The weekly standard., 1870-08-17

it, and so preceding two other persons. one
was Rodney Gauntlet himself; the other a
strangcr-a fine, tall, square-shouldcred man,
with olive face, black eyes, and shining
white teeth. As give scared look, and
toss back my cumbrous hair, it is Mr. Gaunt-
lett who says, pointing to the stranger. "Mr:
Hugh Dinsdale. my dear, an esteemed friend
of mine" Wholly unused to visitors, am
confused, but muttcr something to the pur-
pose, and am conscious of having my hand
squeezed in broad palm, and held there a
trife-only trife-longer than l felt to be
necessary. The memory of what follows is
made up of three incidents The impress
sion that Mr. Gauntlet is gayer and brighter
than had ever seen before; that Mr.. Hugh
is embarassingly polite; and this further,
that whenever catch his eyes wandering, 1t
is always in the direction of the Japanese
cabinet, which appears to have strange
fascination for him.
That nights introduction was, as l have
said, followed by many visits on the part of
Mr.. Dinsdale. 1t was not long before he
declared himself my devoted admirer, and
begged me to regard him as suitor for my
hand. My patron, too, limited as delicately
as he could that such an arrangement would
be gratifying to him. AS for Bridget, she
declared him to be the finest gentleman in
the world and was perpetually regarding me
with her head on one side and her hands
raised in sort of ectacy ofsaaniratiop sat
my 1s. soGo lesetsea lessuasi MIN coIuf5 c6Ma not
like him; his coming chilled my heart.
The touch of his hand distressed me so that
l dreamed of it in the night, and woke up
with shudder.
Still he came and came. had sus-
picion that he knew how loathed him, and
gloricd in his power to intlict the torture of
his presence on me; gloricd still more IN
suggesting further horror.
"Am never to prove my love by show
ing how happy can make you?"
II am very happy" would be my cold
| reply; :,
realize the future have planned J"
"The present amply contents me-"
So it went on.
At last he lost all patience, and grew fairly
angry with me. Whenever we met his
words were harsh, and his looks threatening.
| l could not endure this, and in one passion
ate outburst bade him bcgone, and trouble
me no farther
II will never be your wife," said. Il
will die. l hate you. Leave me-"
He obcycd but there was malignant
glitter in his eye rs he strobe out of the
| room and saw that he bit his thin lips
to bleeding to keep in the words with which
he would have cursed me. For more than
u month I saw him no more. This might
have surprised me but during the part OF
that time had no leisure to give thought
| to him. My bcnefactor was taken i'll. 1t
| was the winter time, and he was seized with
a slight cold, of which he took no heed
until Inflammation followed; and was soon
really ill., Even then he would not deem
himself an invalid, would not see doctor,
or give up his daily pursuits.
| Within week he was worn to shadow
his eyes sank, his shoulders rounded, and L
cough tore gcrcely at his lungs. l was
terrified; but lie only laughed at my fears
and declared that he would soon be better
On the eighth night of his illness l sal
late in my room; could hear him coughing
below; but Bridget brought message that
he was busy over his papers, and did moi
care to be intruded on. Having given this
message, and assured ME had all lie could
need for the night, she had gone to bed
| I was wretched, for l felt certain he was
very i'll and needed advice. Sitting there
over the dying cmbers, half persuaded my
self to go to him, in spite of his message
and entreat him to comply with my wishes
| in this respect But he was not man
whose will was to be thwarted, who was
oman TIA rAnsnasiAn 81 =: ~
| some one who had influence over HIM. one
name only suggested itself-the hateful name
| of Hugh Dinsdale. At the bare Suggestion
of it | covered over the CRATE with shud
| der hut it seemed to act as spell under
its influence thoughts crowded upon me
and my mind grew morbidly actively, ane
soon was almost lost to CONSCIOUSNESS IL
the bewildering perplexi.ies OF my owl
reflections.
For an hour l might have brooded thus
When at length started, as out OF u Vlsloi
7 was conscious of chillncss and OF II
being very late. 1 put my hand tc m
waist for nv watch. 1t wanted three mil
utes of two. Was that right by the cloe
ON the mantel piece 1 asked myself. L
, | stinctively looked up. The leaning oV
. olass reflected me as sat. l saw my oV
' face and figure, and saw more. There W
I another face looking over my shoulders
o another figure standing at my back
Y Yes. clearly and Enthusiastically, saw
benefactor, Rodney Gauntlet, standl
K there, and bending over me with strans
> pityins look in his face.
+ @You here, sir ~ l cried, turning rou
2. frightened know not why.
Y. There was no answer.
rs half rose.
,t .AsI did so. the form receded from
Q, 1t went slowly, with the shutfilng galt Oh
n cnfcebled man. The face was toward
oven when there was the width OF the ro
re between us. Then it turned toward
n Japanese cabinet, and l saw an uplii
he forefinger reckoning me to observe W
bv followed. The movement was SO natura
h. real, that it scared away the fears VIII
,vs were beginning to paralyze me.
.oS Sneak to me sir !" l cried out, stepL
en- forward as l spoke, cor if you are i'll.
The FINGER was raised again, this tim
.ot if to silence me. Then the face hall turl
,cr could catch the expression OF the
vas and followed them. They seemed to sil
,ks out a spot-a rosebcd in the flower pat
md of the cabinet-and then the painting
ike ger went straight to that spot.
ed: Unless dreamed, the bud yielded Il
So the pressure of the finger tip.
aht 1 saw it sink and spring back to lis p
yat Then almost instantly, long and ma
om- panel fell out and dropped on the gto
.hcr you wish to show me the secret OF u
,ect l gasped, looked up from the spot wher
ness panel lay. To my surprise l addresse
ude cancy. The figure was gone
IAN. NV alarm was intense. Had l seer
was Ghost of Rodney Gauntlet My conyi
roet was that had. Yet the finger had g
sons ed the spring, the rosebud had yielded
had there was the result before meE 20
spirit have done that? If so, for wha
airs pose? While more dead than alive, l
tbe of myself this second question, my ey
,om- voluntarily turned toward that part
Lecn cabinet from which the panel had dra
nd A small aperture had been laid bar
r;dg. IDENTIFY a small recess and what it cont
dor was clearly revealed to my gaze
e; so 1t was folded paper.
kent Here again was something real and
BILE. 1t helped me to fight agalns,
was what had seen was supernatural, t
,turv. nv frame shook with the terror OF g
niece visitation. With trcmulous hand
,toon. cd at the paper and tore it open. Z
thprc nv ewes hurriedly over it saw it was
that Rodney GauntIett's will. Through
Gifts of blurred letters l gathered by me
X on it, that he revowed all former will
niture then lighted on these words, glow
re and they seemed in letters of fire: -
h oval real and personal estate, amounting
escri- present writing to three millions ster
tbpeo JuIia Gauntlet, otherwise known a
icuous signed 10y me as Julia Wyvern, my o
large and lawful daughter -
quaint l could read no more. III WIN
ght re- before my eyes. c,,o.
costly What? Was l Rodney Gauntlet
used as child? Was it a fiction that he ha!
me ou, of the love he bore for his OLD
nougbt What mystery was here? What eol
ociated prompted so strange so c'ucia - e.
Rodney now, why did he seek to atone 10
ftrn to SECURING to me fortune, vast beyo