Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-06-13
The Church Mouse.

teTeu Cno tTdFeier, leGoluS eHo uiiuio idii
upon the horses neck. '.The eyes of an
owl would be at fault on such night
as this. Be quiet. you brute. Do you
mean to repay my confidence by break
ing my neck p
The animal had SHE'D so violently as
nearly to throw his rider, and stood trem-
bling in every muscle. His master peer
ed through the darkness in the endeavor
to make out the cause of his terror. He
could perceive before him the dim out
line of a dismantled church, with its
brood of gravestones clustered around it.
Beside the road, SO close that he could
have touched it with his whip, he discov-
cred an indistinct white object crouched
upon one of the graves.
Resolved on knowing what it was. he
dismounted and approached it. As he
did so. it arose and fed rapidly away.
With his curiosity now fully aroused. he
followed it. AS he neared the church, it
turned suddenly and confronted him.
At this moment broad glare of light
ming flashed across the sky, and he saw
beforehim young girl dressed in thin,
water-soaked garment, her hair falling in
drenched coils upon her shoulders. For
an instant her white, scared face was
turned toward him, and her large. sorrow
full eyes met his with an appealing look;
then she seemed to melt into the solid
body of the church.
AS we'll as the darkness permitted, he
examined the spot where she disappear
ed, but could find no opening through
which she could have escaped.
He called aloud that he was friend.
and that she had nothing to fear The
only answer was the weird wall of the
tempest through the broken arches.
With feeling akin to superstitious ter
ror he hastily remounted his horse. and
did not draw rein until he reached the
village inn.
"Who occupies the old church yon-
DER" he inquired of the landlord.
"Ah you, too. have seen il" ex-
claimed the landlord, mysteriously.
at" echoed the traveller. II saw
what | took to be poor demented girl.
"You saw the spirit of one," answer
ed the host, solemnly. "Every one knows
the story. When she was alive her name
was Ada Morton. Her father died
year back, leaving her heiress to his
property. AS she was yet minor, he
appointed his friend. Stephen Eastburn,
her guardian, who in case of her death
unmarried. was to inherit the property.
1t is said that he beat, starved and cru
ely ill-treated her. One night--just
such night as this-shc disappeared.
Her hat and cloak were found on the
river bank next morning. 1t was plain
that the poor creature had sought deliv-
erance from her prosecutor by suicide.
That was three months ago. Her body
was never found. but her spirit has Oft
en- been seen in the churchyard. 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 deeply interested in
the story, but he made no comment upon
it. Merely informing the landlord that
he should remain a week or two, he re-
tired to his room.
Like many other young men of for
tune. Charles Barclay was afflicted with
too much leisure. His sole object in
this part of the country-was merely q
languid search after amusement. The
landlords story had strongly aroused
| his curiosity. Moreover, the girls sac
: face and beseeching glance in the church
yard had made strange impression or
him.
, Something in her improbable history
j had led him to form vague suspicion
of truth nearly as improbable. Ea
: gerly accepting the possible chance of al
exciting experience, he determined t
sift the matter to the bottom.
: Without dropping hint as to his in
!. tentions, he left the inn on the mex
night, shortly after eleven o'clock. anc
e proceeded to the old church. The plac
s was silent and deserted not even stra,
D dog was to be seen wandering about th
) churchyard. An inefably dreary al
= hung over the place, depressing his splr
!, its and almost resolving him to abandon
e his object. But sentiment of prid
t urged him on, and he cautiously mad
e his way into the church and sat down i
: one of the pews.
For more than an hour nothing occur
h red to attract his attention. He becam
n drowsy. and was on the point of fallin
IS asleep where he sat, when low. weir
4 peal from the old organ moaned throug
= the church. He sat erect and listene
with suspended breath. The sound ros
higher and clearer, and presently th
>. sweet but mournful tones of a woman
r voice joined it. He could make out th
= words of prayer for the wretched.
g After moment the music ceased, an
Us he cnnId haar the sinnar sohhinn In