The Haunted House

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1629, 21 December 1912, Page 13

The Haunted House

T' HE Squire of Hedgemoor,groaned querulously as a, strain of distant hiU6ic caught his ear. . . . "Those waits again! -Confound them!" ' "Why can't people stay in their own • houses at Christmas time," he growled, '"instead of trying to catch cold and consumption by howling dismally outside tho homes of others?" From this soliliquy you - will, readily •gather that the Sauire of JJedgemoor cared little for Christmas festivities, or, for that matter, for festivities- of any : Jrind whatever.' A prim old bachelor with •• bitter, sarcastic wit, he was beloved by -none, ajid feared rather than respected by his-'dependents. Advancing years had witnessed him developing more and more into a recluse, until now few, if any, of ■ his closest relatives even, lived in com- ' "munication with him.: .;•( Again the distant musio fell upon his ear. "Really, this is too bad," he peevishly exclaimed, jumping to his .feet and dashing his look to the floor. ''I must get /.'Davis to. clear them out." . . But ere he could reach the bell-pull 'i,to ring for .tho butler, his study door ■ l;.-burst .violently open, :and. Davis, Mrs: . ' 'Padkin, the -housekeeper,. and a footman came tumbling into the room, each look--ins more scared than the other. '• /i "What the deuce " began the Squire, ■furiously. "The gallery, eir! The picture gallery!" interrupted - the butler. ' "It's haunted,' sir," jjasned Mrs. Padkin,., collapsing hysterically" on to • a pouch. "Bless my soul! Have you all gone inad?" ' . . ■ . , "Hark-ee, sir, there it is again," cried the .footman, his eyes almost, bulging out -of'his head, as.the..music once more pene'tra'ted the apartment. ' ■ _■ • "Yes, yes, I hear it," fumed the Squire, testily. "Why-the dickens, Davis, don't you keep those waits awav?" "But it ain't waits, sir.'

"Eh? What?" "No, 6ir, it ain't, waits,". repeated the : butler. Then with solemn visage he added, "That music's coming from the haunted picture gallery!" "Haunted humbug [" .roared the Squire, wrathfully. "What' cocli and bull story's this you've got hold of? It strikes me you've all hecn drinking." _ - "How dare you, ■ sir," chimed_ in Mrs.. Padkin, glowing with indignation. "I 'aveu't 'ad a drop all day, savin' a glass of port'to mako sure that cook washing the proper liquor for the jellies." "And the gallery's all lit up. I seen the windows myself," added the footman. "And nobody can get in without mr knowing," continued Davis. "That gallery door is.always locked, and X keep -the key .in my pocket." - _ ; At this the Squire looked puzzled. He "ftnew that" no one was more, careful in 'the. discharge of his duties, than his old butler; and if the gallery were lighted up, and this mysterious music emanated from it without his knowledge, then some- : thing must be wrong, indeed. "All right! Com 6 along," at length he exclaimed, marching , fiercely from the study, followed more or less unwillingly by his' three-retainers. "The-'way I'm plagued and worried day after day,", he grumbled, .."is., enough to make mo bell up this wretched old pile and go into rooms -in the city." . - * Along the passage, they marched, up the grand staircase, and through the corridor which led'to the older and more historic part of the house; the part, which tradition and the superstitious alleged to be haunted. --.■■■ ■; •' -r ' At last the'entrance to the hall of mystery ' was before them.' The eerie music was, now...sounding, loudly .than, -ever,' and the Squire, though ashamed to admit it, felt bis heart bounding wildly with; fear within- him. .. Suddehljr' it Me'med t'o .him that he could distinguish sounds like the merry shout and rhythmic tread of dancers. Reassured by "these accompaniments to the musio, the Squire rushed impetuously forward, caught the'handle of the door, and tried to open it. -"Locked !"■ he exclaimed;* 'Tes, sir,'.-; I told you I always beep lt r ,locked,".-;whispered Divis. "Heres" the key." . . But ere the Squire could fit it into the lock, suddenly the door flew open, and a being of- Mephistophelean appearance looked out. >■ This was too much for the three faithful servitors. With a yell they turned and fled, the while the Mephistophelean stranger gripped: their master, by the collar, dragged him into .the room, and Blaaimed the door behind, him. ■ So -completely taken by surprise ' was. the Squire that he was captured without, a-struggle, /and when he' recovered his presence .of mind it was to be dnce'moro confounded iby the remarkable scene before him. On the old-fashioned musicians dais satiwo violinists and a flautist in quaint mediaeval costume, and to the music they , provided a .'company of ladies and gontlement were dancing on the'floor. Like the musicians, the latter were attired accprding to the fashions of other days, but it was noticeable that the dress of each seemed to belong to, or rather was

typical of, a different period. As tho dancei;s became/aware of the presence of the Squire they stopped short, anil looked wonueringly. at, him, while he looked no less amazed at them. . "What's the meaning of this tomfoolery?" he blustered, as he onco moro regained his' equanimity. "Tomfoolery! Varlet! Prithee, keep a civil tongue in thy head if thou wouldst not have it broken." Tho Squire started with surprise at the quaintnesa of the words ho heard, and stared blankly at the speaker, who looked 'iWa Baron of the Wars of the Roses. •T faith, we're not so easily browbeaten," remarked another,

Hie Story of' a SqalF®, wlso -never &epß . Ctoistasas. ■

The Squire turned and discovered the seoond speaker to bo one attired liko a gay Cavalier. As he looked at tho gallant he gasped once more with astonishment. Immediately above tliis yoth was a portrait of his own famous Cavalier ancestor, who, even as a boy, had fought' for King Charles; and this young mail with laughing eyes looked an exact personification of tho picture. A curious shivering took hold of the Squire. Instantly he glanced from the Cavalier to his companions, and then to the other portraits on the walls. That glance, brief as it was, revealed to him that he was actually standing in the midst of his own ancestors! Yes, there was tho old Georgian Judge, and tho Puritan Maid whom tne Cavalier married, and the bluff Elizabethan Sailor, who had fought under Dick Grenville, and tho Crusader, too, in rusty armour that creaked and clanked whenever he moved. "Can'the gossips be right?" he von-, dercd. "Am I awake? Is this a dream? Or is Hedgemoor actually haunted?" "Come, come, what fellow art thou?" cried the Elizabethan impatiently. "Who am I?" repeated the , Squire vaguely. "I—l am the Squire of Hedgemoor, and (warmly) I demand an explanation of this intrusion." 'fThe Squire of Hedgemoor, Grandad!" laughed the Cavalier, slapping the Elizabethan on tho back.' "Fancy this punslittle elf the Squire of Hedgemoor P' And the company all rocked with laugh-' ter at the thought. "Beshrew me, varlet, thou canst not be the Squire," interposed the Baron, "or thou wouldst he below entertaining thy friends with waes-hael and boar's head, and .indulging in good old Christmas cheer." ' "I—l am accustomed to spending Christmas alone," stammered the Squire. "Oh!" Almost everyone gave vent to a long drawn-out gasp of surprise. "Whoever heard of a Squire of Hedgemoor spending Christmas alone!" esclaimed the Georgian Judge. "Did you, or yon, or you?"

But no none of them, the Squire felt shame-faced to note, had ever thus kept Christmas. ; "Varlet, thou art none of üb," cried the Elizabethan sternlv "A traitor to our race," shouted the Crusader. ■ "Hurl him from the donjon keep." Instantly, to his:great dismay,' 'the Squire was seized by half-a-dozen ancestors, -whose rude, 'tight grip convinced him that they were by no means phantoms of the light and airy order._ Desperately lie struggled, but in vain, and then,'just as h'e v,-as giving himself up for lost, suddenly a lady's voice cried: "Hold!" Instantly his captors stopped, and he noticed that the lady who had. intervened was a sweet young damsel of the Fair. Rosamund type. ' . 'Tie upon you, gentlemen!" she was saying. '"Would ye thus abuse a stranger on the Eve of Christmas Day? What though he be some worthless poltroon, still as a stranger he becomes our guest, and as such Has a right to partake of all our Christmas revels at Hedgemoor." "Bravely spoken, madam," cried the irrepressible Cavalier. "Come, grandad (to the Elizabethan), extend to our

friend the wo'como thou wouldst _have given him had he visited thee at Christ-■ niastMe, and let him see how Christmas should be kept up at Hedgemoor HalL "Agreed, agreed!" cried everyone. "On with tho dance once more." Instantly tho musicians struck up another lively measure, and the whole company began to caper merrily ronnd the Squire. To his dismay Fair Rosamund compelled him to join in tho revel, and though he had soorcoly recovered from tho shock of Ills narrow escapo from being thrown from the donjon keep, she made him go waltzing round and round with' her, the while ho wont tripping over fcsSS sworda and apurc of the gentle-

men, and awkwardly trod on the skirls and trains ef tho ladies, his heart in his month all the time lest somo of these fierce armed ancestors should run. Jria through for his clumsiness. At length, to his great relief, the music died away, and the anxious Squire found himself standing in tho middle of tho floor, puffing and blowing, and mopping lids brow. But not a moment would theso ancestors of his allow him to rest. "Isn't he a dear old man? cried the Puritan Maid, and running forward she threw her urras round the Squire's neck and kissed him heartily on the cheek. Of course, the prim old bachelor was shocked at this unexpected boldness on the part of a Roundhead's But he was more than shocked, nay, horrified, when her example was followed by Pair Rosamund and all tho other ladies of tho company; and it was not till he was almost torn to pieces that .ho discovered that these alarming favours, were due to his ' having unwittingly taken up his stand beneath the candelabrum to which someone had attached a piece of mistletoe. As for the gentlemen, ho was relieved to note that they did not appear to be one . whit jealous, and that in fact the attentions paid to him by the ladies seemed to raise him in their estimation. "Ha, ha!" laughed the jovial Cavalier. "This is better than moping alone in a room of a Christmas Eve. Egad! I begin to believe tliou'rt a Hc-dgcmoor after all. Hasn't he got the old family way with the ladies? be added giving the Goorj»ian Judge a playful nudge with his elbow. And even tho stern' old Baron of the Roses was actually pleased to bring him a tankard of what he called "waes-hael" to refresh him after his violent and exciting experiences. -*• Waes-hael! Pah! To' the Squire's refined tasto it seemed the vilest concoction he had ever put to his lips yet rather than rekindle the animosity of these strange intruders whose secret he was determined to discover, he gulped it down

in a manner that caused the bluff Elizabethan to shout: "Ay, ay, lie must le a Hedgemoor! Doesn't he know bow, to punish the liquor?" Fortunately, before they could ply him with any more Waes-hacl," the Mephistophelean Master of. : Ceremonies inter vened. ; "Come, come, gentlemen," he cried. "Why stand: idle? 'Twill soon be cockcrow. ■, Partners' for the closing dance.". "No, no," cried the Baron. 'Let's have a change." ' ■ , "I have it. A game! Let's play at . Hoodman Blind," proposed' the Elizabethan. "Ah, grandad, after the pretty girls again," mocked the Cavalier. "I' faith, 'twas always ' the mark of a Hedgemoor to tell a pretty girl blindfold," laughted the Elizabethan knowingly, "ay, and to make her pay toll with a kiss as well." "Let's see if our son is as sprv as we were," suggested the' Georgian Judge. No sooner was (his said than someone whipped the, Squire's handkerchief out of his pocket, bound it tightly over his eyes, and whirling him briskly three times round, bade'him try to catch one of the

company. ■At first the Squire was almost speechJess with indignation and u'os for tearing oft the bandage; tut the idea of playing at Blindman's Buff with his ancestors liclilcd him to much, and as it struck him that by humouring these strangers he might more readily discover their secret, he threw his feelings' aside, and with a laugh away, ho went in 1 pursuit of them. Round and round tho great long gallery the blindfolded Squire chased his ancestors, the while the hall echoed and re-echoed with their shouts of merriment. "Ha, ha! I knew we would soon let you oee liow jolly Christinas ia when yon

spend It with company," laughed the Cavalier in his ear aa no went running past. ■ ~i For reply the Squire made a dash at Mm, but the slippery youth eluded his grasp, and amid shrieks of laughter the Squire renewed his task. But now it was the Crusader who was in danger of being caught. , , Clank, clank I fii3 armour was giving him away completely, and his capture would assuredly have been accomplished had the Squire not heard the swisli of a skirt at his side. Recalling the reputed skill of his house for _ catching pretty girls he made a wild dive in the direction of the ladv, only to find that she had disappeared. "Ah, I'll catch you yet," ho shouted manfully, as he resumed tho chase.

( . But, hullo! What were his (wmpanions up i;o now? Why was everything 60 suddenly silent? , Ah! he had it. They were trying to mystify him by treading 1 on tip-toe, and holding their breath. "No, no! You can't outwit me. I know your tricks!" he shouted merrily. Hark! A footfall! And in front of him! "Now, I have you!" he shrieked like a merry schoolboy. Diving forward ho gripped a buxom form, and tearing off the 'kerchief to claim the forfeit, he found he had captured—the Vlllage Policeman! Yes, the Village Policeman! And behind Mm stood Davis, and Mrs. Padkin, and the footman, all staring blankly at him open-mouthed. "Why—where—where are they !<ll?'' gasped the Squire, glaring around mystified. "Who—who?" cried the butler, alarmed for his master. "The Cavalier, the Baron, tho Puritan Maid — "Why, there they are in their frames," replied Davis, pointing to the portraits. "No, no, no, I mean people, answered the Squiro, looking rather confused. "Did—did you not see any people leave the-room? • "Not a soul, sir." "Good heavens, they must hare teen phantoms after all!" " 'Ullo, wot's this ?" said tho Policeman, crossing the room. It was the bottle that had contained the cheap port which the Squire had been induced to drink as "waos-hael." "It's hempty, sir," said tho constable, with a knowing look. "What do you mean?" cried the Squire furiously. - "I—l meau it couldn't be ghosts, sir," stammered the Policeman, conscious that he had made a mismke. "Leastways, the crowd outside wouldn't believe it was ghosts if they knew we found this bottle." "You see, sir," explained Davis, "when I saw you dragged in here by the devil, I sent Jenkins ,to the village for assistance. He returned with the officer here and a big crowd with guns and staves, who are waiting outside io see what hap-

pens when we enter the galleir." "An' I don't suppose you'd like 'era to know as 'ow we only found you runnin' about a liempty room blind-fold with a hempty bottle in the corner," the Policeman leered. Conscious that appearances were very much against him, the Squire groaned and felt cornered. "Look here, officer," he began, pulling out his purse. ■ "Tliank'ee, sir, thankee," replied the constable, saluting. "I'll never breathe a word about it." Next morning -after breakfast the Squiro. borrowed the key of the picture gallery from the butler and proceeded' to the haunted chamber, now more notorious than ever, to see if in daytime he could discover any clues that would throw light upon the strango intrusion of the previous evening. Carefully he examined the lock of the door, but found it in good working order. Carefully >he scrutinised th© window fastenings, but the undisturbed dust showed that they could not have been tampered with. Carefully, too, he noted every scratch on the flooring, but, while here and there ho discovered marks and stains, there was nothing to indicate that they had not been made by himself. "Bless my soul! 'Phis is more and more strange," he remarked. "Surely it couldn't have been ghosts? And yetwell, well, ghosts or no ghosts, I spent p. very , happy evening. Hullo! Wliat'e this?" . , , i . He started with excitement. A clue at last! There} hanging from the candelabrum, was a spray of mistletoe, which had hitherto escaped his notice. Eagerly he stepped forward to examine the myatic foliage. Who could have put it there, ho wondered. Davis? Surely not. Why should he hang any mistletoo in a locked-up room? Besides, Christmas decorations—and he felt shamefaced to confess it—were practically unknown at Hedgemoor. "Good heavens! What was that? Instantly he wliirlel round, and his eyes almost started from his head as he beheld one of the great cumbersome family portraits swing slowly outwards like a door. No sooner had it opened than it revealed a charming young girl of about twenty years of ago. "A Merry Christmas, undo," cried this apparition, and jumping down 6he ran forward to greet him affectionatoly. "Why! Bless my soul! Olive! You!" he gasped as lie recognised one of his nieces who lived in the neighbourhood. "Of nourse it is. vou dear old uncle,"

sho laughed. "And I've come to see tl at you aro nono tho worse for last night's jollifications." "Last night! Wero you here? How did you do it?" ho cried excitedly. "Why, uncle, by means of tho old, forgotten secret passage which leads into this room through that picture." "Good gracious! And I never knew there was such a thing!" "Yes, Geof accidentally found it out a month ago, while ho was visiting j-ou. Wo meant to let you know at tho timo, but though it would 1.0 grand fun to wait till Christmas and surprise you dressed up as our ancestors." "Grand fun! It was extremely foolish of you," he snapped in his old brusque manner. "Why, you've frightened all my servants out of their wits. You have

mado me the laugliing-stoclf of the parish; and 1 if burglars bad discovered this passage in the interval, I might have been robbed and murdered." "But you enjoyed yourself, uncle, didn't your" interrupted Olive, with a smile that showed sho refused to be scolded. "Enjoy-myself! Of course, I enjoyed myself, though you did handle me roughly at. times, laughed tho Squire, finding it impossible to be angry before olive's smile. No sooner had he made this confession than, to bis surprise, a number of his nephews and nieces, who had accompanied Olive, but had remained concealed in the secret 1 passage, swept into the room and greeted him effusively. "Look! under the mistletoe," cried one, and immediately the girls closed round him once more, and hugged him, just ns they had done on the previous night. "Stop! Stop! Stop!" at last he.gasped, panting for breath. "You are simply killing me with kindness." "Yes;" he added, as their attack sub-, sided, "as I was telling Olive I did enjoy mvse'f last night—so much so that I hope you will never allow your poor old TJncle to be so .foolish as to try to spend Christmas alone again."