Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1854-06-29

ling from the c0nd supported her trem-
hI;1r stems 10 ige close At hand and
almost before dew where she was. she
found herself i,large hall, brilliantly
l;gbtea nv 4 blazb,d FIRE. Numbers Of
resvI glowing ch faces were gathered /
round her. nud Of bright eager eyes
were gazing cFly upon her, kindly
hands we're bush removing her wraps,
and pleasant yoiWelcomed her and con
graduated her d escape
Ay Az. Maid her host, addressing |
his wife, Il told that the sleigh would
have plenty eff vthis winter, aud you see
was right
AS Won alwae, uncle, merry voice
exclaimed. w say at Hawtree, that
Uncle Athertodsr can be wrong
! - tree r repeated Mrs
Stirring. IN somk azement, and uttered
in that familiaGs Ellen. Ellen Mid
dletoh. is it pOA that you are here =.
A JOYFUL exclslon and rush into her
arms were the u girls ready reply to
this question as hrisd, Uncle Atherton,
Aunt Mary. dontu know your old friend
Miss Stirling q
WIS Atneftontd her SOFT blue eyesou
the stranger, in Inn she could at first
scarcely recognishe bright haired girl
she bad mot seent eighteen or twenty
years but BY ans she satisfied herself
that, though chang she was Ellen Stir
ling still, with the se sunny smile and the
same laughing eyesat had made every one
love her in their Aol days Heartfelt,
indeed, we're the grsngs which followed,
and cordial the wDme Mrs. Atherton
gave her old friends she congratulated
herself on having de,Elleu under her own
r9of; lore espesialls she owed this good
fortune to Mr.. Athens exertions in res
cuing her
It is the merest ckce, too, that be is at
home at present. she IA, 'hc ought to have
been in Scotland, but q state Of the roads
in this bleak country ! kept him prisoner
here for weeks
And others as wa Ellen Middleton
added; abut both ehilAn aAd grown peo-
pie are only too thankf to have so good an
excuse for staying long at Bslfeld Aud
then, laughing, she asld Aunt Mary how
she meant to dispose ofiiss Stirling for the
night, for the house wa full already as il
could hold
Oh, said her aunt, " shall manage very
well Bel6eld is very 4stic'
She smiled as she SPIKE, but it struck
Miss Stirling that the.qustion was. never
theless, a puzsling one, soshe took the first
of enterireatig her to take nj
tTou 10 on her account; achair by the hr'
was really all the aecommid ation she cared
for, as she wished to be in readiness to pur
sue her journey as soon as the coach coult
proceed ~
We shall be able to do better for yo'
than that, Ellen Mrs Atherton answered
,hcsrfully. cannot. il il true, promis
ySg @ f 81 oO sss in the h0S IS
| have one chamber still at your service
which, except in one respect, is comfortabl
enough
Haunted, Of course p said Miss Stirling
CAVITY
Oh, no. no, it is not that had it q
ted up for my brother William when b
used % be here more frequently than ofiatC
and it is often occupied by gentlemen whe
the house Isl full; but. as it is detached fror
the house, I have,of course, never asked an
lady to sleep there till now
sOh if II at be all, | am quite willing
become its first lady tenant, said Miss StiI
ling, heartily So the matter was settlet
and orders we're given to prepare the Paw
ion for the unexpected guest.
The evening passed pleasantly; musi
dancing and ghost stories made the hour
fy fast 1t was long past ten-the usui
hour Of retiring at Bel6eld-when Miss SUI
ling. under her hostess guidance, took po
session Of her outdoor chamber. 1t real
was pleasant, cheerful little apartment :
The crimson hangings Of the bed aud wi
dow looked warm and comfortable in Il
flashing freight and when the candles Z
the mantle piece were lighted and the ~
easy chairs drawn close to the hear'h, Il
long parted friends fophd it impossible
resist the temptation Of sitting down to hay
what In old days they used to call tw
handed chat. Z There was much to tell
what had befallen botn, of chequered seen
of ioy and sorrow. deeply interesting TO tho
two whose youth had been passed together
there were mutual reeolleetions Of scho'
DAYS to be talked over; mutual friends al
future plans 10 be discussed aud midnig
RUG out from the stable.clock before Nj
Atherton said goodnight She bad aires,
crossed the threshold TO 60, when she tur
ed back to say, 4 forgot TO tell yeu, Ellie
that the inside bar Of this door is not We
secure, and that the key only turns outsiC
Are YOU inclined to trust to the bar aloI
or will you, as William used to do, have 4
door locked outside, and let the serva
bri g the key in the morning Villa
used to say. that be fopDd it rather an .
vantage TO do so, as the unlocking Of !
door was sureto wake him.
NJ IS Stirling laughingly allowed Il
though. generally, she could not quits thi
it an advantage TO be locked into her roo
still she had 10 objection to it on this p
ticulsr occasion, as she wished to rise in =
souabie time.
very well5 then you had better not
ten the bar at all, and l will send my nj
with the key, AZ eight precisely. ca
night
Good night
They parted; the door vas locked 0
side; the key taken out and Miss Stirli
staading By the window, watched her frit
cross the narrow black pgth, which had b
swept clear Of snow TO make dry pass
from the house to the pavilion. a rus
| lieh, streamed from the hall door as il
peBed to admit its mistress, and CAV
cheerful, friendly aspect 70 the scene
when the door closed and shut out I
warm. comfortable light, she darke
porch, the pale moonlight shlmmering on
sh-ouded trees. and the stars tEinkIiDe
the frosty sky had such an aspect Of
tuds as 70 cast over her kind Of chill
made her half repent having consented
quit the house nt.all, and let herself BE- !