Mistress Dorothy's Ghost

[CONCLUDED.] And such a delightful little rooin it was when we reached it! A carpet soft as velvet and of some rich dark mosaic pattern covered the floor. A few choice chromos and engraving3 enlivened the walls, wliich were papered of a soft French gray. A bouquet of delicious hothouse flowers stood before the mirror on the uiarble topped dressing table, among the exquisitely tinted silver mounted perfume bottles. A coal fire burnt in the low polished grate, and near the lace draped windows that looked out on the matchless view of hill and dale and bosky ra vine stood a little low rocking chair that caught my eyes in an instant. "You see I did not forget that comical little Yankee weakness of yours, Sydney dear," she Jaughed, as I sank into it with a delicious little sighof satisfaction; "and I am going to make you confess that, if there is one thing more than another in which thy soul delighteth, it is a rocker." "I don't want to deny it, my deár. And you and your strait laced countrywomen have my f uil permission to eit on stiffbacked chairs and laugh as much as you like," I magnanimouslyreturned, rocking away as hard as I was able. Everybody knows that a rocking chair is about as necessary to your true bom Yankee as a swaying tree branch to a ringtailed monkey. Another proof, I should not wonder, of our monkey descent I I am eurprised Mr. Darwin did not think to mention it; but he is welcome to the suggestion. My toilet accomplished, I went downstairs to be made acquainted with Sir George, Miss Amhurst and several other guests who had been invited to dinner. With Sir George, a dear old gentleman with a bald head, a ehining 6weet face and courtly old school manners, I feil in love at flrst sight; but with Miss Amhurst I was far less favorably impressed. "A splendid dolt, destitute alike of wit, of talent, or feeling," Idecided during the first hour of our acquaintance; but subsequent observation induced me to suspect that under her cold, passionless exterior there lay an undercurrent of shrewd cunning that might possibly on a pinch serve Miss Amhurst in place of intellect. On the following day Mr. Edward Pomfret arrived, and for a time Daisy brightened and improved so visibly in the happiness of bis society that I began to hope the mysterious cloud darkening her lif e had been dispelled. "Who is that lady in the powdered hair and pointed stomacher?" I inquired, as Daisy and I went up to our room together one night, pausing as I spoke in front of a life size painting of a beautiful woman with a palé, proud face and a baleful light in the cold gray eyes with which she seemed always to follow our movements as we cameand went up and down the great hall staircase, on the landing of which it hung. "An ancestress of mine, Sydney, who lived and had her being nearly three centuries ago - one Mistress Dorothy Drasdale - a woman with a horrible history, about which I hate to think," she replied, shudderingly shrinking away. "Is that so? How very delightful! If there is one thing I like better than another if is a story with a spice of the horrible in it," I thoughtlessly remarked, holding up the lamp to study the cold, handsome features, to which the flickering light iniparted a strangely lifelike play. "It must be perfectly splendid to have ancestors who have mysterious histories. Now thero is mamma; she is very much given to talking about her family. But they have all been so dreadfully respectable, according to her, that I have never been able to get up any great amount of interest in them- all the way down f rom the first originator, whocame over with Columbus, or Capt. John Smith - or was it Capt. Kidd? - the man who married Pocahontas, you know, or whatever the woman's dreadful name was. 1 am afraid I am not very well up in the history of my country; but, all the same, 1 am surprised at bis taste in marrying an Indian. I always did detest the Bight of a squaw myselfl But come, Daisy, teil me all about this mysterious lady in brocade and powder." "Oh, Syd, it is such a horrible, horrible Btoryl" she returned in low, frightened toiies. "In a frenzy of mad jealousy, it is said, she actually poisoned her owa oousin, a beautiful gin who was to have been married on tlie following day to the man with -hora Bhewas secretly in love; anti then, having dressed lierself in the costly biidal robes intended for her victim and rival, she killed herself with the remainder of the deadly drug; and so, attired in all her snowy splendor, she was was f ound on the morning of the intended bridal, as cold and lifeless as the poor little bride herself. It must have been a ireadf ui tragedy. I never hear the story without a shudder. And f rom that day to this, so runs the legend, Mistress Dorothy's ghost is given to prowling at night about the old abbey, leaving the curse of her crime on her race, for, of all the women of her name who have had the misfortune to behold the bridal specter, as it is called, not one has ever lived to wear her own wedding dress." "Come now, that's what I cali a very respectable family legend! And every old family ought to have its legend, every old house its ghost. But, good Heeven, Daisy, you don't mean to say that you believe one word of all thisï" I exclaimed, surprised to see how pale ehe had grown, and that her teeth were absolutely chattering as she spoke. "I don't know. Shakespeare was a wise man, and even he feit that there more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in our philosophy. Above all, I ana a Drasdale; and the Drasdales always have believed in it. But, for pity's sake, come away, Sydney ! I hate that picture; its still, cold, baleful eyes always seem to follow me like some vague intangible horror. If it were not for the absurd folly of the thing, I would request my uncle to have it removed. But come away, Sydney; don't you feel a draught? These old houses are none too air tight, and I am chilled to the bone." I made no reply, for, as a light footstep feil upon my ear, I turned to find the cold gray eyes of Miss Amhurst fixed full upon iny friend, with a subdued but unmistakable expression of hate and triumph m their handsomo cold depths, which changed on the instant to her usual blandsmile, as with a poli te "good night" she swept slowly past and went up to her room. "Good heaven," I thought, as I stood staring after her in blank surprise, "what a remarkable resemblance she bore tothe pictured face of which we have just been speakin!" That Miss Amhurst's feelings tojvards her cousin were anything but friendly I had suspected f rom the first; but somehow, as I sat over the fire in my own room that night, pondering the incident just described, the memory of that sinister, evil glance began to haunt me like a chili premonition of evil to come; and from Porter, whocamein as usual to help me to undress, I discovered, by means of a few well directed questions, that previous to Miss Drasdale's return to England Madeline Amhurst had been regarded by many people aa Sir George's probable heiresa. "But whether or not such would have been the case I can't, of course, pretend to eay," Porter continued, "for even as a child Miss Madeline was no particular favorito with SirGeorge, kind and indulgent though he has always been to her. But, as matters stand, she will certainly never be mistress of Drasdale Abbey - never, at least, while Miss Drasdale lives. She ia his pet and darling; and, as he has no other heirs, the great bulk of the property will go to her and her children, should she ever live to have any. But, oh, miss, I am terribly anxious about my young lady!" she added, with a sigh and a sudden change of manner. "Sho is so sadly altered of late that I think even you must have notieed it." "I have notieed it, Porter!" I exclaimed, springing to my feet and laying my hand on her arm. "Teil me what it is that is ailing Miss Drasdale. She has tried to hido it from me; but I cannot help seeing that something is wrong. She has a worried, haunted look, like that of a person burdened with some 6ecret care. It frightens me to seo her; and perhaps, if I only knew what it is that is troubling her, I might be able to do something to lighten it." "That is precisely what I think- rprecisely why I have spoken, miss. I was in the blue ch amber this evening when you two young ladies camo up to your rooms; and, as the door was open, I overheard every word of what Miss Drasdale was telling you about that picture and the old superstition concerning Mistress Dorothy's ghost, that no lady of that name who beheld the specter ever lived to be a bride. But, my dear young lady, she did not teil you that it is this same ill omened belief that is undermining her health - her very life. She believes that she herself has seen the ghost - consequently that she is doomed to die before her wedding day; and, unless something can be done to convince her of the absurdity of the superstition, I am afraid the belief will only too surely verify itself. Soon after our return to the Abbey and the arrival of Miss Amhurst, who came to pay us a little visit, a whisper began to creep out among the servants that the bridal specter had been seen gliding along the passages and corridors; and one night the household was awakened by a shrill piercing cry that threw us all into a sudden panic of terror. Somebody said that it carne from Misa Drasdale's room; and, on rushing in, we were horrified to find her ly ing on her bed in a dead faint, from which it taxed our utmost eff orts to restore her. We brought her to at last; but the shock, whatever it was, had once more brought on that alarming malady, hemorrhage of the lungs, from which we had been in such hopes that sho had entirely recovered; and the doctor who was called in took Sir George aside and privately repeated the advice that other physicians had previously given kim - to guard her from the slightest shock or excitement of any kind. She was so very delicate, her hold on life so painfully precarious, that the slightest thing of the kind might possibly prove fatal, he eaid. That eh"e had bad a shock of some kind I was f ully convinced, though of what nature I never suspected until this very day. Binding me over by a strict promise not to mention the matter either to her uncle or Mr. Pomfret, she told me thia aftel ooon how, on waking up from her sleep that niglit, with a vague, half defined sense of some one or something near her, she had opened her eyes to behold the ill omened specter standing white and shadowy in its long white bridal veil by her bedside. The sight she declares, literally curdled the blooc in her veins; and, with an awful indescribable terror she uttered the piercing cry that so terrifled us all, and faintec dead away. 'And from that hour, Porter,' she added, looking up into my face with an expression thai touched me to the quick, '] have known that I am doomec - that my fate is sealed - that I shal never live to be poor Teddy's wife, eagerly as he is looking forward to the day. I feit that I 'must speak to some one, but not to. uncle - not to Teddy Poor souls, they love me so truly that il will be hard enough for them when the time comes.' And now, my dear young lady," Porter continued, "you know the secret of the pitif ui change that has come over our poor darling. Of course I don'i myself believe one word about Mistress Dorothy's ghost, or any such rubbish. ] am a plain, practical woman; and both religión and common sense, it seems to me, utterly preclude the possibility ol such a thing. It must have been a dream, an optical illusion, or something of that kind, that occasioned her terror but the effect upon her will be precisely the same, unless something can be done to release her from the morbid superstition that is killing her. I know tha' you are Miss Drasdale's sincere friend and troubled, I should judge, by very few superstitious weaknesses; therefore it occurred to me that you might be able to offer a suggestion - that you might possibly think of some way in which to help her. At all events I have been thinking that, without letting her know that I have given you any hint of all this, you might perhaps make some excuse for staying with her at night. Only think of ttiat poor, nervous child passing it alone!" "Set y our mind at rest on that point Mrs. Porter," I replied. "So long as 1 remain at the Abbey 6he shall not be left alone. Fll take care of that. But for the rest I must have time to think." Throwing a dressing robe over my night dress, I hurried off to Daisy'a room at once, where, as I expected, I founc her lying among the pillows with a white pitiful face and perfectly wide awake. "Don"t laugh, Daisy dear!" I exclaimed, bouncing in upon her with a little grimace, Itriedmy level best to render comical. "Like Mrs. Gummidge, ] am a 'poor, lone lorn creetur;' and I've come to see if you'll take me in for the night. But you need not have me if you do not want me, you know. If you'c rather be alone, just speak the word, anc 111 go." Dear little Daisy, how my heart ached for her as I saw the expression of sudden relief that leapt into the poor little anxious face! Throwing her arms about my neck, 6he clung to me like a frightened child. "Dear old Syd, how glad I am that you carne! I want-ed to ask you; bul somehow I did not like to mention it. It is so nice to have you here to be close by me!" she exclaimed, clinging to me with a shudder. "More - it reminds me of the dear old school days, when we two shared the same room and the same bed, and were as happy as a couple of young robins on a high tree branch." And then, soothed and comforted by my presence, she feil into such a quiet, restful 6lumber as, she told me afterwards, she had not enjoyed for weeks. But the confidence Porter had placed in me was sufficient to keep me restless, wakef ui and f uil of thought. Twelve, then one, rang out from the great clock over the stables as I lay listening to the wind that tossed the great park trees in stormy gusts and watched fhe white light that struggled fitfully in through the half drawn curtains every time the moon rose up above the black drifts of storm riven cloud that enveloped her. Somewhere in the direction of the stables a watchdog uttered at intervals a long low howl; and, although I was sensible of the fact that my spirits had somehow grown chili and dull, tho effect of Daisy 's soft lowbreathing, as she slept on peacefully and tranquilly by my side, was finally to lull me into a light doze, from which, as it seemed to me, the touch of an ico cold hand on my face aroused me in sudden fright. I opened my eyes with a start and sprang bolt upright in bed, and there, close beside it, stood an object, white, shadowy and ghostly, on which it shook even my strong nerves to look - Mistress Dorothy's ghost! There could be nomistaking the cruel eyes, the powdered hair and the long white bridal veil that covered the figure from head to foot. For the moment I was too petnned with horror and surprise to move, Bpeak or even to think. But when at last the ghostly figure turned round slowly and moved towards the door, a faint touch of what papaused to cali "Syd's pluck" returned to me, and grasping a heavy tuinbler of cut glass that stood on a stand just wíthin reach, I sent it with all the forcé ter ror and desperation could impart at the ghostly figure just vanishing throughthe open door. There was a loud crash, followed by a low moan and a heavy f all; and, grasping the bell at the head of the bed, I pulled away at it with a foyce that seemed, breaking as the sound did on the solemn stillness of the night, sufficient to rouse the dead. In another moment two or three servants, hoaded by Sir George, rushed into the room, and there, in the doorway, as their lights flashed down upon it, lay a white huddled heap. "Why, it is Miss Amhurst, Sir George!" said one of the servants, looking up from the white unconscious face over which a Hule stream of blood was trickling. "I really thought at first that it was the bridal specter! She do look uncommon like it, to be sure, in her long bridal dress and veil!" The mystery of the ill omened apparition was explained at last. It was Madeline Amhurst who had been personating Mistress Dorothy's ghost. The white dress and veil, the powdered hair so caref ully arranged to render her reEemblance to the painting as close as possible, all told its tale; and, even in the first confusión of the surprise, I saw that both Porter and Sir George fully understood the situation. Not a word of explanation was offered to the servants; but Miss Amhurst was carried up to her own room, where for several days she remained slightly indisposed, as I could very well understand, from the effect of the blow I had so unwittingly struck her with the goblet - "a shaft at random sent" that had certainly "found mark the archer little meant," though I never saw cause to regret that my aim that night was well taken. Neither Daisy nor I saw Miss Amhurst again; for Sir George, who looked upon her efforts to terrify his niece as Bomething very little short of an attempt to murder, knowing as she did what the result of such experiment was likely to be, sent her a polite intimation that her presence in his house wa3 no longer desired. For the rest, it is necessary only to observe that, the dread by which she had been oppressed once removed, Daisy speedily recovered both health and spirits, and when the time camo for me to go back to Paris it was Sir George himself who wrote and obtained mamma's cordial consent for me to come back in the spring to officiate as chief bridesmaid. THE END.