The Ghost of Guir House - Page 9/80

They had been jogging along for half a mile, when, turning suddenly

through an open gateway, they entered a private approach. Paul

exclaimed in admiration, for the road was tunneled through such a

dense growth of evergreens that the far-reaching limbs of the cedars

and spruce pines brushed the cart as they passed.

"Romantic!" Henley exclaimed, standing up in the vehicle to hold a

branch above the girl's head as she drove under it. The little horse

tossed the limbs right and left as he burrowed his way amongst them.

"Wait until you know us better," said Dorothy, dodging a hemlock

bough; "you might even come to think that several other improvements

could be made beside the trimming out of this avenue; but Ah Ben

would as soon cut off his head as disturb a single twig."

"Who?" inquired Paul.

"Ah Ben."

Mr. Henley concluded not to push his investigations any further for

the present, taking refuge in the thought that all things come to him

who waits. He had no doubt that Ah Ben would come along with the

rest.

A sudden turn, and an old house stood before them. It was built of

black stones, rough as when dug from the ground more than a century

before. At the farther end was a tower with an open belfry, choked in

a tangle of vines and bushes, within which the bell was dimly visible

through a crust of spiders' webs and birds' nests. Patches of moss

and vegetable mold relieved the blackness of the stones, and a

venerable ivy plant clung like a rotten fish-net to the wall. It was

a weird, yet fascinating picture; for the house, like a rocky cliff,

looked as if it had grown where it stood. Parts of the building were

crumbling, and decay had laid its hand more or less heavily upon the

greater part of the structure. All this in the mellow light of the

moon, and under the peculiar circumstances, made a scene which was

deeply impressive.

"This is Guir House," said Dorothy, drawing up before the door. "Now

don't tell me how you like it, because you don't know. You must wait

until you have seen it by daylight."

She threw the reins to a stupid-looking servant, who took them as if

not quite knowing why he did so. She then made a signal to him with

her hands, and jumped lightly to the ground.

"Down, Beelzebub!" called Dorothy to a huge dog that had come out to

meet them, while the next instant she was engaged in exchanging

signals with the servant, who immediately led the horse away,

followed by the dog.