The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-01-26
\ CHURCH MOUSE

Il must trust to your instinct,
muttered the traveller, letting the
bride fail upon his no rses neck.
The eyes Of an owl would be at
fault on such q night s this. BE
quiet, you brute! Do sou mean to
betray my confidence by breaking
my neck"
The animal had shi ed so violently
as nearly to throw his rider, and
stood trembling in every muscle.
His master peered I through the dark
ness in the endeavor to make out
the cause of his terror. He could
perceive before hi m the dim outlines
Of a dismantled church, with it,
broad avenues of graves clustered
around it. Besides the road, so
close that he could have touched It
with his whip, he discovered an in
distinct white object crouched upon
one of the gr ayes.
Resolved upon knowing what it
was, he Dis mounted and approach
cd It. As he did so, it arose and
fled rapi' ny away. With his curios-
ity now fully aroused he followed it.
As II NJ ,ared the church it turned
and So ddenly confronted him. At
this u Ioment a broad glare of light
ming flashed athwart the sky and
he S Az before him young girl dress
ed ] n a thin,swatcr-soaked garment,
her hair falling in drenched coils
upon her shoulders. Foran instant
b 5r white, scared Eace was turned
{ 0ward him and her large sorrow
t.Ul eyes met his with an appealing
look, then she seemed TO melt in
the solid body Of the church.
As well as the darkness permit
ted, he examined the spot where she
had disappeared, but could find no
opening through which she could
escaped,
He called aloud that he was a
friend, and that she had nothing to
fear. The only answer was the
weird wall Of the tempest through
the broken arches. With a feeling
akin to superstitious terror, he has
tily remounted his horse, and did
not draw rein until he reached the
village inn.
"Who occupies the old church
yonder?" he enquired Of this land
lord.
All YOU have seen it, d" exclaim-
ed the landlord, mysteriously.
>.It?" echoed the traveller. Il saw
what I thought to be poor, de-
mented girl.
you saw the spirit Of one" an
swered the host, solemnly. Every
one here knows the story. When
she was alive her name was Ada
Morton. Her father died a year
back. leaving her heiress to his prop
ertv. As she was yet a minor, he
appointed his friend Stephen her
guardian. who in case OF her death
unmarried. was to inherit the prop
ertv. 1t is said that he beat, starv-
cd. and cruelty ill-treated her. One
nicht-iust such a night as this
she disappeared. Her hat and cloak
wer found on the river bank next
morning. 1t was plain that the
poor creature had sought deliver
ance from her prosecutor by suicide.
That was , months ago. Her body
vas never found, but her spirit has
been often seen in the church yard
where her father lies. Meanwhile,
the man who drove her to her death
lives at his ease in her fathers house
on the hill. "
The traveller was evidently deep
lv interested in the story, but he
made no comment upon it Mere
lv informing the landlord that he
should remain for a week or two, he
returned to his room.
Like many another young man
of fortune. Charles Barclay was al
ficted with too much leisure. His
sole object in this part of the coun-
try was merely a languid search al
ter amusement. The landlords sto-
ry had strongly aroused his curiosi-
ty. Moreover, the young girls sad
face and beseeching glance IN the
churchyard had made a strange I'M
preston upon him. Something III
her improbable history had led him
to form a vague suspicion of a truth
nearly as improbable. Eagerly ac-
cepting the possible chance OF an
exciting experience, he determined
to sift the matter to the bottom.