The Arm Chair Library No. 79: The Haunted Homestead — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

St SS a ae aaa 16 THE HAUNTED HOMESTEAD. was dispatched with the mules to Frost Heigh? to meet the stage coach and bring Rachel Noales to the house. And about seven o’clock he returned, escorting the new visitor, for whom we were waiting tea, As Miss Noales was to be my room- mate, I examined her with much more interest. than I had bestowed upon any other among my fellow-visitors. Rachel Noales was an orphan, and was still in deep mourning for her father, who had been dead about nine months. She was a very pretty, timid-looking girl, with a fair face, soft brown hair and large hazel eyes. “Ah! my dear child,” I thought to myself, “you are scarcely the most proper denizen for a crime-cursed, haunted chamber.” And I made up my mind to protect her, if possible, from the knowledge that would only make her wretched, and perhaps drive her away from the|h place. As this was the fourth evening of Christmas revelry, and we had all been up to a very late hour upon each of the three preceding nights, it was moved, seconded, and carried by a large majority that we should retire early on this and the succeeding even- ings of the week, so as to reeruit a little for the New Year’s festivities, Accordingly, at ten o'clock we sepa- rated. Mrs. Legare and Mathilde aceom- panied Rachel Noales and myself to our chamber. And when our hostess and her daughter had seen that the room was in perfect order, the fire burning well, the beds turned down, the ewers filled, etc., ete., they took leave, waiting as before, until they had heard me lock the chamber door behind them. When they had passed down the stairs and out at the hall door and locked it after them, I turned around to meet the surprised look of Rachel Noales. A “Why, where have they gone?” she asked. “Into the old house, to bed.” “Why!—do they sleep there? “Certainly—the whole family sleep there.” “And who sleeps here in the new house?” “No one but you and I.” “You don’t mean to say that they have put us in this house to sleep alone?’ “Why not? It is an adjunct to the other house, which is, besides, quite full of guests. It was so when | came.” “And where did you sleep?” “Here.” “Alone!” “Certainly.” : She looked at me with astonish- ment. And had my mind been suffi- ciently at ease I should have enjoyed er naive admiration. But it was not so; and when I saw her draw her ehair up in front of the fire, and sit down immediately over that spot, I shud- dered and spoke to her, “Rachel, dear, don’t sit directly in front of the fire: it is injurious to the eyes.” | She moved.to one side and began te unfasten her dress preparatozy to g0- ing to bed. We were now ready. But before lying down Rachel asked me: “Is the door secure?” “Yes, my dear.” “And the windows?” “Yes > Not quite content with my answer, Rachel went slyly around to all the windows, and then to the door, to aecertain their security; then she searched the closets, and finally got ‘into bed. I soon followed her example, but found myself more sleepless than upon the preceding evening I know not exactly how long I had lain awake, - , ~~ ae a = SN ia cane a Wark Fe - “ t at a Aa ‘ s - Ay kt ” ae eS ¥ veh » “ay ¥ comicboo ; . tas’ ie ate << es We fey ;