The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-09-01


| he called to her to come and join him.
Whose handwriting should you say that
was J" he asked In low, eager voice, Pointing 3
| in large letters on 1t, that lay uppermost. She
raised 1t to examine it closely, bot instead of
reading, exclaimed in dsmsy: at the sight of
my dear J John, is that pst your @ essay f~sursly
You have not torn it mp without my leave"
Il wish had wish II was my own doing,
oaSd Ms n the state
went into the drawing room to fetch 1t away
ten minutes ago. The frst sheet is the only
one urtorn it lay over the sbreds, and has .
sentence scrswled on it-read."
Bride looked down on the paper in her hand.
and with dificulty, for the writing was in
faint pencil, made out the words, "CasssDdra
it will arouse the meanest OF the mice to rally
round their lions, and set them free to raw
ags;n :s;., o., ...os uu-,.s
"You called Ellen Daily 'CasSapd dra' last night.
The person who wrote those lines must have
overheard our conversation the question is,
which of the servants in the house would have
understood 1t, and cared enough to take 30
daring O method of showing psrtiz anehip.
There was opportunity enough since last night
for anyone OF them to have done It,"
eyes," said Bride thoughtfully; "for anyone
in the house t, have done 1t.
"Auy of the servants. you mean "
'My dear john" said Bride, slowly, fixing
her eyes sorrowfully on his face. "do You think
and our guests who could spell such word as
Csssandra rightly. or remember it and apply
it, If heard once ~
"That," said John quickly, "reduces us to
the superstition that the house has been en-
tered during the night by some one who
knows all our family ways. 1t is an uncom-
Portable idea shall hardly like to leave the
"Nor 1, with Lesbis in it. John, without
knowing anything of this accident, / came to
you to sugges st that you had better ssart for
London alone to day i remaining Deh1nd TO
look after Lesbis."
"But why yon say you knew nothing OF
this: For Heavens sake dent be mysterious,
Brdel You know of all things in the world
mot more. / hope, than hate all my s teri
ous and undsrhand doings. If you wish me to
speak plainly you must give me time. l must
think for q moment, and try to disentangle i'm
pressions from facts, SO as to avoid saying un-
necessarily what will pain you."
"Well," said Johr, when he had watched
Bride for about minute absently twisting the
sheet of paper she still held into neat cornu
oopia, you had better begin at once there is
no need for such extre me caution. When you
talk of giving me pain, 1 know, OF course,
save your scrpples, may as we'll tell you at
once that if it is anything against her am not
going to believe it,"
II am sorry for you though, John, for it is
not q conjecture of mine you have to bear.
shall merely tell You 9 little fact; and am
afraid you won't like it,"
Don't be afraid, shall not care. put the
fact of her trustworthipess above any other
you can tell me-"
~ will simply stat, what saw. / sat up
last hight writing, and when had finished
count books had teen using in the press in
| the housekee pers' room. / heard steps in the
| passage as 1 wss coming down stairs, and fam
cied saw light moving below. Thinking
| that some of the servan IS were up late, went
to the Offices first, and found ell dark there.
On my way back 1 saw the light again
| streaming through the crevices of the draw
| Dg.room door. Uuluckily dropped my books
| with some noiss, and when had pick them
up again the light was gone; but, coming
! from the direction of the drawing room, met
Ellen Dely with candle in her hand extin-
| guished."
You spoke to her, suppose, and learned
| how she chanced to be therei'
"She said she bad come down to look for a
| book, think, aud that her candle had gone
out and when Questioned her about the
lights and the noise, she talked of ghosts. 1
| am cory to say it, John, but saw she wished
to prevent my going into the drawiDg:room. )"
| Bride, cannot have You believe that sh Q
went there to destroy my man usoript."
"If you like I will not say so promised
to tell the fact and leave you to draw what
Its absurd. She would have torn the
papera across before my face If she had meant
TO do it. You know she would"
sensitiveness and timidity oddly mixed up
with her rashness. It's Irish. 1 notice the
same thing about all the people here. They
will be wildly defiant at one minute and the
next, when the excitement is over, they will
use the subtlest s:ratagems to hide their re-
| veuge."
Il Thought you were not going to give your
| opinions."
! "You force me to argue, and 1 want to show
you that can believe she has done this thin e
and yet net condemn her entirely. You heard
how vehemeptly che spoke last night. She
said she hated every word of the essay, and
refused to make suggestions. can't help
| thinking the secret des truction of what she
hated natural result with her of the over.
excitement"
Johns face flushed painfully be turned his
back on Bride, took turn in the room and
came back to her.
"No," he said, "she did not do it a guest il
our house aud behaving to MS all this las,
week in such frank, sweet, friendly fashion
that even against sober conviction could moi
help at times believing in the possibility o
pleasing her-sbs could not have dealt m,
such blow in the dark. Bride, should b,
less dissatisfied with You if you shove ed more
surprise"
II can be as indignant as you please at th'
inRut % Vou.D