The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-25

attendants fitting about the room. One
of them respectable-looking woman,
came close to her, and pausing for mo
ment, as if to dust and Arrange some fur
niture, whispered: "You will presently
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
sehger's purse. When 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'amT said he.
"Faix an truth, my good gentlemen,
that's drop never passes my lip" re-
piled she, oblivious to the glass at Sham
Doyne's, and of many cup OF comfort
besides.
"Do take little sup, ma'am; it will
lift up your heart bravely," persisted the
servant.
But Mrs. Mcpherson saw the woman
who had warned her looking anxiously 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 ner eyebrow,
she raised her hand to rub it, and mar
velous was the effect of that simple
action. All her Surroundings were
changed in moment. The lady no longer
lay on a sumptuous bed, but upon the
damp ground. The carpets, sofa, chairs
and tables turned into grass and ben
weeds; the gayly dressed attendants
dwarfed into diminutive green-coated
and red-capped people; and the stately
cas.le vanished, leaving nothing but the
old trees of Squire OHara'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 lost eye, and looking with
the right. The castle and its fair splen-
dor 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 pillow beside his mother. Her
business concluded, the same servant
who had brought her to the castle whisp-
cred to her that it was time for her to 90
home. Never were words more welcome.
She FASTENED to the door without look
ing behind her, and suffered the man to
help her to mount the 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 of, and
she locked the door on the inside, and
sat down beside her cold hearth to think
over her adventure, and congratulate
herself upon her tsafe return home.
There was glass of poteen in certain
black bottle in 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 before day
hight made its way through her window,
and fell upon the money on the sill.
Had it turned into dead leaves or bits
of sticks? No; there it lay-a heap Of
bona fde coin of the realm, consisting Of
, half sovereign, five shillings and six
pehse. She examined it with her right
eye, then with her left, then with boti
together, and the result was the same.
, Strange things had happened to her o
late-the visit of her ancient neighbour
from Crohanroe; the sudden bubblin,
: of the spring at the foot of the old ash
and, lastly, her night at the Ruchanfort
e When the sun was high in the heaven
she plucked up courage to 90 prett.
near the fort-at least. to within on
! field of it. There was mound in tn
Squire's field, with trees growing roun
e the outer edge, and rank benweeds in tn
t center, and all looking just as usual, bu
e at her feet lay a small red cap, very lik
those she had seen worn by the fairy Sci
0 wants. She picked it up and hid it bt
t meath her shawl, and as she did so sh
a heard distant music-music that wa
sweet and pleasant, but that had
a muf1ed sound, as though 1t came from
some region under ground. She remen
, bered at once how her little brother Micl
7 dead years before, had once been here
l. ing in the Squire's fields, and had CON
home with wonderful stories of pipes an
y. fddles that he had heard while he ia
i with his ear to the ground.
7 "It's gentle place, this fort. an 50
if Crohanroe, to be sure" said she to he
self, "an' I'll just take the bonnie w
h cap hame wi me for luck"
VI So the red cap lay on the dressef=s
e day, but there was no trace OF it ne,
IS morning.
% 'It wasna for luck, then," soliloquizt
Ie she. M'd ak we'r minister what
% thinks anent it, only he'd be sure to b
me 90 to the meeting regular, an p,
lie my stipends, an quit takin' that W
le drop that helps me through wi n
ye work."