Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-11-18

by about ten tonight, and, by George
Iii have glorious skating frolic all tc
myself, for there won't be any one out,it
SO abominably cold" Jack was quit,
consoled with this idea and by the time
he had had his supper, lit his cigar, anc
sat down in front Of cheerful wood fir,
beside his widowed mother and his only
sister Kate, he was in a capital humor
Kate, how | wish your poor foot was
well ~ said he, 80 that you might &c
with me on the river tonight. There
won't be a soul out, and we'd have it all
to ourselves" Kate had violently spran.
ed her ankle few days before, in skat.
ing.
Why, John" exclaimed Mrs. Phil
ips, "you surely don't think of going
skating such bitter night! You'll
freeze to death, my boy"
Not bit of it, mother :" cried Jack
checriIy. Pm used to it, you know
Aud haven't | that splendid worstcd jack
ct you knit me? Id defy Lapland il.
that jacket"
They been cutting up the river to-
day. jack" said Kate. Look out fol
air-holes."
Pooh as if didn't know all about
it," answered Jack, chucking his sister
pIaytuly under the chin. "lll jump 'cu
my dcar,if | don't see EN- in time to 20
round"
Beng aware, from experience, that re.
moustrancc would be useless, neither Mrs
Pnl lips nor Kate volunteered an further
remarks OF that nature; and at ten
o'clock Jack babe them both goodnight,
and, apparelling himself in Skating guise,
went merriIy forth to his solitary ice frol-
ic.
There was fortunately no wind. \
still, bitter cold made everything crisp
and brittle. The turf cracked under the
foot, and, though it was many inches
thick, the ice ever and anon gave sharp
map as the weight OF Jack Phillips
pressed Tor an Instant upon ii, here aud
there in his erratic course over its moon.
lit surface.
Alter lettering, IS it were, back and
forth in front Of his own grounds for II
while, sn idea, and very natara one
u;der the circumstances, struck jack
that it would be a peasant thing to SKATE
down the river as far as Fanny Legion 5
iomlciic, and have = look at the windows
thercol, especially certain two that gave
air ana igst to that young l.dys cham
Der. JACK immediately acted on this
iis~, and IL very few minutes brought
himseIi gradually to = stsnd in front o.
the L.yton villa. His hope, however, il
saeh 1t VAS, Of seeing . light g.ncins
from the easements, or from any spcci.i
casemeut, of that msnslon, proved t4lia-
cious. The house was entirely dark with
IN, and the moon, which was but lately
risen, shed pale, cold glitter GU the gray
stone walls bAckenel tantasticalIy here
aud there by the sh 'dows Of the Old trees
that stood round them.
Jack heaved an Involuntary sigh, and,
after remaining a few moments longer in
a sort of rey=rie by the river bank,
struck cut towards its centre, with the ill.,
teuti,n oil returning homeward. Gazing
echanically down the stream, as he shot
out from the shadow Of the bank, his
gaze was suddenly arrested by the appa-
ration Of form that seemed to be skat-
ing in a circle near the further shore
about couple Of hundred yards lower
down. lie tancied for moment th.t 1t
was an optical illusion, as the distance
aid the uncertain light thrown by the
moon through the belt Of trees that lined
the river side made the figure somewhat
shadowy aud inlstinet. He rubbed his
eyes, skated further out into the line Of
vision, and looked again. No there it
was, an actual form, curving and swayIng
II the fantastic evolutions OF an accom-
pIished skater. in the same spot where he
mad Just bcheld it the instant before.
"Who can it be ?" muttered jack
Some one from town, reoko On. At all
eyeAt., I'll run down and have nearer
lock at him And. suitlng the action to
the word. he struck out leis surely down
the river.
A few yards below.thc point at which
The form seen by Jack was gliding about,
the river took eul, and narrowed sud-
denly, running for more than three miles
between lofty OVERLAPPING banks, from
which the trees, chiefly hemlock and pine,
projected themselves towards each other
from either shore, throwing the stream
into deep shadow. with here and there II
baud of light, where few trees had been
cut down, or had fallen away from the
bank with the gradual wash Of the soil
from their guarded roots.
To jack astonishment, no sooner was
he tairiy under weigh for the mysterious
skater than the latter, apparently seeing
him and diyinug his intention, suddenly
ceased his gyratious, and, after an ln-
stant's pause, Shot swiftly down the river
keeping close in shore, and evidently
with the design Of eyading Jacks pur-
SUIT. >,
"Ho, ho :" said Jack to himself, halt
aloud. That's your game, is it? Very
well Here goes for a chase my hne
fellow !"
And putting forth an additional amount
of strength, he increased his speed so far
and quickly as to gain hundred yards in
a moment upon the flying Phantom. But
the other, apparently percelvlng this
again, Immediately ircreased his own
prte, and, without materially widening
the distance between them, sped onward