Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-08-01
imperatively, over his lips.

i am 10 consider myself ulSmSSed,
then ?-he said, half laughing, half
NeXcd.
jamie jumped up, ran to him, and
gave him coaXing little kiss, as he
stood ON the threshold.
4 shall write to you just as soon as
get there, and we shall be separated
but a brief time after all
i may see you at the depot ?
Not even that. jamie was begin
ming to be annoyed ayain. Let me
have my way for once-it's awoman's
privilege till she's married at least
Pierre Raymond was disquietod
still. The dream haunted him every
hour, it would neither be laid nor cX-
orcised, let him strive as he would
IF | were at all inclined to be a
superstitious man, said Pierre Ray
mond, i should believe this to be a
wmning-l should regard myself as
mad if | gave no heed to it.
1t was a brilliant starlight night in
December, when the little figure in
the sober grey travelling dress and
veiIed face, took her seat in the STAGE
coach which stood at the Courtfcld
depot, awaiting the coming Of all
DamelIsdale passengers starlight,
but cold, with a frosty cleamess in
the atmosphere which made closed
windows by no means uncomfortable.
Not but two faces beside the out
side passenger, muttercd the driver
discontentedly, as he slammed to the
door, and mounted to his place behind
the horses, where a tall, dark figure
already sat. 4 amt goin to make my
fortune on the Damelsdale road, that
is clear
jamie Martin glanced curiously to-
ward the other passenger-a mascu-
! lme-looking old woman, in a beaver
bonnet, Il green barege veil, and a
huge old fashioned bombazine cloak,
with double capcs, who sat nodding
with her elbows on the lid ofthc wick
cr basket she held in her lap. jamie
felt strangely lonely-even the com
panionship Of the uncouth cid crca-
ture she fancicl would be better than
utter isolation, and she timidly attcmp-
ted to begin an acquaintance with
her
1T is very cold tonight she re-
marked.
'Eh?' demanded the old woman,
putting her hand to her ear, inquiring-
iy.
"A cold night, cried jamie, at the
top of her voice.
'Eh?'
1t was plain that the woman would
not be much company for jamie, and
she abandoned her social essay in des-
pair Still, deaf old woman was
better than nobody at all. jamie felt
that all alone in the coach she would
have been very lonely, in spite of the
nervous thrills she experienced once
or twice when happening to look up
as the coach ratified through the gas
lighted suburbs Of Courtfeld, she
caught the quick vigilance Of the oil
woman's furtive, sidcward glance i'll
stantly withdraw.
1t was not pleasant and jamie al
most wished that she had consented
to have Pierre Raymond accompany
her as an escort, on the long, dreary
journey. Pjenes dream, laughed at,
and forgotten at the time, came back |
to her now with strange distinctncss,
blended with unpleasant recollections
Of Lmdley Grey. i am agoosc, men.
tally protested jamie, 'and will 90 to
sleep.
But she could not sleep. Onward
rolled the numbering coach. past the
suburbs, beyond the scattering habit
ations that clunG to the outskirts Of
the little town, into the open country
woods where the solitary farmhouses
that they occasionally passed were al
ready closed for the night-woods
where the rustling dead leaves, eddy
ing downward, sounded like weird
whispers,
The stage coach numbered and jolt
ed until suddenly they plunged into
the dark, fragrant recesses of an ever
green wood, where the tall hemlocks
and clusters Of spruce trees seemed to
arch the interlacing boughs over the
narrow roadway.
jamie gave a quick start-it was
the very wood that Pierre had dcs-
cribed to her so wildly outlined in
his strange dream. In an instant the
warm blood seemed to CONCEAL in her
veins.
Nonsense, she murmured, it is
mere coincidence, but | wish we were
safely out of this dreadfully dismal
place. We have outlived the age of
highway robbers and brigands-yet
The coach came suddenly to stop.
With 4 sick sensation of terror, she
looked out.
Through the frosty freshness of
the night air came perceptibly to her
senses the peculiar odor Of chloroform
The coachman had fallen from his box
and lay like one dead on the roadside,
the reins trailing beheath the hoofs of
of the docile horses, while the out
side passenger had descended, and
hurrying round Ito the coach-door,
flung it open with hoarse, exultant
sound, like laugh. The lantern he
carried displayed his evil, triumphant
face--in fact he made no attempt to