Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-01-30


was stepping UPWARDS, though with eau
ton, when my dress was clutched from
behind, as fancied by some bush. Turn
ng to disengage it. I was confronted
with what seemed an awful apparitiol
looming through the misty veil, and will
a suppressed cry, l stood still in alright
saw woman's form bent with age
a face intersected with lines and wrinkle
like a map. from which nose and chill
stood out like mountain peaks, and til,
sunksn eyes cleaned like the fer,
depths of two volcanic craters.
Stop. my leddyl" she cried, "the gate
OF death are open before ye! TAX m!
hand and let me leadyou; and thank God
| my BARN, that Elspa was near you il
your peril"
I had heard of Eispa as woman wht
dealt in herbs and simples, but l hat
heard of her as one with an uncanny
reputation. She was spoken of as '.th,
wise woman" but the words were uttered
| as if they meant "witch.'
confess was half afraid to accep
| her guidance, but she stamped her foot
and by gesture strong as words gave mt
to understand that had been walking
towards precipice, and three steps
further would have borne me to destruc
ton.
What landmark she had I know not
but I think she seemed to feel her way
with her feet. At all events, after about
an hours cautious stepping, VIC stood
below the mist, the blue lake cleaning
lilo a m r;or o<;l1 f,,r<ho> 1ou,n aD1 ~ =
uncle's house within sight. Conscious OF
tue service she had rendered, I did not
confne my thanks TO words, but was lib
eral with my coin.
AS she took ''the siller," she scanned
my face curiously, then seized my hand
and peered into it closely, while sort
Of c1eepy sensation excusable to boy of
nineteen stole ever me.
"Once, twice, thrice! Three perils, my
bonnie Teddy. One is past. The ithers
lie before. Perils of your ain seeking.
The gates of death stand in the path of
your true love. Open them not with
rash or needless hands before the year be
out, or love may mourn for love that
couldna bide. The al: of mountain and
of lake is ma guide for ye, BARN. Keep
mair at hame and dinna be misdoubtin'
There's guide God above a.! Remem-
Der! One danger is overpast. TAX heed
ye seek not the ithers; and diana scoff
at old Elspa's warning words"
l had scarcely decided whether to
laugh at her maunderings or to yield to
the superstitious feeling she had awak-
ened, when l opened the house-door to
RI oil -
Ii was long past our dinner hour and
my absence had alarmed them. . OF
course, explained the cause of nv de-
lay, and it was only by Aunt Ritson's
agitation thar I fully comprehended the
danger I had escaped. I think her
motherly concern made me more commu-
NEGATIVE than usual.
We were still speaking of Elspa when
my uncle came in.
"Ah" said lie, as Winnie helped him
off with his overcoat, "Ah!" nv dear you
might thank your stars Elspa Was on the
mountain.side. I ire say she had fol.
lowed You. The old Scotch-woman is
shrewed and far-seeing; she has turned
her eighty " ars' experience to account,
has good practical knowledge of COM
mon ailments and curative simples. |
should lose my own credit or I mi hit do
worse than take her as assistant" and he
laughed. "Then she can read character
with any physiognomist in the world.
and the silly folk think her prophetic,
when she is only clear. eyed"
think uncle was using an invisible
probe. I know colored, and he laughed
again, but said nothing-nor did I.
The excitement had not all been on
my account. Bella had received an in
vitation to spend some months with a
newly-marr1ed friend in London, and
gcod-natured Winnie was in high glee.
Even aunt ackno wledged it was "a
CHANGED not to be missed, if possible;'
and I saw her glance furtively in Uncle
Ritson's face, which l fancied was graver
than usual. Still, possibilities were not
discussed in my presence. It was not
until had retired to my own pretty
room for the night, that overheard the
sisters discussing the problem, unmind-
tul Of the thin partition between the head
of my bed and theirs.
found that money-or its scarcity
stood in the way, and heard the chances
of the matrimonial market calculated
with balance greatly in favor of
London.
Money! How I hated the word! I
would have given every shilling I posses
sed to be assured that Edgar Neville was
true to me, and would seek me out when
the period Of probation prescribed by my
father was gone by. But where could he
seek for me2 Correspondence had been
forbidden. He knew not my address,
and my father had withheld Edgar's
from me. All, how he rcpented before
he died! How glad he would have been
to have left me in those strong, protect
i've arms!
I soon bridged the monetary difficulty
over in spite of my .uncles opposition,
and l think I showed something of my
old self in the spirit with which entered
into the needful preparations of Miss
Ritson's launch on the sea of London
society, little thinking what might be
its import to myself.
It was May when she went. I suggest
ed that she should Tighten her mourning,
being about to visit a b1ide-a hint she
seemed glad to take, for her pretty laven-
der bonnet set of her face much better
than her heavy Grape.
She kissed me very heartily before she
got into the gig beside her father, to be
driven to the station, to where her boxes
had already been dispatched, and felt
more satisfied with myself than had
been since I crossed the Cumberland bor-
der.
Letters filled with the wonders she had
seen and the places she had visited broke
the monotony of our lives. Then came
one from Hastings, in which she told Of
her introduction to Mr.. Neville.
I think my pulse stopped as Winnie
read out the name. I know aunt asked
me If was ill-if the heat was too much
for me. Blu. I drew myself together,
said nothing" was the matter, and tried
to convince myself that the name was q
common one.
Again and again we heard of this same
Mr.. Neville, and my heart began to be
torn with doubts and suspicious, and a
very demon of jealousy seemed to take
possession of my breast. l felt assured
that Ralla WA in 1--we with him and that