crew of
Dutchmen!" exclaimed Captain Hopewell
i as he peered down in the boat.
He was right. They were big and
sturdy men who had sailed out of the
Texal, and it was quickly discovered that
not one of them could speak English.
Each one brought his bag of clothing
over the rail with him, but water and
provisions were left behind. A man who
was doubtless the mate of the crew ad
vanced to Captain Hopewell and entered
into a long explanation, not one word of
which was understood, it was, however,
guessed that his ship had sprung a leak
and lie had been obliged to abandon her. |
He was made to understand that they I
were welcome and would be landed in
London, and by and by the twelve of
them withdrew in a body and stretched
themselves on deck and went to sleep.
Nancy had looked into the faces of all in !
a critical way, and while the Dutch mate
was telling his story her eyes never left
his face. When the strangers had with
drawn she descended to the cabin and a
few minutes later Captain Elisha fol
lowed her and said:
“Nancy. I’m jiggered if this ain't a
funny thing. I can’t say that things
look exactly right to me."
“ITf tell you what, Elisha,” she replied
in her quiet way. “If a ship had bin on
fire or in a sinkin' state them men
would never have brought all their
clothin’ and heaped in the water and
provisions they did.”
“No, by Josh, they wouldn't, but how
do they come to be afloat?”
“Dunno, but there’s a mystery about
| it. There’s the hull crew except the
(captain. How did he come to be left
i behind? And didn't you notice how
i the men looked the brig over and kept
| dodgin' and whisperin’? I’m believin’
we shall have trouble with ’em, Elisha,”
I gers to say that they made not the
I slightest objection when more water and
1 provision* were lowered into the boat,
, and when the men packed and lowered
I their bags and Nancy brought up a big
i bundle of things from the cabin. They
had an> jeers or insults to iiing after
those they had sent afloat, but at once
made more sail on the brig and headed
her on a new course. A'ancy- had smug
gled the chart and "spare compass into
her bundle, and as the boat drew awn>
1 she was forced by the wind to hold a
1 true course to the English Channel,.
There were provisions in plenty, and
scarcely a word was uttered before break-
| fast had been served out. Then Nancy
quickly asked:
"Elisha, what ye goin’ to do about
it?”
“I’m goin’ to stand to the eastward
j for awhile,” he replied after thinking it
over. "‘I'll jest keep track of the Mary
Ann as long as I can, and it's jest pos-
■ sible that we may be picked up and have
a show to git her back. If we don’t meet
| anything by tomorrer, and the wind .al-
' lows it. I'll head fur home, though T
don’t see how I'm ever to hold up my
head in Boston or Salem agin. They’ll
: say I was a coward not to make a fight
fur it.”
“Then they’ll be fools! The Dutch-
I men would have killed every one of us
i but what they’d had the brig, and we
ought to thank heaven we got off as well
as 'we did. Don't ye despair, Elisha.
We’ve seen some tight squeaks, but
we've all us come out all right. Don't ye
remember how a whale once saved us?"
“And the same whale may eat ns this
time ”
All that day the boat ran her true
course, but as the brig bore into the
north ami sailed the faster her topsails
were only a speck on the sea when the
sun went down. As the breeze did not
fall with the sun the men were divided j happened Park
into watches, a lantern was run to the | t.hinks he was
Parker knew that it could be easily de
scended by means of a series of narrow
ledges. The top is wooded with stunted
spruces and hardhack saplings that find
root on the edge of the cliff and hang
over in a kind of bower. By making this
descent a person can out off several mil f s
of tiresome walking, and the route is fre
quently taken by guides and fishermen.
Back from the cliff the primeval forest
stretches unbroken for many miles.
When about ‘h'alf way to the Deer's leap
Parker stopped to fish in a brook that runs
into the Ottaqueeehee and had such good
luck that he soon tilled his basket with
trout. He then went on. keeping to an
old blazed trail he traveled several times
i lust summer, and at 2 o’clock in the after-
, noon was within a mile of the crest of
the leap. He was sitting down on a
stump in the dense forest to rest when
he 'heard a dried stick crack and thought
he caught a glimpse of some animal in
the heavy underbrush There was no
further disturbance, however, and after
a time h3 went on.
At the top of the leap he again sat
down. He was about ready to begin the
hazardous descent when lie noticed sev
eral bubbles of spruce gum in a seam of
a spruce about. 5 feet back from the
face of the rock. lie immediately d<-
termined to gathe r the valuable stuff, and
laying his fish basket and revolver at the
toot of the tree, shinned up. He had no
trouble getting the gum, and when he
had finished tie paused a. moment to
take in the grandeur of the scenery.
Far below him stretched the stage road,
a mere dusty thread along which crawl
ed a horse that seemed no larger than a
dwarf Shetland pony. Giant trees along
either side of the stage line stood out
like green-topped bushes, and a pile of
lumber left on the summit looked for all
tile world like a pile of jackserews. The
face of the precipice was screened by the
top of a hardhack a few feet under him,
but by leaning dVer the edge Parker got
a fair view.
LEFT HANGING IN MIDAIR.
The boy was wrapped in a magnifi- i
eence of the scenery when he heard di- |
rectly under him a sharp, blood-curdling ;
cry of a Canadian lynx. Just how it i
doesn’t know, but ha '
startled that he lost
He shook his head.
Liffey will tell you |
appeared before
the surface
me was a hood of brick-
; ' work which arched some little distance
’ work. str eam. Its lip closed down on
Anvone who could not swim.
try surprise, could
and Air
that it has often
death.”
We all went to bed that night fee]in
uncomfortable, but Arthur insisted o
this death trai
There s something queer about that ■ laughing at the omen. However,
house, he said, although I ve never | neared to he a true one for Mr;
it
been able to find out the truth. To be j
sure, no one has been drowned ther,. far ■
the last ten years, but the late Air. Tre-
gnrth perished by water, and many- a |
Tregarth before him. to say nothing of j
visitors. Then there’s tho white pigeon.
A sure omen is the white pigeon, though,
to be sure, it concerns one of the fam
ily •
“AVhen a white pigeon flutters through |
the house a death of one of the family I
may be expected. Tt’s usually drowning j
in the Garth, though some have died in
tlieir beds. The Garth runs along one
side of the manor. Be sure you don’t
go near it. But Mr. Liffey can tell you
more about the family history than I
can.”
“Who is he?”
•What vow might cal! the librarian.
pea red to be a true one, for Mrs. Tre-
garth's body was found in the river next
morning. She was still dressed in the
costume she had worn at dinner.
Air. Liffey appeared so stricken with
grief that Arthur asked him to remain
on as librarian. When Mrs. Tregarth
was buried. Arthur and Maud arranged
to marry in six months and go for a tour
round the world. Meanwhile, the house
was to be left in charge of Mr. Liffey. I
of course, would be discharged.
Some few days later Air. Liffey tok;
Maud that J was in love with Arthur.
This, uf course, was quite false, as Maud
undeTstood when we discussed the sub
ject. Matters, however, became so un
pleasant that I gave notice.
I had retired to bed one night, but, hav
ing left my book in the library, I came
down for it. At the door 1 heard Air.
over th
the water
who was taken
; rasilv be drowned
i But 1 had my wits about me, and 1
i could swim very well.
I The only thing I could do «as to dn
■ under the l^ood, and come up on th- out-
1 side and this I did.
‘ Mv wet Hinging clothes held mo flown
drew me into the depths but stru k
out despairingly. anfl xn,p *°
l face to draw in the cold night air. I was
outside, floating, on the river below he
! tower and the moonlight showed me the
smooth walls of the house rising above
m<=
The late Afr. Tregarth was a eollector Liffey praying. He was on his knees
of books like his father before him. Lif- before an armchair weeping and shaking
with penitence
meant me)
might never learn the truth. “And Eliza
is better dead than living, thou knowest.
fey has been at the manor for years. A
strange mail, but learned. I wonder how was t ^ at (I guessed h
he gets on with Airs. Tregarth. She’s n !
. I swam With the strength of despair,
i and managed to lay hold of some
bushes that grew near the verge of the
' lawn 1 dragged myself up. and finally
! flung myself full length on the grass.
: Then I fainted.
i When I recovered my senses I was
lying dripping and aching in the moon
light. With a great effort. I staggered
, to my feet and walked slowly up the
' lawn through the gardens and seeing the
terrace before me I mounted the steps.
At the open window of the library ] halt
ed. Air. Liffey's voice sounded rich and
clear. He was talking to Mr. Tregarth
The burden of his prayer \ and Maud.
I fear she has drowned herself.’ the
strange woman. But, T heg your pardon;
1 she is a friend of yours.”
“No. I have never seen her. Tam en
gaged to teach a young lady French and
music.”
“Aliss Pen worthy, that will be,” said
the archaeologist. "She is a ward of
Airs. Tregarth. I believe she is to marry
; the young squire. He’s a fine lad -of 25.
but more of a sportsman than a student.
1 daresay Liffey has the library—a fine
library it is—all to himseir. But here 1
am. my dear. Goodby. and whatever you
do don't go near the Garth.
I was received at the manor hv Air.
■ Liffey, the rest of the household being
| out.
I He was a tall, lean man. but looked
good-natured, though silent as a rule.
He took me into the library, which was a
very fine old room, and gave me tea.
After a pleasant tea, I went to my room
for a short sleep.
When I awoke Airs. Tregarth was
standing beside me—a stout woman, with
a smiling face and little grey eyes. But
there were hard lines about iter mouth
which showed that she could be angry
on occasions.
‘I am glad to see you, Aliss Starr.
“By Josh, then. Nancy, but it seem. ,
if a piece of that bo,of we had fur break- “But they can t be pirates,
fast had got stuck in my fhroat!”
“It’s a sort o’ weakness of our feUin’^,. *^TT‘ MUi’' we can’t mnk
Wftle'Tier eyes, “hut I guess we’ve decided ; story, and T do believe that
j lyin’ all the time. I wish
"Probably not.” ,
“And there’s no war between us.
fur the best.”
For a thousand leagues, headed toward
the rising sun, the Alary Ann was driven
as she had never been driven before.
There was a piping breeze, and it scarce
ly varied a point, and a third of the run
had been marked off when there fell a
flat calm. It was noon when the wind
died nut. and the man sent aloft reported
the ocean clear of sail. As sundown came
the sea was like glass, and it was the
same state of affntks at midnight when
the watch was changed. The mate went
off and the captain came on, and he had
been only on deck half an hour when
Nancy appeared. She declared it to be
too hot below to sleep. In a calm in mid-
ocean at night there are strange and nn- I
canny sounds from the hold of a 'Ship as
she iazilv heaves up on the ground swell.
Boxes and barrels down in the hold rub
each other, bulkheads creak and timbers
groan, and now and then there are shrill i
squeaks from the fighting rats. Alen who ,
sleep during a calm breathe stentoriously,
end sigh and groan now and then, and the
wakeful ones move about uneasily and
east apprehensive glances over the sea.
Nancy walked aimlessly about for a
wfiile, and then rested her arms on the |
rail and gazed off into the darkness and :
let her thoughts wander back home.. She
ut tlieir
mate was
ve hadn't
; head of the mast_as a signal, find hour j his balance. He remembers that lie slip. ; Excuf . e my apparent rudeness. I did not
j after hour the boat danced over the seas. : pf fl. felt himself fall and the next mo- ! expect you t nl later.”
H.ont no/was, ill the ?op of the hald/iack, . '.- So a j r said.” I replied cheer-
| clutching at the small, elusive branches i fully <- He gaye me tea.”
as a drowning man grasps at a straw, j “xf r Liffey takes too much upon hints.
The tree, but 2 inches in diameter'at the SP jf said Mrs. Tregarth tartly, ’’not
shown a light and brought them aboard.”
The Dutchmen were tired with their
pull at t'ne oars and slept soundly ’tiil
the mornin’ watch of the Alary Ann
was ready to wash down decks. Then
they rose up, yawning and stretching,
and the last was hardly on his feet be-
for the breeze came. Sail was made
at once, and as the Alary Ann laid
her course. Captain Hopewell called the
cook aft to see about preparing break
fast for the extra men. He had his eye
on the strangers at the same time, and
noted that they had gathered in a bunch
and were whispering together. ’J’heir
yawl was a big and clumsy boat, pro
vided with oars and sail, and as there
was no room on the deck of the brig to
stow it the captain went forward ana
tried to make the Dutch mate understand
that the contents should bp hoisted
aboard and Ihc yawl sent adrift. lie
made himself clear enough, but as if
his words and gestunes had been a sig
nal the twelve Dutchmen at once sprang
upon tiie crew of the Alary Ann. all
of whom were on deck. They were stout,
determined men, and the move was so
sudden that no resistance was made.
after
spoke
them
side o
awake
cha ngi
- ■ V
ia id night
to them
Nancy
and
tnd
sed tip
found that both of
vere asleep. She sat down be-
ip of them in the bows, wide
with he r thoughts of the sudden
in their fortunes, and a long
hour had passed when the sight of a j
ship suddenly danced before her. It was j
a craft with all her sails set, and hav
ing been taken aback she was drifting |
aw'.av stern first, thouglf this fact was I
not known til] later. A cry from the
woman roused everybody up in an in
stant, and parting into the south she
chokingly exclaimed:
"There—there—a ship—a ship!”
“By Josh, and there is!” answ’ered Cap
tain Elisha, a second later. '“Now, men.
all together and hail her.”
base, bent out into space with his weight;
the roots, insecure in the thin soil cover
ing the rocks, creaked, snapped and
stretched with the strain, and the sturdy
little tree drooped steadily until it lay
out horizontally over the ghastly space
below.
Parker was so paralyzed with fear That
he shut his eyes, clasped the branches
in a deathlike grip and remained mo
tionless for several moments.
“Aly head swam so '.hat everything
| was blurred for a time,” said the boy in
i telling the story. “I didn’t dare look
I down, and if I had wanted to I couldn’t.
A great shout went over the water, ■ for the animal had a sort of fascination
but it was not answered and neither was j for me. The tree had stopped bending,
a light displayed. The shout was re- I but every time I moved some of the
Nancy heard the scuffle and appeared
lhad been silent for a quarter of an hour | on deck to find Captain Elisha and all
men prisoners. They were prisoners,
whtn she gave a sudden start and bent
her ear to listen. Captain Elisha hap
pened to note ner attitude, and he cross
ed over to her side and queried:
“Wall, Nancy, d’ye think anybody will
steal the wood pile while we're gone on
this trip?”
“I’m listenin'. Elisha," she replied as
Bhe laid a hand on his arm. “Can't you
catch the sound of oar locks off here to
the north?"
“It’s some noise in the hold,” he answer
ed after lisf-ming a minute.
“No, It’s not. There—there—don't you
catch it?”
“By Josh, I do! Yes, it sounds like oars
at work, but how on earth can a boat be
Wt there?”
hlf
and yet they were not b
they made no struggle the Dutch mate
took off his cap to Nancy and sought to
make it clear to the others that they
were to be sent adrift in the yawl.
“Wall, d'ye understand what he's driv-
in- at?" asked Captain Elisha as lu
tunned to Nancy.
“X do, Elisha,” she replied, “and I’m
not. a bit surprised. They mean to turn
us adrift and go sailing away with the
brig.”
“But, l>y Josh, how can they do it?
It's the same as piracy! Alen, let’s make
a fight fur it!”
“Stop, Elisha!” called Nancy. “There’s
“I dunno, but ther ? is one. Now you I no show for us! They’ll beat ye to death
^it the sounds plainer. It's a boat, I tell
ycu, and 'she’s pulling at least four oars. !
She must be from a wreck, and you'd
better light a lantern and lush it in the
riggin' to guide ’em."
A lantern wa s procured and placed as
suggested, and it had scarcely thrown its
light over the waters when there was
a hail from half a dozen throats at once. |
•Captain Hopewell answered it, and within I
five minutes every one of the crew of
the Mary Ann was on deck and wide
awake with curiosity. The hails were re
peated at intervals, the sound of the oars
came nearer, and at the end of half an
before you can knock one of 'em down.
Don’t drive them to murder when there's
no call fur It."
“And am 1 to let 'cm have possession
of hrig and cargo?”
“You'll have to. If you are easy with
'em we’ll git away all right, and we
may sight a vessel to help us before
noon.”
"Aye, captain, we've no show agin
'em.’’ called the mate, “hut with that i
big yawl we needn’t be afraid if we '
tiro at sea fur a month. We are fur ;
the boat.”
That settled it. It is due to the stran-
peated again and again and then after
a ^long look Captain Elisha cried out:
M liy, l believe she’s an abandoned
craft and hikin' care of herself! We’ll run
right alongside in five minutes!”
They reached the decks of the stranger
to find her a ship a good deal larger than
the Mary Ann. and a search of ten ,
minutes proved that not a living soul was j
aboard. There was a dead man, though, i
Lying in the main cabin, fully dressed,
was the corpse of the captain, and a
sailor’s sheath knife was still sticking in
nis back. Murder had been done before
the ship was abandoned. Did you ever
When i Pead !,n acc ount of that ocean mystery?
' j The ship Vborne. Captain Bergen, mas-
j ter. had set out from North sea ports
■ hound for New York with a valuable
i cargo. That was the craft Captain Hope-
: well found adrift in mid-ocean. Her crew,
frnnj tile mate down, were the men who
I took forcible possession of the Alary
Ann. after killing their captain and
(abandoning their vessel. What drove
thorn to the deed of blood—why they
I didn t stand by’ their ship afterwards—
j where they headed for in the stolen hrig—
| these are questions that have never been
answered. Perhaps the mate and his
chief quarreled, and murder was done in
passion. Then fear A>f the law made the
whole erew clamorous to get out of the
ship. They took nothing with them which
was not their own. They even left over a
thousand dollars In gold and silver behind
them. If any human eye ever sighted the
Alary Ann after her crew lost sight of
her the fact has not been reported to this
day. It is easy to guess her fate, how
ever. She either went down in a gale at
sea or was wrecked on some iron-bound
coast to the north and every soul per
ished
•Thr
roots would snap and a fit of shaking
would attack me. So 1 just kept look
ing and looking, expecting every minute
that the beast would spring and we’d
both go down a thousand feet to those
awful rocks below.
■ cubs ate up the fish while the old
uarded me, and then they tme the .
basket to shreds, played with the re- j
volver like kittens until they had poked
it over t’ne precipice, and finally crawl
ed under a bush and went to sleep. At *
this tiie mother lynx retreated about 40
feet and lay down with her nose be-
tween her paws. Whenever I moved j
she would growl, so 1 kept pretty still, penworthy. She was an extremely beau
At the end of an hour I gat some of my tjful gj] .| hut with rather a sad air.
nerve back and looked down. It almost ..j am j; 0 g i a d you have come,” said
made me sick, and tiie feeling of mv legs Miss Penworthy to me, and taking my
was something awful. But I kept at it | hand. “I want a companion of some-
and saw two teams go over. I cried ( thing near my own age.”
out, hut I suppose I couldn’t force my "You have Arthur,” said Mrs. Tre-
volce down, for the driver paid no at- garth shortly.
about the tea, but in talking so much.
Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”
r dressed myself in my best and went
j down to the drawing room. It was occu-
! pied by A1r. Liffey in old-fashioned even
I ing dress, and by a bluff, handsome
young man with a distinguished air, and
I a military appearance. This, as I guess-
’ ed. was Arthur Tregarth, and so he in-
j troduced himself. ‘
"The mater and Alaud will be down
soon,” he remarked, wheeling a chair
for me to the fire. “I expect you had
j a dull journey.”
“At first 1 had. Air. Tregarth. but when
! I left Devonshire I was entertained by
■ an archaeologist, who told me a lot about
this house.”
“Wastney.” said Air. Liffey, resting his
chin on his hand, and beaming as usual.
“Alichael Wastney. He knows all about
old houses.”
“He knows about this one, at all
events," said 1 cheerfully.
"What did he say?"
"He told me about the river ”
“Ah, bah! That’s all nonsense,” said
Arthur uneasily.
"1 don’t think so.” put in T.iffey quiet
ly. “The river is fatai to many of your
house. Tregarth. and also to visitors
at limes,” and the librarian looked at me
till I felt uncomfortable.
Airs. Tregarth came in then with Maud
“And I desire no one better,” replied
Maud, as fsoon began to call her. “But
a girl needs a girl.”
Next day Maud took me over the
for a ; house. It was a beautiful old place, mel-
Ihunderstorm and I became panic-strick- lowed by time Into a perfect whole. The
en. As the wind rose I lay as fiat as (celebrated river flowed past the east
l c oui<] and the lynx crawled over to wall, and the windows looked directly on
the shelter of a big spruce. Soon th
tention.
“At 4 o’clock, as I was beginning to
be cramped, black clouds began to ob
scure the sun and the wind came up.
Then I realized that l was
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No sooner had the body of the late
captain been given burial and the ship’s
papers overhauled to find her port of
destination than she was headed for the
port of New Y'ork to be delivered up to
the consignees. It was a short-handed
crew to work such a big craft, but every
man tried to do two men’s work, and It
was recorded on the log that Nancy
Hopewell steered her tricks at the wheel
and kept look-outs with the men. While
they had been despoiled of the Mary
Ann. they were to find themselves
largely the gainers by it. After a run
which was bare of event the derelict was
safely moored in New York harbor, anff
Wagons, Carts, Surreys, fl"«etoM,”?:arTiaVre*? j Laptain Elisha bade Nancy remove the
Light and Heavy Wagon*, Vehicles of all kinds, liar from her hands and slick up to meet
also axerythlng In Harness. Saddles and Sad- r .. , K
dlery, all shown in large handsome halftone < ompun) • It is of the long ago I have
illustrations,Ml dcscnptiM. and all pries* at price. . written. The tombstones of both Elisha
-sack l*warthaa aay atk.r ksw*eaa pMslbl. aiaks. , ,,
- - and Nancy are mossgrown in the old
cemetery, but the salvage money re
ceived from the Vorne gave them years
of comfort and happiness. People some
times wondered that In their old age
there was no abatement of their affec
tions. and Elisha would alway* answer
them with:
"Then, by Josh, it’s because Nancy Is
and best woman on earth,
care who hears me say bo!”
rain commcncud to fall in torrents,
the lightning played in flashes all about
the rocks and the tree trembled, shook
and swayed from side to side with the
terrific crashes of thunder.
“The lynx howled and gathered her
young to her and I just lay there waiting
for a horrible death. Aly eyes were
closed tight and my teetli were clench
ed when there was a frightful flash
of lightning, followed instantly by a ter-
to its waters. The upper part of the
house was empty, and had the reputation
of being haunted.
“There is a haunted room in the east
tower,” Alaud said, “it has a red door,
and is kept locked. Whosoever sleeps
there never comes out alive.”
“What are they supposed to die of?”
“They kill themselves,” she whispered.
“They throw themselves into the river.
But such a thing has not happened for
years. The last person who tempted Fate
in this way was Mr. Tregarth. He slept
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u*. If rra can’t su A TOF DUGOY AT ANT PRICE.
rifle peal of thunder. 'J he ground shook j n room _ an d rushed out in the night
with the vibration. I felt the tree set- to dr6wn himse lf.
tie and the rocks shudder w r ith the blow ! “Did anyone find him in the river?”
as some mona'rch of the forest went “Yes. But no one saw him fall in. 1 >
down. I heard the wail of one of tiie cxpPC t he threw himself in during the ■
kittens and then a.H was still save for n ight. That is ten years ago. and since I
the downpour of the rain. then Mrsft Tregarth has kept the room
“Somehow I mustered courage to open I locked. A white pigeon is said to appear
my eyes. In front of me, where the tree when a Tregarth dies. One was seen flut-
which had sheltered the lynx family had j .ering in the library the nig>£ before Mr.
stood, was a mass of pulverized rock. (Tregarth drowned himself.”
Twenty feet to the right was the black- We then spoke of other things. Maud
enod and singed body of one cub. The j told me that she loved Arthur, and, with
other was running around in a circle the approval of the mother, was to marry
dazed. There was nothing to be seen | him in a few months.
of the mother, except a piece of foot,
with the claws distended from the cush
ion pads. I felt as if I had prickly heat
all over, but 1 slid over the ground wilh
as steady nerves as I could muster and
tottered back into the forest for a quar
ter of a mile before I stopped. Then
I ran 4 miles to the Bruce shanty.”
IN MANCHURIA.
General Gouge—Do you expect to eat
your Christmas dinner In Tokyo?
General Guffski—Not If I can keep out
of the Japs’ clutches, my boy.
Mr. Liffey quarreled frequently with
Mrs. Tregarth, and I often wondered that
she did not dismiss him. The fact that he
had been a school friend of the late Mr.
Tregarth was probably why he remained.
But one day he apparently went too far,
although I did not know at the time why
he quarreled so violently with Mrs. Tre
garth. Maud afterwards Informed me.
“Mr. Liffey is going,” she said abruptly.
“Dear me. I thought he was quite a fix
ture here.”
Maud nodded. “He has been here for
the last thirty years,” she said, "and Mrs.
Tregarth, out of regard for her late hus-
Oh Lord,” he finished.
it flashed aeVoss me that Liffey had in
some way brought about the death of
Airs. Tregarth. whose name was Eliza.
I was so startled that I pushed open the
door, l.iffev looked up and saw me. Then
I fled. The next day he was quite his
old self, and made no reference to my
presence at the door of the library on
the previous night, and I could not, of
course, see my way to accuse hfm.
I “I am driving with Arthur to Tintagel.”
I said Aland to me that day. “We shall bo
barl? nt 6 o’clock. Will you come?”
"No, thank you,” 1 answered, seeing
how cold was the invitation. ”1 have
letters to write, and my boxes to pack."
At I o'clock I went to hava luncheon
with Mr. l.iffev, and we were quite
friendly, incidentally he referred to the
haunted room. I expressed a desire to
see it.
J “I can show it to you.” said Air. Liffey,
j and we went up the stairs together. We
stopped at the red door. When we en-
. tered the room, Air. Liffey shut the
door, and. standing with his back to it,
he began to talk In a slow, cruel way.
“I^ast night you overheard me,” lie
said.
"Yes, I did," was the rash admission;
“and 1 am sure that you killed Airs. Tre
garth.”
"You are quite right,” he admitted, “i
did kill her, and ] killed her husoand.
Now I am going to kill you.”
Aly blood ran cold.
“I glanced toward the window; it was
barred—toward the door; he had his back
against it. I had nothing to defend my
self with. 1 was in his power and help
less. Air. Liffey guessed my thoughts
and chuckled in a hateful way. ”Yes.''
said he, “you may scream as loud as you
like, but no one will hear you. i have
trapped you, Aliss Starr. Jyrcause you
know too much."
“You murdered Mrs. Tregarth. You
threw her into the river. Why?”
"I did not throw her into the river, but 1
killed her. You will know how she got
into the water shortly. And I killed her
because she would have turned me out
of the house for making love to Aliss
Penworthy. She was jealous. Y’ears ago
when she was a bride I loved iter. ’J re
garth was not worthy of her. Had lie not
made her his wife she would have mar
ried me. But I came here to be the
librarian. I was at least in her presence.
Tregarth treated her • badly. 1 warned
him against doing so, hut lie would not
take my warning. Then the white pigeon
came, and Tregarth was found dead in
tiie Garth."
“And you put hint in there?”
I “I arranged it," said Air. Liffey, c oidly.
“I thought when lie was out of the way
' that Mrs. Tregarth would marry me. but
she refused, and when Alaud came I
neglected her. Well. y OU can under
stand that when Mrs. Tregarth learnt
that I loved Maud, she grew jealous, and
j would have turned me out of the house.
T warned her: she refused to accept my
warning. I hen the white pigeon came,
anil Airs. Tregarth was found dead in
the Garth.”
A light broke in upon me. “You
loose the pigeon?"
j “I Ahl. I had the bird in my pocket,
and when you wero all looking elsewhere
| I if fl. v - I did the same when Tre-
; "arth was alive, so that he might repent.
He did not: his wife did not; s o I killed
I him an<1 lip r. It is my doing, and since
you now know the truth, you shall die
j also.**
| “How did you kill Airs. Tregarth?”
i i,r Dlffey chuckled again. “I told her
; that Arthur was in love with another
woman; that he had written her letters;
; that T had secured them; and that I
had hidden them in this room. I told her
where to find them, and after leaving
me on that night, she came up to thl*
room. Then,” he added ouietly, “she was
found in the river “
“But T don’t understand,
wildered.
“You soon will,” he sneered. “Well
now. you know all. so I shall leave VO u’
Say your prayers, Miss Starr, for you-
life is drawing to an end. I decoyed you
I villain was saying. "She came here rav
ing that she loved you, Arthur, that she
i could not live without you. I tried to
quiet her. but could not. She rushed
away saying that without you death was
better than life. I have been searching
with the servants for her all the after
noon. We found her shawl on the river
bank. Indeed, I fear she has thrown
herself in.”
I could stand it no longer, hut dashed
through the window. “No, you wretch.'
I cried. "I am alive to punish you as
a murderer." Then I fainted.
For some weeks I was ill. When 1 be
came convalescent, 1 heard that Liffey
had escaped. He had taken the train to
London and had vanished..
From information supplied by my rav
ings while delirious a search had been
made in the room of death, and the
whole horrible apparatus was revealed. It
must have been planned and constructed
over a hundred years before, as the ma
chinery was quite rusty. Liffey learnt
about its mechanism from an old family
record, and had used the trap to kill
Tregarth and his wife.
The thing worked from the outside and
when the death was accomplished the
floor could be rendered firm. It was
terrible trap and I was the only one who
ever escaped from it alive. I at once
left that terrible house and went home
T rear] in the papers later ;4.1 1 -jfr*hc/;
and Aland were married, and then heard'
that the tower with the haunted roo
had been destroyed.
4
A REUNION OF THE OLD ONES.
(From The San Francisco Bulletin.)
The tack joke and the mother in law
joke met on the brimstone streets and
i began to quarrel.
! “You’re so old you wobhje,” said the
tack joke, acrimoniously.
“Met hu sal eh ought to sue you fo r in
fringement of copyright,” retorted the
mother in law joke with a sneer.
Just then came wandering by a ghost
so old that the two antiquities knelt rev
erently and shed tears of pitv for the
feeble old thing.
"No man knoweth
tack joke.
“Adam found him sitting on t’ne front
yard fence waiting for him when he first
arrived!” said the mother in law joke
I hc^ old and dilapidated specimen tv.is
the joke about the young man being
kicked down the front steps hv his sweet
heart’s irate dad.
his age.
said the
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here, as I decoyed Tregarth and his wife. « ne intelligent woman in thT™!" 1 v ar
lead in the SpnA^ld""t
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and you also will be found dead in the
Garth.” and he gave me a vigorous push
which sent me staggering into the middle P of' V „,,° NTKRLO ’'' the French game
of the room. When I recovered my bal- \ ever produced ^natlng game
ance he was gone, the door was shut, and , fun. Summer or wime^ Mr" ° f
I heard tho key turn In the lock. _ }“ ‘ he game for enj,4 yment ' ^
So here I was in that bare room with t0,,!,V ' ~ *
the prospect of a near death. How the
wretch intended to kill me I could not
conjecture. There were only the ba're
floor, the ceiling, and four walls.
I beat at the door and shrieked, but no
one heard.
Exhaustion overcame me, and I fell
asleep. When I awoke it was quite dark,
but through the high barred window
poured a thin stream of moonlight. I
heard the stable clock strike ! five. And
alone in tho darkness, I prayed, for 1
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