The New York herald., 1874-11-28

graft ne W stock upon a wild tree.n
"And you have never seen her again -
81 saw her when ner children were born. She
was so far tanned then by weakness and by the
natural restraint OF the circumstances" said
changed altogether. And she would talk little
not 80 much as that one could ind out how her
swear by, and her voice was changed. IL lost Its
Wild sound and took inner modulatlons- You m
his ways-you remember mis- voice ~
The other drew back her chair little. some
now the sudden are sScs SSs t2sd ns with
DonS sss " .ssea sss Su; to hear
| and nothing else, till her head ached and swan
"Ahln Lady Eskslde paused. with ~ wondering
/ sense that something was going on Ia the dark
more potent than mere interest in her story. But
after a while, as even story which Is ones own
OF a another, hswever deee. she recommended, GO
ing back TO herself "Her voice had changed
gave ms great hope thought
/ wnat with the children and what with this open.
be- taV changed 81 NEE and my heart was moved 10 her
When lett kissed the children, and for she nrst
tune kssea aee ana nurse Ensw osnd came
anu how proud was OF the twins-the darlings.
o Mary, Mary little did Know
Mary put out her nand and took that OF her old
friend. She was too much moved herseli 70 say
anything. From this point she had iaint knowl-
edge or the story as everybody had.
"rne next I heard was that she had disap-
ssns he s 9a with a
me SO lar on my way nome and while ne was aD.
M rs ss ws and has
Of 1T NARY Been what some news sypsy Sy
place we found out afterwards; and whether
they carried ner OF or she went OF her own VIII
must have been carried away, but then they
would not have taken the children; and some
times have blamed myself and thought what
said about the nurse may have frightened her
God knows. We sought her everywhere. Mary, as
you may suppose. | went myself up and down
America, and l cannot tell You where. We had
the police employed and every sort OF person we
could think OF, but we have never heard any more
''Nor OF the chidreng' said Mary, drawing
closer and holding stli more tenderiy ner old
..Nor OF the children-two bonnie boys-O my
sob. II never saw such sweet children. You may
fancy all have said TO my old lord, when came
home about them; one & was to to nave % my property
single heir would have been better, LORD Eskside
SAID IN his way you know-out he was as proud
as was. TWO boysl-no fear OF the old mouse
dying out. We began TO plan out the new wing
we have always thought OF building. o. Mary,
now you VIII understand how can never laugh
when the gentlemen make joke with my poor
Old lord about the new wingr'
sDear Lady Eskside but you must not-you
must not break down-for his sake"
mo. must never break down and II l would
could not,n SAID the old lady; ,.t's not my my ma,
last day. But Mary, though 1t Is my nature,
have TO pay for IL, as one pays for everything. O.
heard her wandering ronnd the house, linking
heard her at the window trying to get In. She
strange enough, always think OF her coming here.
When the winds blowing as 1t blows tonight,
have Won never heard a sonnd Iike stems roins
round and round the house ~
1T is only the leaves falling" said Mary; and
then she added. suddenly, Il have heard every
thing tnat the heart hears"
.Anu that's more than the ears ever heard tell
off, said the old lady, "hut oh, to live for years
ana never hear that without thinking 1t may be
them; never to see beggar BARNS on a roadside
without thinking it may be Them to go watching
and waiting and wandering through your llfe,
starting at every noise, trembling at every sud
sne ced uaden rsna TO er feet Is
.Oh, Lady Eskstde ~ CRIED The other, rising, too,
and grasping her hand with nervous shuoder.
at Is nothing; nothing but the Storm
The old lady dropped heavily into her seat again.
sometimes cannot bear it,i' she cried; '.some-
times cannot bear itl get hall crazed at every
sound.n
s'The wind is very high,' said Mary. soothing
and the storm tearing tine trees 1t must be the
equinoctial gales. II you only heard them as we
For a few minutes the two ladies' sat quite still.
holding each others hands. The storm outside
was wd enolgh to impose silence apon those
strange stiffness within and commotion outside,
was 1t their imagtnations that represented to
them another sound striking into the roar OF the
Storm Who could be knocking at this hourr or
how could such sound be heard even in the on
What was its what could 1t be2 Now, was that
the iorlorn peal OF q bes and now gust OF cold
storm in person. which swept through the house
like mountain stream2 and now q wild dash and
cIsng as il the same door had closed again. shaking
the very walls? Tighter and tighter Lady Esksde
grasped Mary's hand, their own hearts beating
loud over the storm, and then there came another
sound udcrous in its methodical calm, which
startled them still more than the SQUADS they mad
supposed themselves to hear
Eskside, Withdrawing her grasp and wringing her
hands. ''some thing has happened some one has
20 gh 9he Us ssd Marv
making one desperate effort to throw on the su-
perstitious impression; and she laughed. The
laugh sounded something terrible full OF mockery
and contempt III the midst OF the always resound-
ing storm; the echo OF 1t seemed to breathe all
around the room, calling iorth diabollcal echoes.
In the midst or these Harding came solemnly into
the room. He was elderly man, who had been
pressed by the soiemnity Of his own position He
came In without any light and stood invisible at
the door, another voice and nothing else. my
lady, said Harding, solemnly, something has
happened-something as is very mysterious, and
we can't understand. Would It be great trouble
to your ladysnip II we was to ask you to come down
staIrssu
Sne mad sprung up nervousiy at his frst words.
She rushed now before him down stars-unabe
OF twenty. though three times that age-followed
trern bling by tde other VINO was not hall SO old
nor half SO full OF life as she.
CHAPTER ii.
Before can FUZZY explain what happened next
and what Lady Esksde saw when she rushed
down stairs, am obliged to turn back for lew
hours in the afternoon Of this day, and Tor some
miles, to q scene OF very different kind "a scene
SO opposed to the other In all It's circumstances
that 1t is strange to realize she close connection
between them; though the two were SO closely
linked together as to be incomprehensiDle, one
without the other. The village OF Lasswade lies
on the Esk, at a much lower elevation, and nearer
to the sea, tnan Rosscraig House. 1t was, at the
time speak OF. much more primitive village
than 1t is now. There was no railway near at that
time, but coach ran regularly on all lawful days.
from the corner or Prince street to the Bull Inn in
High street. But the aspect OF Lasswade, though
considered cheerful and inviting by its Edinburgh
visitors, was very dreary on this March Afternoon
and then came down In torrents. Between these
storm showers there came .Dinks' OF intermis-
SION, when people who loved TO see what was
going on came forth to their doors, alter the
fashion OF the place; and 1t was this hum