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

L |
one, only Madge herself, and, perhaps,
Mr. John Collette
The winter set in wild and hard. 1t was
the stormiest within the memory of man
and life at Three Ash-lane was gloomy
and oppressive almost beyond endurance
Madge Bernard thought that the long
chill hours would never pass. Within the
house cold CRATES and an empty cupboard
uncarpeted floors, uncurtained windows
bed OF musty oat flight" not hall
filled, and no society but that of two
stingy, lean, and Grabbed old maids, made
not too joyous home life for lusty
pleasure-loving youth. Without, wild
winds and cloudy skies, sharp storms Of
singing hail, of drenching rain, of blind
ing snow, kept the girl from her lonely
rambles about the heath, which up to now
had been her only amusement. 1t was a
dreary time; and the only Joy left hel
was when the Maltby carrier stopped al
the end of the lane, and doing duty for
the foot post, came tramping through the
snow up to the door of the little house,
bringing her an envelope with the London
mark on it, and four or five pages inside,
written close, in neat, commercial hand.
chance Of knowing. For Madge, unlike
girls ia general with their love letters
and of course they were love- letters, said
the esisters,-invariably burnt them as soon
as read, and even stamped out the black
ened ashes on the hearth. 1t was evident,
however, that they made her anxious, as
well as gave her pleasure.
Miss Priscilla, who was tritle the more
suspicious. and the keener-eyed of the
two sisters, noticed that She added to ii
another glimpse into the depths she could
not tathom, that Madge had got into the
habit of prowling about the house a great
deal more than was necessary. She had
even caught her terreting in the damp
hole they called the kitchen, at dead Of
night, when she ought to have been fast
asleep in her bed; and she was always
putting her finger into holes and crevices.
and poking her nose into covered jars OF
mouldy fat and the like, said Miss Priscilla
frettully to Miss Agatha, below her breath.
And the two shook their foretingers vici-
ously, and said if she was on that scent
she should 90, ay, this very week But
she did not 60 She only peeped. and
peered. and fingered more than ever, and
wrote longer letters to Mr. John Collette
in London.
The evening had drawn in bleak and
wild The wind roared in the trees, and
whistled round the house, as if legion
of demons were calling to each other.
You might fancy you heard all sorts of
sounds in the clustering blasts. There
were sighs and groans, and hreks and
plaintive cries. Now i. seemed as if q
host of winged things were tlying past,
now as it an army were laundering over
the heath Nature was in one of her great
hours of pain and wrath and humanity
suffered with her.
"What a night" shivered Miss Pris-
ella, as she drew her scanty garments
tighter round her, and uneasily moved the
solitary candle, which lighted the bare deal
table on which it stood and lighted little
else.
"You keep such bad fires" said Madge
Bernard, quietly. She had been very
quiet and amiable tor the last day or two
'Such a handful of damp peat as that
Why, you must expect to shiver."
"Shiver, indeed If and my sister,
who are so much older and more delicate,
can keep warm, a young thing like You
ought not to complain" snapped Miss
Agatha.
Il did not complain; | only observed y
said Madge, tossing her bright brown
head. ''What a night! !" she echoed, as
the wind burst out into a furious blast
that rocked the wooden house like a
cradle; 81 Just the night for Galloping
Dick !"
d" Hush, Madge!' said Miss Priscilla.
sternly. Il do not like such talk
''Not like such talk, Miss Priscilla? In
the name of fortune, why You don't
mean to say that you believe in Galloping
Dick" returned the girl.
sit makes no matter to you what | be-
lieve," said Miss Priscilla.
"No, no matter at ALL" said Miss
Agatha, as chorus.
Madge looked saucy but she spoke de-
murely, 81 think it does" she answered.
"You are SO much older than | am, and
know SO much better. that what you be-
lieve ought, of course, to have some
weight with me. And it has. | assure
you. So tell me about Galloping Dick
Is he ever seen now ?"
"Do be quiet, girl - repeated Miss
Priscilla, but less angrily than before. at
is a bad sign to talk of him. And such a
night as it is, toor"
insisted Madge. "Bad sign What non
sense! What harm can there come of
talking Of him? Tell me about him, Miss
Priscilla. All, now do! You talk so we'll.
| know that he was a highwayman who
was hanged at Gallows End about two
hundred years ago. don't want to hear
more about that only about him now.
When was he seen last ?"
'About five years ago." said Miss Pris-
ella, in half-whisper.
Terrible as the subject was, and much
as she dreaded to talk of it, she had the
true feminine love of the horrible, and en-
joyed frightning herself as much rs most
women Besides, Madge's insistance bore
her down, and her little bit of fatterv
warmed her
"And then what happened ?" asked the
girl.
1.-The rectory caught fire, and Miss
Alice was burnt to death" said Priscilla
"How dreadful" said Madge in low
voice. "Something bad, then, always
happens when he is heard
Always" said Priscilla solemnly
Have you ever heard him, Miss
Priscilla? ?"
81, girl ?" : she shuddered visiblv,
"Heaven forbid If | were to hear Gal
Looping Dick I should not expect to live
till morning! My mother did before my
father died but we never speak of that"
1T would be very trlghtful certainly
said Madge. 81 wonder what would
happen if we heard him ?"
Death" said Priscilla"
81 wish you would be quiet, you two,'
broke in Miss Agatha. You have made
my flesh creep. | shan't sleep tonight
with all your horrors; and such night,
too, as you said, Priscilla"
"Hark what is that ?" cried Mad ge
suddenly, clutching at the table with II
scared face.
And, surely enough, as she spoke they
heard distinctly the sound OF horses hoofs
laundering madly along the road, while
loud cry rose above the wild tumult OF
the night, more like the cry of wild
beast in fear, or the cry of soul in pain,
than the voice of xliving man.
"God save u.s." cried Miss Priscilla,
rising and finging up her hands. ''What
shall we do? oh, what shall we do? 1t
is Golloping Dick, sister, our time has