The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-12-02

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"Will YOU do me favor?'
Edward smiled little.
THAT depends upon what it Is,
fat'cr.'
CIVIL Won wait a week before you ask
bor TO become vour wife? Will you
wait week without asking any ques-
tions?"
IF Won desire it, sir
"At the end of that time l will tell
Won what think upon the matter
And Mr.. Stedhurst went out.
The next day he brought down an
armful of old coats. vests, etc, from
the garrett.
"Jnlith." said he, "these things are
gettirg moth-eaten. They belonged to
an old uncle of mine, who died ten
wears ago-an odd, miserly old fellow
who boarded everything up, and died
in a cellar at last. want them cut in
to carpet rags
Yes. sir" answered Judith Black in
the soft. low voice which was habitual
to her. And when her days routine of
duty was done, she went to work dill
gently with Mrs. Stedhurst's large
shears
She was all alone in the kitchen the
next afternoon Just as the clockwas strik-
ing three. And as she worked she sang
softly to herself an old Scotch ballad,
Bonnie Dundee"
Picking up an old waistcoat of gin
gcr-colored cloth. she Clipped off the
buttons. and mechanically turned the
pockets inside out to cut them away.
There was piece of folded brOwnlsh
paper in one of them. Judith took 1t
out, without thinking much of it, and
unfolded it.
To her surprise. she perceived that it
was Il twenty-pound note.
In her first establishment she uttered
little cry, all alone though she was.
/ And then she remembered what MIR.
Stedhurst had said about the miserly
old one who had "hoarded up his little
gains and died in cellar at last" This,
doubtless. was one of the old mans hid
g-places-and he died and made no
sign.
And this precious bit of paper-was
it not hers by right of discovery?
HEY eyes cleaned and her fingers
trembed convulsively as they frightened
upon it, She needed it so much! She
was so poor--so pinched for money.
And these Stedhursts, to whom 1t would
naturally revert, were rich, and did not
need it, They would never know. No
body wonld know.
For minute the temptation battled
tiercely with her better nature. For %
minute only; and then she rose up and
went straight to the door of the tool
room-went with dropping eyelids and
,,l,. oil
Come in" said Mr.. Stedhurst, as
she knocked at the door, and she en-
tered.
Mr.. Stedhurst," said she, in voice
that would falter little. in spite OF her
resolution to control it; here is some
money! twenty. pound note. have
found it in the pocket Of one OF those
old waistcoats.
"Ah." said Mr. Stedhurst, putting
down his plane, and taking the crnmpled
bit Of paper. "And why didn't yon
keep it? Did it not occur to You that |
would never know any thing about it 2"
Yes" said Judith slowly, lit did
occur to me, sir.
Then why didn't you keep it ~
cit was not mine Judith answered,
in low tone.
Judith, said old Phineas, L put
that money there.
"You did,
Il did. To test you. TO make sure
that the girl TO whom my boy had given
his heart was WORTHY of him."
Judith's face glowed deep scarlet.
II don't understand You. sir"
said she.
"No, suppose not. But you will in
few days"
And she did when Edward Stedhurst
asked her to be his wife.
my own love-" he said. the house
has been like different place since you
came into it. Will you promise to stay
here always
And Judith's answer was Yes"
STRANGE sorSps AT NIcur.-Every
one has noticed! how many singular
sounds are heard at night-noises APP
parently unexplainable. and conse-
quently mysterious. Man; ghost
story has spung up from an unaccount-
I able noise; many IL person terrified be-
yond measure by an unexpected sound
ut midnight Sir David Brewster gives
an excellent account of a mysterious
night sound which would have frighten-
cd many persons, but which proved
/ innoccntly harmless when tested by II
steady observer. A gentleman heard
strange sound every night soon after
getting in bed, his wife heard 1t also,
but not ut the time when she retired,
little earlier than he. No probable
cause could be assigned, and the effect