The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-01-03

great public bcnefactor. The only ex.
ception to this general conspiracy to
make much Of an unworthy individual
was Blanche herself. My young cousin
seemed to avoid me since that eventful
night; and of all the farewells that were
said when returned home, the coldest
.good.by" was Blanche's own.
We sailed Tor India and for four
years | went through the usual round
of Indian duties and amusements.
At the end OF four years, my elder
brother poor Tom, died, and my parents
pressed me to leave the army and come
home, the necessity for a profession in
my case no longer existing. With some
regret l babe adieu TO my former Lille
and it's associations; but, after all, there
is no great hardship ip. being the future
proprietor of an entailed estate like
ours, and with tolerable resignation |
sent in my papers and rencunced the
career OF arms. -~s
had not been long in England before
an invitation to repeat my former
Christmas visit to Bramshaw Hall
reached me- cous he'd in such afftctonate
terms, and SO urgent, hat could not
find it in my heart to decline. Wind"
said my father jestinely, "that you
don leave your heart behind you
there, unless indeed you have left it in
India. Miss Blanche. | am tod by
those who are judges Of such matters,
has turned Oh amazingly Good looking.
laughed, aud answered with tone
of perfect conviction that there we lit
tie prospect of any love.passages be.
tween my cousin, now. sixteen years OF
age, and myself L found that my
fathers accour of Bllnche's appearance
hardly did justice to the reality. She
had developed into very pretty GIRL
who at moments, as When she sang,
which she did in sweet sad voice, and
with much musical taste and skill,
looked absolutely lovely. | took an op.
portuniiy to ask Lady Treherne, half
iocularly, whether 'the ghost" was
etfectually exercised, end sleep.walking
a thing OF the past. With perfect con.
fidence my amt replied in the affirm.
alive. Care, ard change OF air and OF
scene, amusement and study, had, she
said, done wonders for Blanche's health;
and whereas the extreme delicacy o!
her constitution had formerly caused
much an xiety to ner parents, they now
considered her to bo quite well and
strong. 1T was on her account, dear
girl" said Ladv Treherne, that We
quiet old folks have run abou. the world
AS we have done, travehng and pleasure
hun, Jog; ior.you must know. Talbot,
this is .he first Christmas we have spent
L. III Ill 4
u.s."
A curious coincidence. 1t was wild
snowy weather age'n, and with few ex
ceptions the same COMPANY that | had
formerly met had reassembled under
Sir Char lie. hospitable roof. As before
l. ID arrived on Christmas eve; and Al
the dinner in It's old style, and the
dance, and the s0ngs-and~ music, and
the games 'or the children, succeeded
. in precisely the same fashion, | could
have imagine that the four last years
wee the baseless vision of dream, and
tibet this was my rrst aud or ly Chris tmai
at Bramshaw Hall. One change there
certainly WAS. Blanche. TO longer ,
child, was taken in to diuner by me
|, and she did no. avoid IRE in the point
ed, almos. petulan !snrafnersin which
she had turned from me when .le wa
but twelve years cid; BIZ, | could make
no way with her ~ conversation, no
/. did she meet my eyes frankly, bu
A allowed hers to rest anywhere but OF
: my face when addressed her, answered
. my best things with monosyllables
; blushed when l spoke carelessly of on
! former meeting, and altogether discon
|, certed me, who was perhaps-a little vail
s of my powers of pleasing. l soon CAV
' her up AS hopeless, and directed my al
q tentions elsewhere.
Never in my life had l felt mysel
o less disposed for sleep than when, lat
e on the night of Christmas.eve,I sat be
, fore the cracking wood fire in my bed
|. room-they had given me the Tapestr
!, Room, as beforehand meditated on al
# that had occurred, Tor coed or III, sine
# last | was the tenart Of that ancien
!. chamber. Four years ago poor Ton
!. NV elder brother, was hale and strong
e and younger son, with no prospect
It but such AZ my profession might, j
/. these, from a military point OF view
I, hard times, open out before me. Fou
?, years ago | was setting out tor lndi'
|. with scan.y chances OF revising iaml
'. lar ccenes and associating with oil
y friends, until absssascAslhfbvtashave veal
/ ened the memories OF tie first, an
IS thinned the numbers of the latter. Ye
q four years ago; how strange was tn
d adventure of that other Christmas-ev
IF to which my thoughts few back, n
n matter on what subject might be POI
le dering
,e could not go to bed. Somehow, d
'e what would, remained wakeful an
a watchful, with .ap.u,apAa6pable impre
ot sion upon me that l was wanted, that
ID had duty 10 perform: and that | mu
70 | ~ sioo.a ,isfened intently tQr II