Sharp County record., 1879-11-06

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pinchcd herself; at last she faltered out:
~ didna take a drop but one wee glass
o. poteen, just for company an ciyility
like, at Shaun Doyne's on my way frae
the funeral" "
No; she could not understand it in the
least. She knit her brows and puzzled
all day, and was still musing upon the
voung-lookingm who declared he had
lived on CrohanrOe for the last hundred
years, when she heard the trOt Of a
horse on the road, and presently a knock
at her door. 1t was then night, and the
moon had lately risen.
Mrs. Mcpherson, well accustomed to
be summoned in the night, was not
much surprised to see man holding a
horse at her door.
"You're wanted, ma'am, to attend a
lady, a friend o. mine,n said the man.
"Can you come wi me at wanst?n
"Where do you come from, sir? l
dinna know you, an | know all the
people in this country far an near"
"Not very far, "replied he, evasively;
and he pulled out purse, and showed
half sovereign and several shillingS.
81 was bid offer you all that money, if
you'd come wi me-"
The good woman had never earned
such wages in her life, and could scarcely
turn her eyes away from the attractive
sight of so much money. Her scrupleS
were at once overcome, and wrapping
herself in her shawl, she locked up the
house, and let the stranger assist her to
mount the horse.
For short time they kept to the high
road but then, turning into the fields,
they passed bitches and hedge-rows, and
other landmarks well known to the good
woman.
"Why, surely this is Squire O'Hara's
fieldS?" demonstrated she at last.
"There'S nae house that l know any
where hereabOuts.
"Mak' your mind easy; we'll be at
the place in a minute,n replied the
guide.
A blaze of warm yellow light pres
emily mingled with the cold blue moon
light. They were approaching stately
castle, whose many windows were il
Illuminated. Squire O'Hara'S house was
like cottage compared with this cas-
tie; and Mrs. Mcpherson, who had been
in the immediate neighborhood all her
life, had never seen it before. But she
had no time to express her surprise, for
servants in splendid livery hurried out
to help her from her horse, and conduct
her into the castle.
She passed through several rooms
beautifully furnished and lighted with
countless candles, until she reached the
large chamber where her patient, a
handsome lady, lay in SumptuOus bed.
There was fire burning on the hearth.
Mrs. Mcpherson sat down beside it, lean
ing her elbow upon a small white mar
ble table that stood near, and gazing, as
if in dream, at the lady, and the at
tendants fitting about the room. One
of them, respectable-looking woman,
came close to'her, and pausing a mo-
ment, as if to dust and arrange some
furniture, whispered, "You will pres
emily be offered cake and wine; but
you'll neither eat nor drink in this house
if you value your life. "
Mrs. Mcpherson trembled. How she
cursed her avarice, and wished she had
never seen the gold glittering in the mes
Senger's purse! When a man came in
carrying a silver tray laden with refresh
ments, and pressed her to partake, she
civilly but decidedly excused herself, to
his evident chagrin.
"Will you not taste the spirits, then,
ma amp" said he.
"FaiX an trOth, my good gentleman,
that's drop never passes my lips,n re-
piled she, ObliviOus of the glass at Shaun
Doyne's, and of many cup of comfort
besides.
"Do TAX a sup, ma'am; it will lift
up your heart brayely," persisted the
servant.
But Mrs. Mcpherson saw the woman
who had warned her looking back anx-
iously at her, and she again refused.
The night advanced. There was
small green pot lying on the table, and
out of curiosity and idleness she took it
up to examine it. A short time after
ward, something tickling her left eye
brow, she raised her hand to rub it, and
marvellous was the effect of that simple
action. All her surroundings were
changed in moment. The lady no
longer lay on a sumptuouS bed, but up
on the damp ground. The carpets, So
fas, chairs, and tables turned into grass
and benweedS; the gayly dressed at
tendants were dwarfed into diminutive
green-coated and red-capped people;
and the stately castle itself vanished,
leaving nothing but the old trees of
Squire O'Hara'S fort.
Mrs. Mcpherson was so terrified that
it was all she could do not to scream;
but knowing that such a course might
be suicidal, she controlled herself, and
made no sign. She then tried the effect