The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-22
SOME MISDIRECTED LETTERS.
CHAPTER III-(CoNrNuEp.)

in his lust and greed. But read sume-
thing more than past wickedness in his
face. l saw expressed in that face as
clearly as if l had seen it in handwriting
or heard it in the confessional, n present
immediate attention of committing some
act of villainy. Do you know his face
well?
'Very slightly. / only saw it once,
and hardly for minute. / am not Ger
tain that should know it again. But
what ! saw of it filed me with intense
dislike"
"But you should have seen that wicked
face in work just before he left England;
Its cruel de.iberative lines; the quick,
suspicious, and yet easily-abashed eyes,
a Gel tain kind of darkness whicl stole
over the mans whole appearance. as if
his good angel had deserted him and
given him over unaided to the suggestions
Of the evil one. / would have had the
fellow watched by the police, but l knew
that he was leaving England, and that
our police would not be able to follow
him abroad, even if l knew his destina-
ti0n, which is not the case"
"And you really believe that the man
was meditating crime?''
II am as morally sure of it as can be
sure of ANYTHING. But let us walk into
the village"
We passed through the lynch-gate
from the churchyard, which was fully
adapted for our sombre conversation,
into the, broad, cheerful street. On one
side entirely there were rows of elms,
giving it boulevard-like appearance.
1t had a pleasing irregularity; the little
cottage islanded in its garden coming
next to the highly-ornamented villa;
then came row OF some half-dozen
shops, with almost London frontages,
and patterns fresh from town; than came
the school; then the diminutive town
hall ;]then the Kings Arms, where coach
still stopped once day, and, remote
from railways, seemed likely to retain
its importace as a frst-class hotel. So
fresh a wind swept up the street, so
cheerful a sunshine lay on the pleasant
places, 50 bhie unclouded heaven gro
ciously hung over all, so honestly dull
was the stare of the simple townfolk,
that could hardly realize that we had
just been discussing story of Italian
craft and villainy.
The good Vicar stopped at the door of
a very pretty cottage, which, to give it
its due, seemed to waver between cot
tage and villa. There was IN appear
ance of great neatness, good taste, and
substantial comfort about it.
"Perhaps you would like to come in
with me. Mrs. Grain lives here-LouiSa's
mother. She has been very i'll of late
insomnia, brought on by trouble about
her daughter"
He gave slight tap, and then uplift-
ed the latch without waiting for any re-
sponse. There was beautiful old lady,
pink and white in complexion, in snowy
attire, reclining in large armchair near
the fire, by reason of the keen spring
winds.
"How do you d. Mrs. GRANT know
you do not mind a little company now
and then. 1t does you good. This is
Mr.. Majoribanks, a friend whom first
met at the Castle. He knows all about
poor Louisa"
"Did you know my poor dear darter%
said the old lady, with a little Of the
"patois" Of the country.
II did not know her at all Mrs. Grain,
out l have seeen her for a minute; and
very charming girl she seemed"
"Ah, she was all that, my poor dear
darter! They want to tell me she be
dead; but somehow l can not think she
be. You know, sir, perhaps, that l never
sleep now."
"That must be a mistake" l whispered
to the Vicar. "No human being can
live without sleep beyond very limited
time"
mo doubt she must sleep little in the
daytime and get her forty winks. But l
am afraid to say how many days she has
been without closing her eyes. The doc
tors say that it has been an unusually
severe and prolonged attack Of insom-
MIA"
"Now," broke in the old lady, "when-
ever, thanks be, ] have had wee bit of
sleep, / have dreamed Of my poor darter
dying. But, bless you,.that's nothing.
Dreams 60 by contraries. My dreaming
that she is dead only proves that she is
alive, if it proves anything"
Exactly" ] repeated, ''if it proves
anything.
"But it is very little dreaming that
have the chance Of getting. Be it, sir?
But when l awake l constantly see my
girl, and she be always alive, and never
deadw =
"But how do you mean that you see
herF' / asked.
"Well, sir, I do see her; but of course
! know. at the same time, that / don't see
her But sometimes she seems to glide
into the room. But when l look stead
faslly at her she seems to he gone. But
when I think of her, 1 feel that she is
thinking Of me. When pray for her,
feel that she is praying for me. No,
sir; that foreign rascal may have locked
her up in some Popish convent, or in the
dungeon Of the Inquisition; but my girl
Is alive for all that"
It is astonishing how the Protestant
ism Of the English people has furnished