The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-02-17

| nOuSc, quite ucutt, uIu ilic nOlSt, MilCh
it is supposed had stumbled and thrown
him, standing by him and whinnying.
After this sad event. our home, of
course, was quite broken up. Norah
went to live with rich aunt in London,
while through the interest of some of
my fathers friends, berth was obtained
for me on board the Daphne. AT the
time my story opens, ] no longer sport
cd the middy's short Jacket, but was
happy in the dignity conferred by tail
coat and odd epaulct when worn in the
Queens service.
Remembering well my fathers death
and the strange warning that preceded
it, my very blood was chilled when
heard the Banshec for the second time
one dark night while we stood up the
Channel. What did the mystic voice
portend? | only knew that as surely as
the shadow proclaims the presence of
an object from which it derives its be-
ing, 50 surely was it the forerunner of
some evil; what, / could not know yet,
though come ] felt it must, and all that
| could do would neither prevent nor
defer it.
My mind given over TO reflections of q
most gloomy character, arrived at my
aunt's house, but only to learn from the
housckeeper that Miss Norah and Miss
O'1Iara had gone down to Lincolnshire
the week before, and that young Mr..
Leyton had come up for the express
purpose of escorting them thither. |
bore my disappointment with as good q
grace as possible, and as there was moth
ing for it but to wait till the morrow
and take the early coach, sat down in
front of fire which my coming had
given life to, and read some letters
which found awaiting me, while tea
was being prepared for me.
The letters were from my aunt and
friend respectively, and were both to
the effect that Fergus O'Hara-my re-
spccted self-would transport himself to
Leyton Hall at the first possible oppor-
tunity, which of course fully intended
to do.
Harry Legion and | were old and
fast friends, though we saw each other
rarely, and this friendship, which was
no common one, his engagement to No
rah tended to strengthen; and 1 did
hope that in the future another tie might
be added which would cement ii more
closely.
first made his acquaintance through
my aunt, at whose house he used to be q
frequent visitor. lie was handsome
young fellow, had studied for the bar,
and was then making some little name.
felt rather solitary partaking of my
meal alone ; the room, which TO another S
eye would no doubt have appeared
cheerful enough. seemed dcsolate tome,
myself the only tenant. where had cX-
pected to see Norah's pretty person and
my dear old aunt.
My meal over, | thought an early re-
treat to bed the best means of dsposing
of the remainder ofa miserable evening,
and of securing good nights rest as |
should be forced to rise early to be in
time for the coach.
arrived at Lcyton Hall early in The
evening cf the following day.
"Well, old fellow" said Harry, burst
ing into the apartment which / had been
shown into, and which was to be mine
during my stay, ''I'm glad you're come
at last. Here giving look around,
''let me take Your traps into my room
tilrthat fire looks a little brighter;" and
suiting the action to the word he seized
upon as many articles as ho could con.
veniently transport there, in spite OF
my remonstrances. | was not long il
making my toilet, when we went to the
drawing room together.
The scene which met my eyes was in
deed happy one, and we'll worthy O
the season which had occasioned il, anC
speedily banished the dark fears whicl
had oppressed me during the past few
.. days.
q The guests were Gs numerous as they
n appeared happy. Norah and my aun
4 were delighted to see me, and Sir Hen
ry and Lady Leyton gave me as warm
h welcome as could have desired. Al
l. this time, there was lady, with rec
l flowers in her hair, who was unaware
ior pretended to be SO, of my presence
e till Harry apprising her of it she ros,
it from the piano at which she had becl
playing to greet me. The vivid blusl
II that dyed her fair face al sight of me
IS and the pretty look of surprise that ac
+ companied it, made her appear NOR
q charming and bewitching than | had ev
v er before seen her.
: She resumed her seat at the instru
/. ment, and took up the verse Of a ballat
r which my approach had interrupted
When it was finished selected SOM
st old favorites of mine and requested he
a to sing them, which she did; thus lis
d tening and talking in the pauses of tn
If songs, passed one ofthe llappiest hour
il is ever permitted a mortal to enjoy.
10 The next morning at breakfast a bal
o was planned for the same evening, an,
N as the time for the proper decoration O
d the large dining-hall in which il wa
principally TO take place was raihe
IN short, all hands We're pressed into th
ST service.
II There is no season like Christmas io
20 making people sociable. All seemed I
enter heart and soul into the spirit ofih
" thing, and showed the greatest interes
ID in what was going forward. Even III
re two Miss Mills, couple Of unusuall
10 grabbed spinstcrs, who rarely relaxe
from their grim irigidiiy. became quit
10 genial under its influence, much to tn
IN astonishmcnt of everybody: which s
ly affected short, puffy old gentleman,
as neighbor of theirs, who was mailing IL
holly hard by them, that he either mad
of n joke or paid compliment to tn
nc younger of the two ladies in question
ly | am inclined to think it was the lattel
Of for the elder Miss Mills seemed slight
ir resentful to her sister for some time n
ir forwards.
Well, at last, after deal of laughin
i'll and talking and directing, great de;
ID of hammering and noise, the i.2mens
10 piles of green which the servants ha
Mt been constantly bringing in were tran
as ferred from the floor TO the dark pai
or elled walls, where the pictures locke
out from their annual frames of scarf,
We and green. There was not an availabl
he spot where holly could be put that W
he did not pnt it-swords were wrcathe
wv with it, helmets were crowned with i
Id and the fire blazing and cracking on II
he hearth, glintcd on the ancient brcas
nd plates and head pieces through Il
rd friendly branches Of The holly and mi
no tletoe.
L When | entered the ballroom in Il
he evening, il really presented Il mo
pleasing and splendid appearance, an
"a we Nnrn we'll rennid fnr Tho lnhnra