Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-01-07
Y4isfellauepns.
From all the Year Round
THE ABBOTS POOL.
cHAPTER N. lOontinued. }

y 6s -
-up her window-blind, and looked out
next morning, it was on world as white
as her wedding-veil.
The snow lasted all through the week,
and was lying deep and hard frozen on
the ground when Mr.. Denbigh brought
home his bride. 1t was quite dark, ex-
cept for the dreary cold light from the
white ground, when their fly drove
along the village street, and turned up
the narrow lane which led to Abbot's
Portion. As 1t stopped at the gate, the
door was flung open, and old Isott ap-
pesred, with q lighted candle and BEAM
ing face. The little leentrance-hall, looked
cheerful; still more cheerful looked the
sitting.room, of which the open door
gave siEht, all bright with fire and can
die, and gay with white papering and
soft moss carpet, and groupes of low
chairs and graceful little tables, and end
less dainty devices, all wonderfully un-
like the usual fittings in the "best par
lorn of q country surgeons wife. Elsie
Denbigh had hardly time for an excla-
nation Of delighted surprise, for her hus-
bands one idea was to get her out of the
Geld; and it was not until he had almost
carried her to the fireside, and unfasten.
ed her many wrappers, that she could
look round and take in the gay bridal ef-
feet of the room.
"Hsw beautifulIp she cried, when at
last she had studied every detail of deli
cate chintz and fresh well-chosen furni-
ture; and all my own belongings from
the cottage, fitted in, as if they had al
ways been herel Are you a conjurer,
Philip? All, now know why you had
business here, and LETT me for nearly a
whole day. How charming it all isp'
"Do you really like it, Elsie ?''s Does
it please you?. Are you sure?"
Like it? Do not? What an array
of books!" She kneeled to examine
the boek-ehelves. which filled a recess
near the fireplace. "You will read to
me, won't you Philip. and teach me to
like all the books that you are fond off,
And o, q grand pianop
ut has always been my ambition to
give you that, Elsie: sit down and sing
me one of your songs,-worth all the
books that ever were written.n
Elsie obeyed, and for the next heur
sang song after song; her husband lis
tening, as he leaned back in his easy
chair, to the sweet voice which had al
ways seemed to him the perfection of
melody. Then Isott summoned them to
supper, and would allow nobody to wait
ON her master and mistress that night.
g This room looks out at the back, OF
course" said Mrs. Denbigh, as they re-
turned to the drawing-room after their
meal was over. How many years have
passed since was in it last!n She drew
the window-curtain and looked out
How weird and strange the garden
looksiu she said to her husband, who
had not followed her; "all the bushes
standing up like SO many ghosts in their
white shrouds! And that is the Abbot's
Pool, I suppose-that dark spot under
the tree? 1t looks strange to me seen
from here" t
She drew the curtain with some ex-
clamation about the cold, and came to
her husbands side, shivering.
va You have caught cold, You are i'll,
Elsie. Do you feel faint?"
30 no; something seemed to strike
me Geld in q moment. Isott would say
that some one was walking over my
grave"
" Sit down, /" he said, and drew chair
to the fire, adding, in his quick, profess
sional manner, "never neglect a shiver.
Are you warmer? You are sure? Let
me feel your hand again.
"Quite well now. l think the old
Abbot's Pool Chest must have had
some idea of appearing to me, do you
know? I am glad he thought better of
it, and did MT. You can't think how
strange felt for moment,-quites sud-
denly,-as i looking at that gloomy
place.
s' It is . gloomy place. he said, still
chafing her hands. Seme Of these days
we'll leave it far away. Elsie. There ]
I've put some warmth into these poor
little chilled fingers at last.n
To hide some vague feeling of discom-
fort which still hung about her, she
turned to table where several wedding
ranged, and took up basket of old
fashioned card filigree, in which num-
Der Of rolled papers, pink, blue, and yell
low, stood UP like soldiers at drill.
What kind old-fashioned thought
of old Miss Dueane's,o ~ she said, smiling.
Have you seen her present to me, Phil
ip-a set of 5hakspear characters? Shall
I draw and try my fate? Laughing, she
drew out q pink paper, but her counte-
) nance changed as she read it, and she
handed il to her husband, saying: " /
don't think they should put anything SO
painful and horrid as that?"
It was the sentence from Richard the
Third:
"Have not to do with him; beware of him;
Sin, Death, and He'll have set their marks
And eli their ministers attend on him.
tTear it up" said Philip Denbigh,
CURLY.
But they are all arranged in order
1t will spoil the SET"
"Then the set must be spoilt. Teal
UP the paper"
Elsie had never heard that tone OF
command before, and she wondered to
see how his eyebrows were drawn to.
gether until they nearly met, and how
he watched her obedient fingers, as il
she could not tear the offending paper
into morsels small enough.
When it was done, he took up the
heap of letters awaiting him, and became
buried in their contents; butwhile Elsie
moved softly about, accustoming her.
self to the new room and the new life,
she now and then met his eyes, fixed on
her with a look she could not understand
and which was instantly withdraw when
their giances met. She resolved to put
the obnoxious present out of sight next
morning; nor did she feel quite happy
until he had finished reading his letters,
aud had spoken to her again in his a 1fal
voice and manner.
On the following morning thass<kad
set In. Everything was dripping, and
when Mr.. Benbigh mounted his horse,
after breakfast, to 60 On his rounds, be
recommended his wife not: Ito set foot
outside TIE door all day. She promised
70 obey, unless it should turn out tempt
inxly fine, and during the morning was
fully occupied; for old Isott seized upon
her, and insisted on her undergoing q
display Of the contents of every drawer,
clsset, and cupboard, and OF the inyen-
evsr at last, she ats her solitary lunch