Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

A GREAT WRONG.

CHAPTER XXII. Continued. I 'You will think me very childish. verysilly.no doubt,' she began the moment they were seated, 'but I can-1 not help it. I should have been out of England long ago but for this feeling or fancy, or whatever it is that possesses me. Sir Harry, ynu remember our summer trip to the Highlands?" 'I do assuredly.' 'Well, whila there, the day that you and Sir Geoffrey went deer-stalk-ing I raD off and went to Bhick Hollow Grange. •To the Haunted Manor?' 'To the Haunted Manor. I had a mind to ask you to go wi'h me, and I wish I had rione so. I went alone, entered the old house alone, and there. Sir Hairy, I saw the ghost. Don't laugh at me, pray, and don't say tnat I was mistaken. I saw it just as plain as 1 see you this minute.' 'And what manner of thing was it, Miss Trevethon?' 'And old man. I saw his face clearly; a fine, pale face, with a long white beard, just liKe the Trevethon portraits aPLyndith Hall: —-' 'Did you speak to it?' '.No, I'm ashamed to tell you what I did. I got frightened and fainted, and afterward ran away, and I have so bitterly regretted it.' 'My dear Miss Trevethon, why? You surely do not believe in the popular legend that peoples the old house with ghosts? The old man you saw waa a rambler of some sort.' She shook her head, with sad, sober eyes. 'Nay, I think not;, the face was a peculiar one. You've heard the old | story, Sir Harry—the mystery of my poor father's fate?' 'I have, Miss Trevethon.' 'Well, all my life long I have felt somehow that the clue was in the old manor; and now, ever since I saw that face, oh, Sir Harry, I cannot rest day or.night. It haunts me-inces-santly, until now I think that it was my poor, father's living face, and that he has been ahun up in that.old house aH these years.' •My dear Misa Trevtthon, that could not be.'

'The notion haunts me,' all *he same. I must know; I solve the mystery, or i shall go mad. I have thought to go again,,l wan to go last week yesterday, to-day, but somehow my resolution always fails me—tha old place is so desolate and

She paused, a painful crimson flooding all her drooping face. The young man regarded her curiously. 'You would like me to go in your stead, Miss Trevethon, and investigate this mystery?' She looked up with eloquent eyes. 'Oh, Sir Harry', if you would.' 'l'll start in the next train, and if there's a mystery in the old house, I'll unravel it. And now, as I've a few hurried preparations to make, I mast bid you good evening. On my return I shall find you here?' ♦You will find me here. Sir Harry, how shall I thank you?' 'l'll tell you when I get back. Good-by, Miss Trevethon." He pressed her hand, bowed and was gone. 'Such a noble heart,' sighed Lenore, as she watched bim down the rainy street; 'and I, what a miserable, unwomanly fool I am.' And sinking down upon a eofa she hid her proud face in her hands, and wept in shame and bitterness. CHAPTER XXIII.

THE SECRET PASSAGE. In the gravelike gloom of his prison Ambrose Gerbart sat, his extinguished lantern at his side, the roll of yellow paper in hia breast, and before him, dimly visible in the phosphorescent glow that filled the damp dungeon, was the awful skeleton.

'lt will go hard with me if I fail to find some loophole,' he had said; but search and grope as he might, no loophole could bee found. And at last, after stumbling and falling and bruising his hands against the thick walls, he had given over, and sat down in utter despair. The walls were solid, and there was no sign of door or window, the only egress being the closed trapdoor far above. How many days and nights had gone by he could not tell—an eternity it seemed. He was growing alarmingly, weak from hunger, and a fierce pain, produced by the ness, racked his body. There was but one hope for him, the hope of death; and the sooner it came a d released him from his agony; the better. And yet it'was hard to die thus,* in the very prime of his manhood; to lie there and starve and rot in the darkness, and the world never know aught ot his fate! He bowed his burning temples on his clasped hands, and a great sob of pain and despair shook him. She would live, the one woman he adored, and smile in her ineffable loveliness, and give her sweet love-kisses to j some happy lover, while he should (

Or, The Rfflystery of Black Hollow Grange.

BY EMMA GARRT ON JONES. Author of "Pelf and Power," "Strathmore's Sin," Etc, etc

lie there unlaraented, and perhaps unremembefed. The thought was very bitter. His bowed head fell lower, and sob after aob shook the strong man until he trembled like a reed. 'Heaven have mercy on me,' he groaned aloud, "and if I am to drink this bitter cup, let me drain it quickly!' Something like the sound of a human voice answered him—a strange, hollow sound that seemed to issue from the solid floor beneath him. Ambrose started to his feet, the perspiration breaking out upon him in cold drops, his eyes glaring into the thick, black gloom. 'What was that?' he demanded. . The hollow sound was repeated, and after it came a succession of taps. The young man stood and listened, the impenetrable darkness all about him. 'What's that?' he again demanded, the tremor of a great horror running through his voice. The rapping grew louder, a rasping sort of crash followed, and the same subtle instinct warned Ambrose that he was no longer alone! Some living creature was near him. Never till his dying day did the young man forget the sensations of that moment. A horror thit was unutterable fell upon him, and the very hair on his nead seemed to rise. What presence was it that he felt so near him? By a great effort he commanded his voice. 'ln Heaven's name, what are you?' he asked. A soft step struck the damp floor. 'You are there, are you? answered a pleasant voice; and in utter darkness, too! Why, Where's your lantern? Put out by the foul air, though, of course. Whew! what a stench, and dark, as-..Erebus!.. Qne might as. we.l step into a grave! You've i'ouna the time tedious, no douDt, and I couldn't get here one t minute Booner.' *

'ln Hv-jiven's name, who are you?' again demanded Ambrose. 'Who ami? Well, King Lear, at your service, as I told you once before. I've not foigotten you, Mr Gerhart; I knew you in an instant. Your face is a very striking one. I saw you when you went down, and I should have stopped you, for that trap-door's a treacherous affair, but I was rurious to see what you were after. I didn't think a soul but myself knew of that secret passage from the death-room. How came you by your knowledge, and what took you down there?'

'No matter'now,' exclaimed Ambrose. 'lf you are a human creaiure like myself help me, I beg, to got out of this horrible pit.' r

A peal of mirthful laughter filled the vault with weird echoes. 'A human creature? Indeed I am. Did you take me for a ghost? I'll wager my head you did, now. Ha. ha, ha! A fine joke that. No. young man, I'm not a ghost as yet; I'm good for a dozen years to come, if I don't lose my breath before we're out of this. Come, now,.give me your hand; it is time we were moving. "lhe touch of human fingers thrilled every nerve in Ambrose Gerhart's body with delight.

'Heaven bless you, you are human !' he cried, clasping and holding the hand that had sought his in the darkness, 'and you have come to set me free.'

'Precisely, sir. And you may thank your stars that I happened to see you, for no other man alive, i tase it, knows the secret of the underI ground entrance. Come now, here we are! Softly, softly, step by step. We are going down, you see. We shall get a firm footing presently. If we only had a light. Ambrose permitted himself to be led on to a sort of aperture in tne floor, from which a few steps led downward to some subterranean chamber even darker and closer than the one they had left. •Here we are,' said his companion, as their feet touched the ground. ; 'Now all you have to do is to follow me . The tunnel a is straight and safe, but it is very tedious. You'll fancy yourself nearing the neighbourhood of London before you emerge into the daylight. Once out of this scrape I'd advise you to keep out, for you have had a narrow escape. If the question is fa'r, young man, what aid bring you down here?' 'lhe question is fair enough. I came down in search of the Mystery of the Black Hollow Grange, and I found it, too.' King Lear wheeled round and faced him m the narrow way* 'What do ypu mean?' he demanded; ;l what have you discovered?' 'Lead on,' he answered Ambrose, feeling for the yellow roll in his oreaßt. 'As soon as we strike daylight you shall know. : You forget that I have been without food or drink for Heaven only knows how Jong. in. a *eW minutes more my strength will give out.' TO BK CONTINUED

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAG19100423.2.3

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10026, 23 April 1910, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,638

A GREAT WRONG. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10026, 23 April 1910, Page 2

A GREAT WRONG. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10026, 23 April 1910, Page 2

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert