The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-05-01

She flung herself upon 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 her fathers lawyer, and tell him
she did not wish to marry Walter Gary.
then live alone in such lodgings as the
remnant Of her fortune could afford her.
All it was, indeed 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
a paper, just as it aroused her last night
Dora gazed upon her like one bereft
of reason.
The large old Bible lay quiet 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.
The window was partly opened, 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 puffAthe 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, a
study for an artist.
At this moment Penelope came in.
She had been weeping.
"The carriage is ready, dear cousin"
sighed she tremulously.
Dora passed her hand over her fore
head, then facing her rival, asked, in
hurried tone, "Were you up last night
any time, Miss Arlingford ?"
Yes," answered Penelope, in sur
prise, "about four o'clock l rose and
closed my window. The wind was
did you hear cock crow as you
did SO"
eyes I did. Why do you ask, dear
Stay / know why | You were frigbten.
ed by hearing broad creak beside your
bed l should have told you about that
board how stupid of me.v
II heard board creak," said Dora.
scarcely believing her own ears.
Eyes, it ought to be fastened down.
1t runs the whole breadth of the house,
and when tread on one end of it in my
room the other end creaks in this. Lis
ten |"
She ran across the passage, shutting
the door after her, and in a moment the
veritable creaking commenced, accom-
panied by the clicking of the latch of
the door, which had so petrifed Dora.
When the young lady returned the ex-
preston of her cousins features was so
nightly altered that she exclaimed
." Why, my darling girl, do think you
wanted to leave us because you thought
the house was haunted"
"Per-perhaps-yes," faltered Dora,
wistfully gazing at her.
You poor little darling" murmured
Penelope, in voice of deep compass
sion, and she took Dora's unresisting
hand in hers. "Why would you not
tell me? Don't you know, Dora" and
smile played on her lips, "that we
ought to love each other very dearly
We are both going to marry Walter
Gary, and be the closest sort of cousins"
"Are there two Walter Carys 2" eiac-
ulated Dora.
"What I" cried Penelope, her coun-
tenance slowly cfimsoning as the situa-
ton burst upon her; "did you-ima-
gine-"
She never completed the sentence,
but snatching up the poor, tired little
orphan to her bosom, strained her
there, and kissed her fearful, smiling
face with kisses which were fully re-
turned.
But Dora never revealed the whole of
her terrible mistake.