The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-10-17

"C8u YOU come WI me At WdIlSt!
"Where do you come from, sir? 1
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 know any
where hereabouts.' -
"Mak' your mind easy; we'll be at
the place in minute," 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 small white mar
BILE table that stood near, and gazing, as
if in dream, ut the lady, and the at
tendants fitting about the room. One
of them, respectable-looking woman,
came close to her, and pausing mo-
ment, rs 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 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'am?" said he.
"Faix an troth, my good gentleman,
that's drop never passes my lips" 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 bravely," 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 a
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 a 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 course might
be suicidal, she controlled herself, and
made no sign. She then tried the effect
of covering her left eye, and looking
with the right. The castle and its fairy
splendor returned, all as magnificent as
it had been on her entrance; but if she
used the left eye, the horrible metamOr-
phosis took place.
The patient now required her care. A
fine son was born, whom she dressed, and
laid on the pillow beside his mother.
Her business concluded, the same servant
who had brought her to the castle whis-
pered to her that it was time for her
to 90 home. Never were words more
welcome. She fastened to the door
without looking behind her, and suffered
the man to help her to mount her horse.
In trance of terror she rode home, not
speaking lest she should show that she
was afraid.
"Here are your wages, - he said, when
she dismounted at her own door.
Caring just then very little for the
money, she took it and dropped it on
the window-sill. The messenger rode
off, and she locked her door on the in
side, and sat down beside her cold hearth
to think over the adventure, and con-
graduate herself upon her safe return
home. There was a glass Of pOteen in
a certain black bottle in the cupboard;
she drank it to cheer her quaking heart.
The long winter night was over, and she
had not been half an hour at home be-
fore daylight made its way through her
window, and fell upon the money on the
sill.
Had it turned into dead leaves or bits
of stick? No; there it lay, heap of