The Arm Chair Library No. 79: The Haunted Homestead — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

18 THE HAUNTED HOMESTEAD. a aa RRO I Ur ee a LT fr Howard as the “friend” of Jolin and their expected guest, Mathilde flushed and paled, and was quite unable to conceal from the interested scrutiny of her parents the emotion these tid- ings caused her. . As for Mr. Legare, upon reading his mame, he said “Humph!” and “Humph!” very emphatically several times before he could get any further. But he considered his hospitality im- plicated; nay, his honor pledged to re- ceive and treat with politeness the guest that he had so unconsciously in- vited. He was a fine old gentleman, notwithstanding his prejudices—was Mr. Legare. So, in the afternoon, once more Uncle Judah was ordered to take the mules and go up to Frost Height to meet the stage coach, and bring two visitors to the house; an order so little to the old man’s satisfaction that he vented his disapprobation in the ex- clamation:: “Ole Masse better had set up ‘En- tertainment for Man and Beast’ at once.” As usual, when expecting a new ar- rival of visitors, Mrs. Legare put back her tea hour, and prepared a supper of extra luxuriousness. gare brewed the great ancestral punch- bowl to the brim with rich, frothy eggnog, and set it away to “mellow” against the coming of the gentlemen. “My dear mother and father! the have noble hearts in spite of their go- cial conservatism. And you shall see that they will treat my Frank with as much kindness and respect as if they did not consider him a sort of y prowling about after their own ewe lamb,” said Mathilde, with tears of af- fection brimming to her eyes. “And you see, my darling, it is as I foretold you it would be. He is geek- ing you now in your own home. And under what favorable cireumstances— And Mr. Le-: the invited guest of your father. How very providential the whole train 0! events! Trust still in Divine Provi- dence, and if your love is a true love it will end happily,” I answered. And in my deep sympathy with Ma- thilde’s joy I almost forgot that was a haunted maiden, with some a: yet unknown supernatural mission t accomplish. 1 was resolved, if possible, before the day should be over, to hear from Mathilde the tragie story of Madeleine Van Der Vaughan, whose portrait | had mentally identified as that of the awful visitant of my midnight ogg The opportunity came, or, rather. made it. Mathilde had early eg pleted her toilet for the evening. | had done likewise. And at five o’clock we found ourselves alone together 1” the drawing-room of the new house. The lamps were not as yet lighted. The hickory fire had ceased to blaze, and now only burned redly, throwing out a strong, solid heat, in what Uncle Judah called “solemn columns,” and casting over the dark chamber a som- bre, ruddy twilight. We sat down b} the fire together. There would be no chance for the next half hour of being interrupted. For Mr. Legare was still engaged al his breakfast in the dining-room. Mrs. Legare was busy in her pantry and the kitchen, and the few servants of ¥y|the now reduced establishment were in constant attendance upon their master or mistress. A) Rachel Noale3 was upstairs in ) chamber dressing for the evening, and the other young persons of the Christ- mas party were in the bedrooms of the old house, similar engaged. a There was not the slightest possibil- ity of an interrupti: Mathilde commenced a with y “I believe you are pleased A - : * . . = ae ms a ix Pe = > \ \ | x micboo jd eae f Sie 4 oS Say AY Pee eae jw Les cana « Fidcs PA AP ©