The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-02-16
Rsussasta aartsaliats aasssie aspasna'


monosyllable, "No," that trcmbled from
her lips, was audible only to the ear of the
inquirer. In vain Mrs, Elliot despatched
one Of her children after another, in quest
of their father and brother; they came and
went, but brought no tidiugs more cheering
than the moaning of the hollow wind
Minutes rolled into hours, vet neither came.
She perceived the prouder of her guests
preparing to withdraw, and, observing that
"Thomass absence was SO singular aud uu-
accountable, and SO unlike either him or his
father, she didna ken what apology to make
to her friends for such treatment; but it
was needless waiting, and begged they xaut3
u,o vercmony, but just begin.
| No second invitation was necessary
Good humor appeared to be restored, and
sirloins, pies, pasties and moorfowl began to
disappear like the lost son. For moment,
Mrs. Elliot apparently participated in the
restoration of chcerfulness; but low sigh
at her elbow again drove the color from her
rosy cheeks. Her eye wandered to the
farther eud of the table, and rested on the
uuoccupied seat Of her husband, and the
vacant chair of her irst-born. Her heart
fell heavily within her all the mother gush-
ed into, her bosom, and, rising from the
table, "What in the world can be the mean
ing O. this 7" said she, as she hurried, with
troubled countenance, toward the door
Her husband met her on the threshold d.
-z-HAYhare haa,ya- -hAAn,- .P.,As,,ao--. d-vsro,
eagerly; "hac ye seen nae.hing O. him ?"
Matching! naething !" replied he lis
he no cast up yet 7" And, with mclan-
cboly glance, his eyes sought an answer in
the deserted chair. His lips quivered, his
tongue faltered.
"Gude forgie me ?" said Be "and such
day for even an enemy to bs out in I've
been up and douu everysHss that 1 can
think on but not living .cfd dfure has seen
or heard tell o him. Yen&cuse me nee-
bors," he added, leaving the house / must
ava again, for Gamma rest,
II Zen by myself, friends, said Adam
Bell, aecent-lookiug NSsihunibriau, "that
fathers heart is as sensible as tho apple
o his e'e and, 1 think we would show a
want o natural sympathy, and respect fHy:}
our worthy ueighboEs tf Tvs We ssapa every QUE
get his foot into the stirrup, without lossso
time, and assist him in his search. For, in !
my rough, country way O. thinking, it must
be something particularly out of the common
that could tempt Thomas to be amissing.-
Indeed, l medina say tempt, for there could
be no inclination in the way. And our
hills, " he concluded, in lower tone" are
not owre CLANCY in other respects, besides
the breaking up O. the storm. "
"Oh I" said Mrs Elliot, wringing her
hands, II have had the coming O this
about me for days and days. My head was
growing dizzy wi happiness, but thoughts
came stealing upon me like ghosts, and l
felt a lonely soughing about my hearE with
out being able to tell the cause but tho
cause is come at last And my dear Tho
mas-the very pride and staff o my life
is lost-lost to me for ever"
81 ken, Mrs. Elliot, replied the North
umbrian, {" it is an easy matter to say COM
pose yourself, for them that dinna ken what
it is to feel. But, at the same time, in our
plain, country way O thinking, we are al
ways ready to believe the worst. Ive often
heard my father say, and.Ive as often re-
marked it myself, that, before anything hap
pens to body, there is a something comes
owre them, like cloud before the face o
the sun sort o dumb whispering about
the breast from the other world And,
though 1 trust there is naething O the kind
in your case, yet as you observe, when | find
myself growing dizzy, as it were, with hap
piness, it makes -nnnd-a -.
theirs, poor body !--'Bairns, BARNS, she
used to say, there is owre muckle singing
in your heads to night; We will have show
or before bedtime And never, in my
born days, saw it fail.
At any other period Mr.. Bells Iisserta-
ton on presentiments would have been found
fitting text on which to hang all the
Dreams wraiths, warnings, and marvellous
circumstances, that had been handed down
to the company from the days of their grand.
fathers but, in the present instance, they
were too much occupied in consultation re-
garding the different route to be taken in
their search.
Twelve horsemcn and some half-dozen Pc