The Arm Chair Library No. 79: The Haunted Homestead — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

a SF 4 ot ae el ” “We — ” - te a. = « oa i Fs ee On ae Oe = - Sn ge ip ee te ERC ag: Sot SRE it ae anor ee cin renee 4.56 THE MOORHOUSE TRAGEDY. ee ad wilful Sete rors before. ‘‘ Don’t k that way, now don’t ~ Well, Hedy nurse, let us look through the house,” said I, with an attempt at cheerful- ness; and rising from the old arm-chair where Esther had placed me, I threw a scrutinizing ance about me. a front lay the hall, long, wide, and Yow- browed, paved with tiles. From its midst rose a stair-case, massive, with curiously carved balusters, and a broad landing half way up, where, dividing, two lighter flights of stairs led to the sidecorridors. Beneath this landing, two low, round arches gave entrance to the wings of the rambling old house, At my right hand and at my left stood open doors, but the rooms within lay in Egyptian darkness ‘**Undo those shutters, nurse, and let us see our future habitation.” Esther advanced somewhat timorously into the mystery I had bidden her explore, and I mechanically followed her, I heard her fumbling at the bar, and then a confused flapping sound, followed by the dash of something living, that, as all life does when left to instinct, made for the light, but find- ing me in its P99. fell upon my head, and bur- rowed in my loosened hair. “Off, fiend!” screamed I, grasping at it with some vague idea that my black Fate had at last assumed a tangible form in this ghost- ly old house, and had seized me in a final ‘ ee ree Ua ee ST ETE ee tS A used to sit with her embroidery or her book, as peaceful as a bird wpon its nest, and as cheerful, till ” — : ‘Hush, Esther!” exclaimed I quickly, for I was not yet ready to hear her speak of what came after, ‘ at let us go upstairs. I must select my chamber. ” : I passed quickly up the stairs, unconsciously noting as I went the fanciful arabesque pat- tern inlaid with colored woods upon each step, and so reached the wide landing. I paused a moment and turned to the left. ‘The sunniest rooms are on the other side “ sori house, Pomp Rosalind, pe ogg urri , as stopped upon the landing. 5 don’t care for sunny ia The bright- est Sunshine et from age ” returned I, recklessly, as up the stairs. Arrived in diss bevunede failed gallery sur- rounding the upper hall, I passed quickly cant t senened a dim <segpeery eine upon ery at right angles, an es 5) apparentiy, io ihelen stately apartments x the eastern wing. Down this corridor - hastened, drawn on by a blind instinct, until I paused before a door closing its farther end. I id my hand upon the late ‘ A ‘* We will look in here first, ” I said. ‘Oh, no ! for the love of Heaven, not here, dear bairn! You must not go in here !’ cried Esther, hastening after me and trying to" move my fingers from the lock. ' “But why not?” ted I, **‘ Why n0 here? Perhaps I shall like to make this room my own. Atany rate, I will see it.” ‘* No, no!” rei my nurse, “ not this, of all the rooms in this fearful house. It is— it is the * Chamber to the East,’” I ‘The ‘ Chamber to the Rast,’ ” repeated |, slowly, while a dull chill ‘went curd |ing pore my veins. But I shook it off, wy ried in wild bra “ And what of that! What is there so fearful in this erin t east, must not even loo . What guilty secret does it hold, what ghost haunis its s what blood stains its oye to thus give it the , inence of horror! this horror-ful old house ?”? red “ She knows,—she knows it all |” murmu Fr Esther, hoarsely; and as her hand droppe F frem mine, I lifted the latch 42 rasp. But old Esther ran to my assistance, and with secret shame I saw that it was only a great bat that had thus routed my vaunted courage, Still, lobeyed my nurse’s suggestion, and went out upon the broken granite steps between two of whicha sturd young oak had forced. its way and stru Jed up toward heaven, distorted but triumphant. ‘ Yes,” said I, nodding to it in a friendly mont Mtg by my steps are thereby somewhat law niga? seeaber gaming any mice. The furniture Was hing we tormsinati ebony te the of the tower terminating ¢ frames, th . es, the embroidered seats and backs cf wing. Dench tea and looking Ot 7 lenishi : & Cendition of decay and dilapidation, © “— My eye wandered carelessly over all until it fell =< & little graceful workstand with a w ch r beside it, and a piece ish rene peg upon it, Above it ture of a lovely young gi pee tedrk y young girl, handso At ones the desolation of to me about this one spot, by