, 1863-03-14

III utr ways SOHSuOM /; sue Always huOWS mudL L
want before have chance to ask for u"
"I am not Jealous, grandpapa~ said Nanny,
stealing round to kiss her sister-in-law's cheek
"a glance of Cora's will win from you what a
whole battery of my expostulations would be
poweress to effect, but can't find it in my heart
to be envious!"
you're right there, my girl said the squire,
laughing "Im glad Cora din't join in your silly
entreaties Just now, or | should have found it
hard to refuse her. Eh, ny little dark-haired
lady-brd P"
aa Bat Cora's head had drsbped upon the old
mans breast, and she was sgbbing violently.
What's the matter, da 'ingp" inquired the
/ squire, in rueful co ltersslR.-@. What have /
said. laundering old blockhead that am, to hurt
/ youP"oL 1o r
Nothing, nothing !" sobbed Cora. "Only that
love you SO very, very dearly =
"A queer thing to cry aboutl' said the squire,
brushing suspicious dew away from his eye-ash
es "But women are unaccountable creatures,
anyway p .u E
The wind had howled itself into slumber the
moon had broken through the stormy riffs of
cloud, and rode, like silvercharioted conqueror
through the blue midnight sky and still the old
squire sat watching the smouldering fire, and
thinking vaguely of the far-of past.
"Why does not Joseph come with my night
draught ?" thought the old man, moving un-
easily in his chair. "Surely he is late to-
night a .o
Slowly and with a Sepulchral sound, the great
clock in the hall began to strike one-two, and so
on through the midnight tecsn.
And at the same moment old Joseph rushed
into the room, his rubicund face pale with terror
and his gray, bristly hair erect.
30, master to think that should have lived
to see a ghost!'
"a ghost, you blockheadP what do you
mean ?" i3a
"Master!" the old man solemnly, "as sure as
1 stand here, saw Miss Mildred in the hall just
now all dressed in gray, just as she used to
look !" l.. l.o.a
''Pshawl" said Squire Melworth, turning
pale. ,-.e .o.. xxx. s...
Il know she's been buried this twelve year,"
said the servant man, in low voice, "but, master,
l saw her ghost-I am sure of it."
AT this minute the door opened, and Mrs. Mel
worth entered, clad in dressing-robe of soft
gray cashmere, her jetty curls floating dcwn over
her shoulders.
"There-don't you see P" gasped Joseph, re-
treating behind bis masters high-backed chair,
and staring with dilated eyes and shaking knees,
at the slender form.
"Pshaw, you doung ola fool !" exclaimed squire
Melworth, "its only Cora, my grand-son's wife.
What is it,, my dearPp r
"lwanted you to say good night, and kiss me
once more!" faltered Cora, sinking on her knees
beside him. ao
He folded her tenderly in his arms and gave
the solicited caress, not oace nor twice, but half
dozen times.
"There, now, good ight, my little bird, and
Heaven hold you in its care = exclaimed he,
swell, Joe, is your ghost laid P'
AT the same instant some sudden movement of
his daughter-in-law, as she left the room, made
him start up in bis chair with cold dew dislill-
ing on his brow.
OF what misty, half-efaced shadow in the past
did it remind him ?
"Give me that hot port wine, ep he said
nervously. "Quick That's right-and now 1 Il go
to bed !"
"Master acts mighty strange tonight" said Joe
to his better half, as he laid aside his over coat in
the bright kitchen of the porter's lodge. 81
shou ldnt wonder if he went off sudden one O.
these times p
"Fiddleslick" I" curtly returned Mrs. Joe, who
was rather sleepy and very cross with waiting her
husbands return, and sat grmly upright with a
night-cap tied over her ears and her feet on the
fender You're always making discoveries"
"That may be, said Joe, hiding his counte-
nance behind large pitcher fbeer, "but if Mrs.
Frank Melworth don't look exactly like poor
deary Miss Mildred, I'll never trust my eyes
again y
81 wouldnt" said Mrs. Joe, sarcastically.-
"Come, get to bed with yourself and dent sit there
any longer, staring at the fire !"
Joe glanced at his pitcher with rather discom-
6ted air, but he was an obedent husband, and
never dreamed of rebellion, so to bed he went
without note or comment.
And the night crept on, starry, and full of fresh
winds that stirred the willow boughs in the vii
lage graveyard, as if buryiug them to make room
there for new occupant
Knock, knock, knock
1t sounded like the muffled beat of funeral
drum, that hurried tap at Frank Melworth's door
in the gray, chill dawn of the winter day.
"What is the matterp" he exclaimed, start
ing up.
masters dying-he's took awful sudden !"
suffered the terrified voice of Joseph, "and you
must both o. you come right off, for he's powerful
uneasy to see you, and Miss Nanny's there al
ready"
Daylight and moonlight were struggling wanly
together through the oriel window of the great
hall, for thther the old Squire had insisted on
being carried, to his old familiar easy chair, before
the blazing pile of aromatic pine logs, and there
his grand children gathered aroand him.
"The trumpet-call has sounded, children !" be
murm1red, family. "It's time for me to go home
to my wife, and-and to Mildred p
"Grand-papap sobbed Nanny, throwing her
aims around his neck, "you will forgive her
no,or r -...
81 forgive her" said the old man, solemnly
IL forgive her, as hope to be forgiven myself
Cora-where is my little Cora ?"
She laid ber soft cheek against his own: