The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-05-08

| tefrorS OF the unseen to the actualtles,
perhaps the dangers, of the visible world.
"No. no Y shrieked Miss Priscilla,
we can't take you in, whoever you may
be-"
"Oh Miss Priscilla, what cruelty In
such awful weather, and with that dread
full thing that has Just passed You must
let him ina poor lost stranger-what
harm can he do? ?" cried Madge
"I will not" she said passionately.
''Let him in Why, who knows? he may
have come to murder us all. He may be
Galloping Dick himself,"
The knocking was repeated.
"Help Y said the voice in a tone of
anguish, ''if you are Christians save me-"
"No; 60 away" gasped Priscilla.
'Shame You are no woman" cried
Madge, as if deeply moved. eff you will
not then l WILL" she added and before
Miss Priscilla could stay or hinder her,
she had darted to the door, and the next
instant had flung in wide to the black
night, and to the stranger standing there.
As she opened it man staggered in,
and sank down on the nearest chair He
was pale and haggard; so pale indeed,
that his face looked as if it were made OF
chalk. His dark long hair hung dank
| and dripping on to his shoulders; his
/ heavy moustache and beard, that almost
concealed his features, were also stream
ing with wet; and his whole appearance
was that of a man fairly overcome with
terror. And yet his sinister face with its
SMALL greenish colored eyes and hooked
nose, was more watchful than seemed
| quite to accord with his harassed bearing;
and keen observer might have seen Just
one glance pass between him and Madge
that did not look cutie like the glance of
strangers.
"Waterm he gasped. Il am dying"
''What is it 9' asked Madge, who had
suddenly taken the command OF every
thing; "who has hurt you9"
"No living man." replied the stranger,
in broken voice Something too dread
ful to see and live" He shuddered as
he spoke-shuddere so strongly that
Madge was fain to hold the mug to his
lips herself, his nervous hands Just resting
on her strong white arms.
"Did you see 1t ?" half sobbed Miss
| Priscilla, who was now standing by her
sister.
Il saw It," repeated the stranger and
let his head fall against the shoulder Of
the girl.
He is half dead with cold and terror"
said Madge. 'We must keep him till he
recovers'
She pushed him quietly back in his
chair; and if Miss Priscilla had not been
too much dazed with all that was passing
round her, she would have seen her
hurriedly brush off a broad white mark
from her stuff dress where his forehead
| had rested
Without another word Madge drew
Agatha's own sacred armchair closer to
the fire, heaped up the peat and coal with
lavish hand, and without leave or license
asked, went to the cupboard where she
knew the private stores were kept, and
with one wrench forced the crazy old
lock, and brought out a bottle of brandy
'Madge" shrieked Miss Priscilla.
''Be quiet" said Madge, turning sud
denly upon her with a dark look. "Am
going to let a man die before my eyes
for the sake of OF your meanness ?"
''You are good" said the stranger,
ieebly. May you be rewarded 70
There was something in all this that
utterly dominated the sisters; for by
this time Miss Agatha had come to her
full senses again, and was looking on,
trembling in every limb. The strange
manner in which Madge had assumed the
upper hand, and the sudden display of
strength, almost of threatening, that she
made, would of itself have scared them
but when to this was added the terror Of
the passing spectre, and the infinite dread
which the stranger inspired the poor old
ladies collapsed, and sat still, afraid to re-
monstrate, yet unwilling to acquiesce.
SO the time passed till it grew into the
| ,,rIt -. T
the last hour no one had spoken. The
stranger sat half doing by the fire; Madge
busted herself making up a kind of shake
down on the floor, taking no heed of the
terrified anguish of the two sisters as she
dived into recesses, and dragged about rs
if they were Of no account the things which
they knew held their richest and most
sacred deposits. Then, when all was done,
she reused the man, and bade him see
what she had prepared for him, and, TAX
ing the candle, peremptorily bade the old
ladies 90 TO bed.
'Go to bed and leave a stranger in the
house by himself? No." said Miss Pris-
ella, despair giving her the momentary
semblance Of courage.
"You had better" said Madge, fixing
her eyes on the spinster; and her look
was not pleasant.
"Are you the mistress, or am I?" re-
torted Priscilla.
"You were; | am," replied Madge
"Now will you go?''
| The doing man opened his eyes q little
more. If his big black beard had not
covered his mouth, you might have seen
a smile, US he whispered very softly to
himself, Bravo, young bulldog" !"
| ssAra pOu mad rirl 9,t nriad Misc
ella her shrill voice rising to q scream.
"Not now. was when l came" she
answered. That is not the question,
however. Will you 90 to bed or not ?''
81 will not ~ said the old lady. ''You
have no good reason for wishing us to
leave this room. Who are you and why
have you brought this man here ?"
"Well, if you won't act like wise
woman you must suffer like a fool-like a
couple of fools,' said Madge, quietly
81 wanted to spare you; but you are
anxious to be made uncomfortable. Don't
blame me, that is all"
The stranger turned his head; his eyes
were wide open now. ''Ready, Madge?" ?"
he said, laziy.
g Yes, quite ready" she answered.
'You won't have much trouble"
In the morning, which broke calm and
clear a farmer, going to his work. passed
the house at Three Ash-lane. The door
stood wide open, and there were strange
marks about the threshold; dints of a
horses hoofs, bits Of broken pottery, ends
and tags of parti-coored rags. The place
| looked as if something were amiss so he
knocked at the door. and then getting no
answer walked in.
| Bound in two chairs, and gagged were
the two sisters Sinclair. On the hearth
burned still some dying embers; and an
empty brandy bottle was on the table
The floor was strewn, like the threshold,
with fragments of pottery and rags of
linen; and there was not drawer, a cup
board, a crevice throughout the house
that had not been ransacked. Here and
there, among the rubbish on the floor,
glittered golden coin; here and there a
silver one. The gain had evidently been
heavy, when the robbers could afford to
leave such spoil.
The farmer, who had his own griefs,