The Argosy — page 248: what you’re looking at

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

234 Lady Creighton. .“ Drink it, Herr Colonel,” begged Franz, placing a brimming glass against the set lips: adding, as it was taken and drained : “Shall | we leave the cursed place, sir?” “You can leave if you wish, but I shall remain till this‘awful mystery is solved,” muttering to himself as he again sank into that woeful silence, “ There’s been foul play, just as I suspected.” Directly he looked up, demanding abruptly, “ Franz, was the lady’s name Creighton? Lady Creighton?” Franz answered promptly : “For the life of me I couldn’t tell the name. But there! do you hear that, sir?” he whispered, a grey hue settling about his mouth. ‘Those wheels always roll up here at mid- night, and then the worst comes. Heaven help us!” Colonel Elton had started to his feet at the first sound, and we stood breathless listeners to the rolling wheels and ringing hoofs. On they came, nearer—nearer, halting, at last, at the main entrance. With one accord we caught up and lighted the torches lying at hand, and rushed into the hall just in time to see the great door roll open with a heavy clang, and hear the dull tramp of heavy feet and the soft rustle of silken gowns. Close beside us the weird unseen company passed, crossing the hall to the stairs, and then up, step by step. Half paralysed I stood gazing into vacancy till Elton’s smothered command aroused me. “Come! Where they go, I go!” And step by step we followed—up to the hall above, and then to the next. Nota word—nothing but that dull tramp and the silken rustle. It was frightful! Yet on the Colonel strode, evidently undisturbed by the terrors that shook Franz and me, a mute anguish and unfaltering purpose breathing through every glance and move- ment. That some terrible grief had once swept his life, ramour had long before whispered; and I was half unconsciously speculating on it, associating the unknown past with the strange present, when a dead hush fell, ended instantly by the most appalling shriek that ever smote human ears. Just there in front of us it arose, dying away in the same prolonged, mournful wail we had first heard. A strange guttural murmur, a hurried rush of feet, a chilling blast of wind, and we stood in total darkness. As Franz clutched wildly at my arm, the Colonel’s voice rang clear as a bugle in the frenzied cry: “Nina! Poor dove, Iam coming!” Then, as the truth seemed to strike him, he groaned: “ Heaven help me! AmImad? Alas! she is dead |” -Scarcely had the words left his lips when a low fiendish laugh, # which each of us could have sworn was breathed close to his own ear, curdled the blood in our veins, Even the Colonel was struck with horror. A sharp ejaculation escaped his lips, and it was, in) hoarse, comicbooks.com