Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-09-22

now, all dead and gone! And you were
nearest to my young lady, for I don't
count that Mrs. Postlethwayte, with her
naughty, prying ways. AS if L didn't
know how the house ought to be managed
I who had lived here, girl and wo-
man, for better than forty years 1t was
in the old troubles, sir, before the AS,
and then, as yesterday, there was naught
but an helress to Morbeck, Mistress
Alicia. She was a great beauty, they
tell me, and her fathers idol, and half
the young gentleman in the country
were ready to cross swords for her smile.
Amongst all her suitors, the only one
whom she seemed to favor was her cous-
in, Mr. Arthur Gedge, and a Captain
guards, who had seen her first at the
county ball, and danced with her half
the evening; they were both handsome
young fellows, and folks said they had
fought about her next morning, but
nothing serious had come of it, and no.
body could say which she favored, or if
she had a fancy, it was thought to be
for her cousin.
"You know, sir, there were great
many of the gentry here abouts who
would have liked to see the old Stuarts
get their own again, but the Gedges had
always kept to themselves, and had never
been suspected of plotting or the like
You know all about the retreat from
Derby, sir? 1t was just after that, when
Mr.. Arthur came suddenly to Morbeck,
just for visit, every one thought, to
court Mistress Alicia, and for whole
week everything seemed to 60 swimming
ly between them. But one evening there
came news to the hall that there was q
messenger in the village, come down
! from the court, with silver grey hound
on his sleeve; and then Mr.. Arthur took
| Mistress Alicia into side room, and he
| fell on his knees before her, and prayed
| her, for their loves sake, that she would
| help him, for he had been mixed up, it
seems, in a plot for Prince Charles, and
it were death if he were taken. So she
| agreed with him that he should hide all
night In a secret room in the west wing
that by the Broad Terrace, strand
then she would come and guide him out
! by the postern that he might escape
| The night came, and she came, too, with
out light, for she said that would be
dangerous, and guided him through the
passages, until she opened the little
door; and as he grasped her hand and
kissed it, it was cold as death. And as
he stepped out on the steps, there was a
CLEAN Of steel outside, and Mr.. Arthur
was in the clutches of troop of the
guard with Captain Won Loom at their
head. He was executed, sir, like many
another brave lad at that time; and be-
fore year was over Mistress Alicia was
married to Captain Van Loom, who got
his colonelcy for his services.
"They say it was wretched life they
! led; he turned out a drunken, gambling
brute, and broke her heart; but none
ever knew whether it was true what folk
whispered in the countryside, that she
sold her cousin to her lover Anyway,
she died a miserable, childless woman
rest her soul! But, sir, they say that
ever since that day any Gedge who
passes the postern by night will feel an
ice-cold hand leading them down the
steps as if to destruction, and that there
is always harm comes of it. If Miss
Lucy should have felt the Cold Hand of
Morbeck, for SO the country folk call it,
| sir, saving your presencei"
! What could L say? What could I
think, except that there are more
things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
than are dreamt of in your philosophy. !"
We buried my child and Morbeck
went to distant cousin. As for Hugh
Nelson, he went abroad for year or two,
and then came back and married good,
honest girl with decent dowry, as be-
hoved the transmitter of an old name
But though he was a good and tender
husband, and wise and gentle father, [
know full well that his young heart with
all it's store of love, was buried in the
same grave with Lucy Gedge So now,
my boy, you will laugh at me, daresay,
for you wise young fellows do laugh at
all that you call superstition, but it
gives me shudder when [ think OF that
winter night when my child grasped the
Ill e