Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-03-13

nay, & seemed the one weapon by whic|
Penelope ATlingford would most likel,
strike Tor love and wealth.
MOtionlesA her eyes distended, tn
cold dew Of agony dripping from ever,
limb. the orphan girl lay and listened t.
this evidence Of treachery.
All at once . board ut the side Of tn
bed crcaked, - though = wary foot wa
passing over it, and the long swish Of thu
karments followed.
Thea the door softly burst open as il
without hand, . low Of air from the pas
Mes rushed across the girls rigid face
and she heard amid the s~ufocating throb
binQs il her ears, the first crow Of SOM
neighboring chanticleer.
Her terror ended in . swoon.
When shs came to herself it was broad
daylight
The golden sunshine was lying across
her pillow, and the perfumes Of the red
honeysuckle came in through the open
window and filled the pretty chamber.
All seemed pescea and innocence around
her, bat the soul Of the orphan girl was
6lled with astonishment.
She cOald scarcely arrange her thoughts
at 6Tst, % terrible WAS the ordeal through
which she had pased; but at length she
saw that she must leave the house imme-
diately; that she must relinquish both
her afianced and her fortune, if she
would feel her life safe.
"sOh, papa! my papa!' wept poor
Dor, "yoa have made . terrible
When she joined the family, in answer
to the breakfast bell, she was in her trav-
cling dress, and her trunks were all re-
packed.
"Why, cousin Dora, what IL the matter?
Are you i'll, dear?" exclaimed Penelope,
In : soft, cooling voice, which seemed
habitual to her.
Dora turned her back on her midnight
visitor, and striving to speak calmly,
mid to Mr.. Arlingford, ~ wish to 60 to
London to-day, sir. Please allow some
one to drive me to the station"
There WIS q pause of CONSERVATION,
then they all with one accord began to
plead with her to change her mind, and
none OF the three were 80 urgent and
tender about it a. Penelope.
"Just try US dear cousin!" she en-.
treated. "Of course you will be lonely
1t first-every thing is SO diferent-but
who will make you happier than we car?
Has anybody offended you, dear Dora7"
NO." answered Dora, shuddering;
" but / shall prefer to live alone"
"You are 20 young, so ignorant of the
ways of our towns" said quite Mrs. Ar
hngford, here Ginning in anxiously, ait
Is q mad thing for you to think of, child"
II must CO." responded the orphan,
averting her pallid face that the dark
misery OF it might not be SEEN.
= 30, when the persuasi0ns of himself,
and the pleadings and tears of his women
availed not, Mr.. Arlingford got offended,
and cried, "Let her please herself, Pensie.
Ring and order Sam to bring the car
riage round"
Dora swallowed a cup of tea, and
chOked down = morsel of bread, and then
she went back to her room to put on
her hat.
Locking the trunks took but a few
moments.
She flung herself upon q chair, and
wept silently, feeling herself to be the
most desolate and friendless being on the
face of the earth.
What should she do in London?
Go to fathers lawyer, and tell him
she did not wish to marry Walter Cary,
then live alone in such lodgings as the
remnant Of her fortune could afford her.
All! it was, indeed, a terrible mistake.
that clause in the will.
But into the midst of her musings
stole a sound which thrilled her once
more with awe.
The swish of a garment, the rustic of
q paper, just 8 it aroused her last night.
Dora gazed upon her like one bereft
of reason.
The large, old Bible lay quite enough
and closed exactly where she had placed
it-no living thing was in the room but
herself.
And then she saw the whole mystery.
Inc window wa partly open, and a
slight puff OF wind had blown out the
crisp white curtains in the room: then
receding, had sucked them outward
through the aperture, while the impris-
oned air, running up the blind, had
caused the tissue-paper hanging at the
top to rustic.
There came another puff-the trail Of
the curtain over the carpet, the rustic OF
the paper hanging.
dora sat gazing at the window. her
face, In its astounding thankfulness, q
study for IN artist.
At this moment Penelope came in.
She had been weeping.
The carriage is ready, dear cousin"
sighed she, trenulously.
Dora passed her hand over her fore.
head, then facing her rival, asked, in a
hurried tone, Were you up last nigh.
any time, Miss Arlingford!"
YcA" answered Penelope, in surprise,
About four o'clock / rose and shut INV
window. The wind wa rising"
Did you hear a cock crow a. you did
Yes, l did. Why do you ask. dear?n
Stay! ! know why! You were frightened
y hearing q board creak beside your bed
sa should have told you about that board
Il heard q board creak," said Dora.
scarcely believing her own ears.
1eA 1t ought to be fastened down,
II runs the whole breadth of the house.
and when ] tread on one end of it in inv
room the other end creaks in this
LISTEN"
She ran across the passage, shuttina
the door after her, and in a moment the
veritable creaking commenced, accompa.
MED the clicking If the latch Of the door
which had 50 petrified Dora.
When the young lady returned. the
expression OF her cousins features was &C
nightly altered that she exclaimed;
Why, my darling girl, I do think you
wanted to leave us because you though
the house was haunted"
Per-perhaps-yes," faltered Dora
vistfully gazing ct her.
You poor little darline,n murmured
Penelope, in { voice Of deep compasion
and she took Dora's unresistins hand 4
ner1 Why would you not tell me
Don't you know, Dora" and . smil,
played On her lips, that We ought L
love each other very dearlyf We n,
both going to marry 4 Walter Cary. and
% the closest sort Of ~couina.n
Are there two Walter Care 20 ..o,,