The Argosy — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

104 The Mysteries of Heron Dyke. “No; and I knew, if he had called, that he must have left his room and come to the stairs. I heard no more, but I was uneasy, and felt that I ought to go and see. I put on my slippers and my warm dressing-gown, and lighted my candle; but—you will forgive me my foolishness, I hope—I felt too nervous to go down alone; though again I say I knew not why I should feel so; and I thought I would call Katherine to go with me. I opened her door and entered, not remembering until afterwards that I ought to have found it locked. The first thing I saw was her candle burnt down to the socket, its last sparks were just flickering, and that the bed had not been slept in. Katherine’s apron and cap were lying there, but she was gone.” ‘Tt is most strange,” cried Mr. Kettle. ‘Tt is more than strange,’ returned Ella, with a half sob. ‘¢ And, my dear, had your uncle called you ?” “No. He had had a good night, and was sleeping still.” ‘Well, I can’t make it out. Was Katherine in bad spirits that last evening ?” ‘Not at all. Her head pained her, but she was merry enough. I remember her laughing early in the evening. She drew aside the curtain by my direction to see what sort of a night it was, and ex- claimed that it was snowing. ‘Then she laughed and said how poor Susan would be disappointed, for her mother would be sure not to let her come up through the snow. Susan was to have brought up a letter they had received from the brother.” ‘‘And what is the tale about Susan coming up when the snow was over, and hearing screams? Did you hear them in the house ?” “No. None of us heard anything of the kind.” ‘But if, as I am told Susan says, it was her sister who screamed in the room, some of you must have heard it.” ‘‘T am not so sure of that,” replied Ella. ‘‘ Uncle Gilbert’s sitting-room—I had gone down to him then—is very remote from the north wing; and so are the shut-in kitchen apartments. Aaron ought to have heard down in the hall; but he says he did not.” ‘Then, in point of fact, nobody heard these cries but Susan ?” “Yes ; Tom, the coachman’s boy, heard them. ‘Tom had been out of doors doing something for his father, and was close to the stables, going in again, when he heard two screams, the last one much fainter than the other. ‘Tom says the cries had a sort of muffled sound, and, for that reason, he thought they were inside the house. So far, poor Susan’s account 1s borne out.” ‘‘ And the house doors were found still fastened in the morning ?” ‘“ Bolted and barred and locked as usual, when old Aaron undid them. More snow had fallen in the night, covering the ground well. Katherine has never been heard of in any way since.” Mr. Kettle sat revolving the tale. It was quite beyond his compre- ECORNIECLIOOKS,(E0) m