The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-10-27

|
her" TIL come back"
Ellen wUs half way down the passage on he
| way to her room whom q loud knock at th
| front door of the house startled her. She ra
back To ConnOr pale and brea hless
What shall we do The door must be open
ed at once, or they will come round kore, who
ever they are, and see you"
| Where car we go to be ont of the way -
| Meanings bedroom will be the best place
for it can only be reached through tie sittiDi
room, where mamma is sleeping Go there a
once, and call DARCY. softly, to follow you q
| you pass through. Take care not to awake
mamma, il you can possibly help it,"
| Right I'll go; but don't frighten yourself
| Perhaps it's little Lesba herself; and III
court her for Pelham. and settle it all before
| go"
TIE knoc'y came again, before Connor's sen
tence was completed, and he walked toward
the sitting room while Ellen flew down tb
ball, and stood before the door to secure is no
being opened by the servant till the minute
necessary for his disappearance had elapsed
When abe lifted the latch she was confronted
by two men in the dress Of police ficers, ant
saw In the distance two more, mounted, anC
holding the Lorses Of their companions at the
gate. Their faces were strange to her, and &c
was the accent in which they asked
does Mr. Pelham DAILY live heref
Yes" Elton ans wered, "but he 10 fro III home
Your business, whatever it is, mnst wait til
his return. Mr. Dsly's mother, who lives with
him, bas latoly been very ill, and must not be
disturbed or alarmed on any account"
Very sorry, miss, but We have warrant to
sesrch the house for arms, and time presses
We are obliged to do our duty"
81 am sure on will do it as considerably and
qnittl as possible then" Ellen answered, her
courage rising Nith the greatness of the peril
"To prove the troth of my words and the ne
oessity for quiet. will take you into the room,
stay there quietly, will myself bring you the
few baye in the house l feel sure
yon will find there has been mistake in your
being sent here Mr. Pelham Days 10y atty
has never been suspected
1--WE have nothing to do with that, you see,
m-s. We have only To obey orders"
Follow me, then, softly, If you please."
Ellen led tho way to the little sitting room
at the back Of the house, ard, oreuing the door,
noselessiy stepp"d Lack for the men to euter.
The sight of Al DIly TRANQUILITY asleep On t he
sofa, with her worn, white cheek resting on her
thin jswelied hand, had quito az mnch effect
brought them there. They drew back q little
from tie door, and looked at each other sheep.
ishly.
No need fJr us to 60 in there, miss,n the
elder of tho TWO said, carefully scanning FL
lens face as be- spoke 81 W i'll stand in the hall,
and my mate will GO round the house with you.
Stay. though, for forms sake, III stop inside
and take IA sGat till yoD come back"
Ellen feared that some sudden look of relief
on face had caus d tsis change of purpose. and
her heart sank, bat she did not dare to object.
She pointed silently to n seat near the door,
and then led the man, followed by the young
er "ffioer, to Pelham's bedroom, where there
wss a case of pistols and gun leaning against
the wall. These the man secured, and carried
into the hall, opening the doors of the other
rooms, and looking in az be stepped back w ards
and forwards Then he asked to be shown the
eervauts' rooms; and Ellen led him be wilder
ing circuit through cross passages and empty
rooms that brought him ont to the front of the
house again.
'It's vast dreary place for 80 few people to
live in; wonder you like it," the man re-
marked, ebrCgging HIS shoulders, rs he looked
n II at ha rA1sk af md lnrp
shreds If paper hanging from the wet walls.
I'VE should pull suoh a worn ont old pile down
in my copu try, and blild up snug farmhouse
in its place"
ut was rot too largo for US oucc" Ellen said;
and since the famine it would be az diff cult
to find people to pnll it down rs 10 fill IT'D
True enough it's sll a strange sight to us
We've been SO mt over from Enginnd to hell to
keep the people over hero qnitt as We sup
posod; aud, as far ss We have seen, there don't
seem 10 be no people about; nothing bot
rnined villages and waste lands as We can see.
III take these here pistols away with me By
your leave, misc you'll have no need of them
now We are here to keep the peace. and Pll
7oub)e you no further but to go round and
t ell my mate I'm ready t. 60"
Long 8s the time had seemed to Ellen, the
Inspection had in reality only occupied a few
minGtas. Mrs DAILY was still asleep when she
reached the door of the sitting room, and the
police-G fiji GER, in the same spot where abe had
left him, wHs occupied in replacing q bulky
pocket-b book, whose contents he had apparen t.
ly been examining, into the pocket If his coat
at Ellen's sign, he came ont iItl the passace
ard met her with a smile of satisfaction on hi.
| face that she could not understand.
"fou need not have alarmed yourself, miss
We have done no harm, you see," be remar ked
! when Ellen gave him his comrades mes age
j don't know how it may be in your coan-
try" Ellen answered, "but here lonely women
do not expect to be iptruded on when tbs
| master of the house ia away"
I'VE were sorry to dis turb you, miss, but We
had our orders and when all things come &c
be looked into, fancy you will 6nd that We
have only done what was necessary, and taken
away what it was our business to take. G ood
day to you"
Ellen followed the man to the door, and
wat shed the little cavalcade. as it wound
along the road, till it was lost behind the hill
then she ran back into the sitting room, and
threw herself on her knees by her mothert
sofa. Never had she been so thankful for any
| thing in her life as that Mrs. Daly's afternoon
slnmber had been 30 deep and lasted so long
and then strange did it seem that those
white lids should have remained closed 81
long with no weigbtier seal than that of sleel
| Cpon them, that q sudden fear seiz ID her, and
sbe stopped and pressed er lips on her mother,