Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-07-15
SeIefteO Storp.
The Key CT the Church.
lcoNc1rDRD FROM LAST WEEK

! y year went by. We were at home for
the Mlchdelmas holidays again. And. who
should chance 10 call at the manor the
I very day of our arrival but old Wester.
/ brook
/ Changes had taken place at the y. d
/ arm have You ever observed that when
( our "h"Ie heari J. set upon a thing. our
/ Tht''e Aiih> and actions are directed Ia
briu" II about. it j. all quietly frustrated
by that Finger of Fate that none of us,
whether prince or peasant can resist
MIS-. W eSterbrook had been doing her be, I
, 1" move heaven and earth to encnmnass
the deposition Of Fred Wesierbrook for
her own succession, and behold she could
ho'. Just a. she had contriyed that Fred
mould De crushed. and she herself put in
L" Old Nester'brook's will in his place as
me inhrrltor OF the y. u. Farm and all
IT. belongings. Heaven rendered her work
hugalory by taking her to itself
les, Mrs. Westerbrook was dead. She
was carried of after a rather short illness :;
ana Mr.. Nesterbrook was wldower. be-
reaved and solitary.
lie wa> better oil without her. The home
was ten times more peaceful. lie felt that;
Out lie ielt 1t 10 be very lonely: and he
more than once o.,.-' ;,r,;i.h ~ course
Fred MAS back. IA me-. 80, Away. and
never turned out to be scamp.
Gi-by did not die. Gisby had recovered
IN process of time. and was now more ac-
tive on the farm than ever. Rather too ac-
tive, IL master was beginning dimly to
suspect. Gsby seemed 10 haunt him. Gis-
by assumed more power than was at all
necdiul; and Gl>by never ceased TO pour
into Mr.. Nesterbrook's ear reiterations of
Frcd'S base iniquiiy. Altogether. Mr.. Wes
Textbook was growing bit tired of Gisby.
lie had taken 10 put him down with sharp
curtnes>; and once, when Gisby ventured
to hint that it might be convenient ar
rangem"nt if lac took up his abode in the
house. Mr. We>tcrbrook swore 1T him. As
70 Fred, he was still popularity looked up
on as cousin german TO the fiend incar-
nate.
Nothing had been heard of him. Moth
Ia. OF ANY kind since that moonlight night
when he had made his escape. Tod and /,
waiting for news from him so long, and
waiting ia vain. had at last made up our
minds that nothing more ever would be
heard OF him in this world. In short. that
he had slipped out Of it. Perhaps been
starved ont OF il. Starved to death
Well. Mr.. Westerbrook called at the
manor within an hour Of our getting home
/ tor Michaelmas. just twelve months after
/ the uproar.
10 me. lie looked 10 DS pOOU Ottl
/ changed: his manner was quiet and sub
/ dued. almost as though he no longer took
much interest in life; his hair turned much
! grayer. and he complained of a continual
( pain in the left leg, which made him stifl
| aud sometimes prevented him from walk
! ing. Dufham called it touch of rheuma-
/ ti>m: but Mr.. Westerbrook fancied II
might be something worse. The Squire
/ began talking of the oats on the n. ID.
| Farm, saying what famous crop it was.
Good crops no longer bring me the sat
isfaction they did. Squire" was the indiffer-
ent reply. I've nobody to save for now
will you spend day with me before you
go back, young gentlemen?" he went on,
turning TO Us. Come on Friday. 1t is
pretty lonely there. 1t wants company TO
enliven il"
And we promised we would
| vent with him. to help him over the
stile into the lane. on account of his stiff
ness-for that was the road he meant to
take to Church Dykely. In passing the
ricks he laid his left hand on my shoulder
You won't mind a lonely day with d
lonely old man!'
I'VE shall like it. Sir. We will do our
best to enlyen you"
1T is not much that will do that now
Johnny Ludlow said he. when IA mai
gets to my age. and feels his health and
| strength falling. it seems hard to be left
alone"
mo doubt, Sir. | wish you had F. ed
back?" boldly added.
"Hush. johnny. Fred is lost to Inc fol
good He made his own bed, you know
and is lying on it. As l have to lie oil
mine. such as it is. Such as he left to me.
DO you know where Fred is. Sir?"
DO know where Fred is. :" he repea L
ed. in tart tone. ''IIow should be like
ly to knows How could know? | have
never heard tidings of him, good or bad
since that wretehed night"
We had gained the stile. Old Wester
brook rested his arms upon the top bar in
stead of getting over, tapping the step OF
the other side with his thick walking stick
''Gisby's opinion is that Fred threw him
self into the first deep pond that lay in hi
way that night; and so put an end to hi
career for good" said he. my late wifi
thought so. too
Don't you believe anything of the kind
Sir" said in hot impulse. 81 am quit
sure he did not"
when a man gets the crime of murde
on his soul. there's no answering for wha
he may be tempted to do in his remors
and terror
1T was not murder at all, Sir. Gisby !
well again.
But it was thought to be murder at tn
time. Who would have given a brass but
ton for Gisby's life that night: Don't quit
BILE, Master Johnny" I wished l dare
tell him all
'Shall l walk with you as far III
houses. Sir?"
No. thank ye, lad. want to be ind.
pendent as long as l can. Come you bot
over in good time on Friday. Perhaps "
can get an hour or twO's shooting"
Friday ca@e, and We had rather joll
day than not, what with shooting an
, feasting. Gisby drew near to join us
, the cover. but his master civilly told hi
that he was not wanted. and need not hir
der his time to look after US. Never