The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-02-08

Dub nOW ulo ic Sot up w ~ "s' :"
good height from the ground, and the
creeping plants were not in the least
broken, as would have been the case had
any one climbed up by them. A ladder
must have been employed, and it was
little to the credit Of the police that this
fact had not been properly considered.
AS the matter stood it was a mystery,
and seemed likely to remain 80, and
only one earring was left of the valuable
set.
In few days left for school, where
l remained for four years. spent every
vacation between my home and my god
mothers. We often spoke of the stolen
diamonds, but nothing had ever been
heard of them, though reward of fifty
pounds had been offered by Mr.. Hall
for any information that would lead to
the detection of the thief. On my 10th
birthday my godmother gave me beau
tiful watch and chain and the diamond
earring which she had got arranged as
necklet
81 am so sorry, Lillian" said she,
"that I have not the rest of those dia-
monds to give you; but, if ever they are
found, they shall be yours, my dear"
L must now pass over six years, which
went by quietly and happily, nothing
very important taking place until the
last year, during which time / had been
married. My husband was barrister.
We lived in the North of England. My
mother-in-law, Mrs. Benson, and Mary,
one of her daughters, lived some miles
away from us near the seacoast. 1t was
very lonely place, a long way from the
little fishing town, or rather village, OF
Burnley. / confess / often felt very
nervous about Mrs. Benson and her
daughter living alone Cher husband be-
ing dead for many years.. Except
three women servants in the house, and
the coachman and his family who lived
in the lodge, there was no one nearer
than Burnley, four miles off. Beside,
it was known that there was large
quantity of plate in the house; and the
little seaside village WAS often the resort
Of smugglers and other wild and lawless
G., aracterc. One day, while thinking OF
them, 1 felt so uneasy that L said to my
husband:
81 hope, Henry, there is nothing
wrong with your mother; she has been
in my mind all day."
"Oh," said he, "why should you feel
anxious about her to-day? / saw her
Tuesday; and, if she were i'll, Mary
would be sure to let us know. 1t is
only one of your fancies, little wife. I"
Still did not feel easy, for more than
once before my so-called clancy" had
proved to be reality" 80 I deter
mined that in few days L would go and
see Mrs. Benson. All that evening l
could not get her out of my thoughts,
and it was long time before L went to
sleep. l think it must have been about
9 o'clock in the morning that l awoke in
a state of horror. 1 had dreamed that l
saw Mrs. Benson standing in the window
of her bedroom, reckoning me to come
to her, and pointing to a female figure;
who was stealing along under the shade
of the trees in the avenue, for the moon
was shining brightly.
] started up, thinking heard her call
ing me. And here is the most extraoy-
binary part of it although L was
now quite awake, heard, as thought,
voice saying to me
$50, tell Mrs. Benson Martha is de-
ceiving her; tell her TO send her away at
once"
Three times these words seemed to be
repeated in my ear. I can't describe
exactly what the voice was like; it was
not loud, but quite distinct; and felt
as L listened that it was a warning, and
that must obey it. woke my hus-
band, and told him my dream and the
words 1 had heard. He tried to calm
my mind, and evidently Thought me
foolish to be 80 frightened by only a
stupid dream. L said l would drive over
the first thing after breakfast, and see if
anything was wrong with Mary or her
mother The only thing that puzzled
me was, that Martha should be men
toned as deceiving Mrs. Benson. She
acted as housekeeper and lady's-maid 10
her, and was believed to be most trust
worthy in every way. She had been foIr
years with her, and was much respect
ed. She was silent, reserved kind of
person, about 35 years of age. One
thing l had often remarked about her
was that when speaking to any one she
never looked straight at them; but /
| thought it might be from kind of
shyness more than anything else.
AS soon as breakfast was over set off,
telling my husband L would very likely
not return until next day, and, If posi-
BILE, he was to come for me. He could
drive over early and spend the day, and
we would return home together in the
evening, if all was well with his mother.
When 1 arrived found Mrs. Benson
and Mary looking as we'll as ever, and
everything seemingly just as usual.
Martha was sitting at work in her little
rosm, which opened off Mrs. Benson's
dressing room. L could not help look
ing at her more closely than l would
have done at another time, and Thought
L saw look of displeasure cross her
! face at seeing me. Mary and her mother
were of course delighted to see me, and
asked why Henry did not come, too. So
L told them L would stay till the next
day, if they would have me, and Henry
would come for me then. They were
quite pleased at that arrangement, for it
was not very often my husband could
spend whole day with them.
AS the day passed on and nothing out
of the way happened, / began to think |
had frightened myself needlessly, and