Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-03-27


She furecd. He followed her.-They
sat down in the parlor--one on ethics
side Of fiSe polisled table.
Over il, between the windows, huns
The Iooking.glsss with its narrow gill
frame. The bookcase SLED the recess,
On abe mantlepiece were some shell
flowers 'undrr glass. There was the
stiff sofa with the black cushion like the
siIce Of Afuted column: there were
the six chairs 10 match, and the claw
footed sideboaFd. There had been nc
children 20 break or scratch things
AL was the same an when he. left. il
last and saw Miss Carney standing in
the middle Of The floor with her long
black hair m .curIs about her shoulders.
and blue F5S6on around her taper girl's
waist. Now be looked II her, aud she
vas really old and stout, but somehow
she seemed to he nobody else. but Pris-
cy Carney. She saw him looking from
the furniture to her face, and interpre-
ted his thought.
EYES," she said almost angrily, sis
u not strange: There are the BITS oI
wood and glass and china, Just as they
used to be. There are the oak trees,
only finer and greener. The very grass
and flowers mightbe the same; and here
am I, old, faded. and lonely, and my
handsome, bnght-eyed father dead IN
bis grave. and all care for gone. |
wish were gone also. | think people
who have rot seen each other for forty
years need not seek each other
again. ] wish they would not come 70
me after being all the same as dead for
forty years. 1t is precisely like seeing
ghosts"
She looked as though she wanted 10
cry.
Poor old ghost" said he, "whom
no one wants TO see-not even those
who promised TO remember him iorev-
er."
"Forty years is much worse than
forever" said she, "and fity-six is a
terribly unromantic age"
eyes. il is," said he; "but IL is good
age enough for ghosts. By the way,
do you like ghost stories3 Let me tell
you one.
"Once there was a ghost-now
think oi it, he wasn't always a ghost,
he was boy onse-the son oi miller
down by the water side. He worked
in the mill, and was foury and white
as a ghost should be most OF The time;
but he was happy and gay, and many
things happened as he liked. One Of
them was when certain rich farmer
in the neIghborhood came to the mill.
The gram his servants brought in the
great wagons, but he. the farmer, used
TO drive 10 the mill with bis little daugh-
ter IN the gig beside him. She was q
pretty child. with long curls, and her
eyes were big and brown.
"She made a pretty picture in her
white dresses and bright ribbons, and
she came when she was 80 young that
she used to hold her hands out to this
boy and cry. Come here, little boy
Show me where the -four silFs from
'For that was what she liked TO see
the best, the -four sitting through fine
muslin. Every week she used 10 come
until the miller sent his boy away to
school. When he came home again
she was girl of sixteen; prether than
ever, aHd she remembered asking him
TO let her see the -four sift, and she
talked to him while her father was at
tending to has business; and the days
she did not come the boy cared nothing
for, and the days that brought her
were marked and picked out as blessed
days.
AFTER a while he got over the shy
ness that kept him from going TO see
her and went, and she was not dis
pleased. She was the mistress of the
house. for her mother died young. She
used TO make tea for him on Sunday af-
ternoon, and after tea her father would
put his handkerchief over hIs head and
fall into nap. Then they used to W his
per together. Long after the poor boy
came to be ghosthe remembered those
evenings, when he was bright-cheeked
young fellow, the son of rich miller,
and he had tae hope of marrying the
glrl he loved before his eyes.
"He thought the girl loved him as
well as he loved her, and he had no
fears OF the future, no thought that
trouble could come to him in any way
until misfortune overlook his iather.-
The good old man failed. The mill
was sold. There was nothing but anx-
iety at home. At last worse came
bis father died soor after his mother
He was very sad; he was poor. also;
but he had hope. for he was beloved by
the one he loved.
"One day he went to her for COM
fort. He remembered the day ever af-
ter. The low built. .old-iashioned house,
The great oaks, flower garden, the. girl
in her white dress aud blue ribbons who
came to greet him. lie was full OF life
still, but that night, when he turned
away from the house he was ghost
the miserable ghost oi his old self, for
he no longer bad any faith in love.
STANDING before him. pale and sad.
with tears in her eyes, il is true he had
heard her who had made The world
bright for him, say, III is my fathers
wall that we should part. / cannot dis
obey my old parent
"Then she had told him that she loved
him as well as ever; but he did not be-
lieve her.
"He thought his poverty had turned
her heart from him. that she had never
felt tenderly towards him, and he left
her IN anger. believing all that had been
said aud written about the ial-ehood oi
women. Yes he was turned into q