Read "The Old Secretaire, a Christmas Story" by Fred M. White online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
LIKE most men of his profession, Warren was a keen observer of character; a mystery delighted him equally from a business or an analytical point of view. Here, then, were all the elements for a seasonable romance--a Haunted Chamber; a mysterious servitor of the good old orthodox type, moreover the only living historian of the tragedy--a trusted servant, who had actually a personal acquaintance, so to speak, with Edgar Warren, and who alone--Warren was sure of that--could solve a dark and blood-stained catastrophe.
Morning broke with snow knee-deep in the drive, huge drifts half-way up the windows, and no prospect of any outdoor amusement. Even the rural postman had not succeeded in forcing his way through. It was, as Constance Lumley observed, when the parliament had gathered round the hall fire, a Christmas evidently to be spent quite magazine-artically. With nothing whatever to do, and no immediate prospect of amusement, conversation began to languish, till one of the party entered with the startling news that the ghost-light had been seen burning in the haunted wing all the previous night Thereupon, the listeners began to thrill, and a new zest was given to the flagging flow of talk.