Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-04-25
CHAPTER II.
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haste, and never word uttered they until
they were within sight and sound of home.
Uncle Christopher was the only person in
the hall when they entered. He asked
where they had been, and when Pennie told
him, Millioent burst into tears.
'Tut, tut i what's all this about?" cried
the old worltlling, in anything but sympa-
tllizing tone, and then, in the words of the
old song, reminded her that
vilets pucked the sweetest showers will neer make
grow again.
They left him and retreated to their room,
which Millicent quilted no more that day.
She would have no one to keep her compa-
ny but the ancient family nurse, who he
lieyed in many things but imperfectly
known in our philosophy, and whose talk
was not calculated to settle startled nerves.
She gave it as her opinion that Michael For
roster had died with something on his mind
which he now thought to communicate to
his capricious mistress !" for capricious
you was, Miss SIilly, and used him very
hard, there's no gainsaying" was her ultima
tum.
That some mystery was afloat had now
become plain to all the world at Bracken-
field. "What is ?" asked Captain Blake
next morning, almost testify. 'sThe house
seems to be standing on tiptoe with exI ect-
ant alarm. There's Millicent takirg her
cup of tea in bed; there's Pennie as solemn
as an owl; there's nurse going about up
stairs in shoes of silence, bidding the chill
dren Whist! If anybody has seen ghost
as rumour whispers, pray confess it, and
let us hunt the shabby rascals, who frighten
ladies, out Of their lair. For as for ghosts
bless you, they're knavcs in grain; no more
bullet proof than you or l. Show me your
ghost, and I'll abolish him, I'll cause him to
eface himself Now, Quixote, shall begin
with you-look me straight in the face, and
don't prevaricate; but be pleased to tell what
makes your drol little phiz as grave as Il
mustard-pot?"
Thus adjured, Pennie eclipsed herself in
her coffec-cup, and Uncle Christopher inter
posed with-'Say nothing, Pennie; it is
grand to keep secret"
"There is a ghost, depend upon it" add,
the Captain. "Let us all open our eyes, and
be ON the lookout for him."
Here the dame considerably said she
wished they would remember there were
children in the room. There acre children
in the room, listening with ears on the
stretch. Little Lois, indeed, began to lisp
nm account of a ghost she had seen; but
when comically requested to be precise in
her description of him, she could only put
up her hands and gasp, until Geoffrey cut
her short by saying that she meant bo-peep
behind the curtains. Playing at ghosts was
the favourite game that day, and when Pen
ME took walk with the youngsters, she was
impressed for the chief character, and re-
quired to march with stiff legs and solemn
features to the roll of Geoffrey's drum.
They wandered long way, and returned
by the woods, which were pleasant in the
frosty sunshine since the wind had sunk
Pennie gathered the first snowdrops of the
season, peeping up amidst pale green leaves
at the sheltered roots of the trees. Anna
and Lois kept her company while the boys
made wider excursence, they returned to the
girls, proclaining that they had seen such a
strange-looking man, with a face the colour
of stone, hat like Robinson Crnsoe, and a
bears cloak on his shoulders. Hc was lean
ing over the gate into the meadow, and stared
at them very hard, but did not speak.
"Perhaps he is the new farmer who is
coming TO the Lodge, suggested Francis.
Perhaps he is the ghost," said Maurice
and then they scampered off again, Laughing
and fearless.
But Pennie was not laughing. She was
she perceived that to these unromanic un
imaginative boys also had been revealed tho
dreadful phantom-shapc of Michale Forester
But stay, phantom shape Could it pos
sibly be Michael in the body, the very Mich
ael himself that was never dead
The idea made her heart jump, and of
home she started with joyful hurry to com
municate it to Millicent. But when SHIT
saw Millicent's forlorn face, somehow he
own buoyant hope collapsed. The dam,
| aiiQ hCodoia MOiC WI hCl iuS, WlbuOu
seeming TO try to entice her into cheerful
! ness. 1t was too bad everybody said, IL
have dear Aunt Milly in the dumps at Christ
mastime. Only Uncle Christopher chucklet
and did not care. Before lunch, Penni,
being left with her minute alone, proposed
that if they were bantered any more the,
should make a clean breast of the Who'll,
affair; and Millicent consented, only stipu
lating that Pennie should be spokeswoman
In the afternoon snow fell again, ant
games in the hall were the order of the day
for the children. The elders, who could en-
dure the Glamour, congregated there as well
some of them even taking part in the sports
The younger ladies made belief at work ant
, conversation round the fire, until Uncl,
) Christopher, who was playing chess with Si
Andrew, exclaimed-"T sky will fal
, next heard Quixote sigh" AT that pro
vocation there bubbled up in her spirit o
, defiance, and wagging her head, she retort
ed" You would sigh too, sir, and perhap
: have a fit if you had seen what Milly and
v have seen four times since Christmas Eve
0 Either Michael Foresters spirit IS haunting
| Brackenfield, or Michael Forester himself, n
4 more dead than we are"
il They all looked serious enough now, eS
: cept Uncle Christopher, who said in hi
q quizzical way, "Quixote, your wickednes
V passes conceptionl How dare you insinr
: ate that man may be alive whose mont
IS ment is on the church wall ? should lik
!, ! to know where you expect to go tor"
e "It would be awkward for a fellow /
'e turn up after the heir had taken possession,
II observed Sir Andrew.
!. "Don't talk SO lightly" interposed tf
n dame there is no chance that poor Micha
Twill return now."