The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-12-27
Pretty Jane and the Pedlar.
CONCLUDED.

CONCLUDED.
THUS assuming cheerfulness which
Il she did not feel, she affectionately
kissed the cold cheek of the trembling
girl, and leading her into the little cham
ber, begged her to try to sleep. But as
she closed the door, she looked back, and
saw that Jane had seated herself on the
floor beneath the window, and was rock
ing herself to and fro, with her head
bent down to her knees, in the MOON
light which glimmered through the half
drawn curtains into the room.
The widow then retired to her own
apartment, but several hours passed and
she was still awake. for ever and anon a
moan, distinctly audible through the
thin board partition, reached her ear.
About midnight, however, she had sunk
into slight slumber, when shrek of
thrilling sharpness aroused her. She
sprang from her bed, and opened the
communicating door between the two
chambers. Jane still sat where she had
left her, with her dress unchanged, ex-
cept that she had thrown the scarf over
her flaxen curls, and held it closely fold
ed upon her breast. She made no reply
to the hurried inquiry of her foster
mother, but with one of her pale, slen-
der fingers she pointed convulsively to
the window.
The widow looked cautiously out. 81
see nothing, DEAR" said she; "you must
have fallen asleep and been dreaming of
something to alarm you. There is no
unusual sound--stay-I think shadow
did pass along the porch, but it may
have been the wind stirring the long
branches of the willow, yet the night is
calm. What was it you saw Janey''
But though the cold sweat glistened
on the forehead of Jane, and her teeth
chartered as If with an ague, she return
ed no answer.
"You should not allow yourself to be
so overcome with fear, dear child" re-
sumed Widow Slade; tive are so close
to the road that it would be strange if
stragglers should not be sometimes
tempted to look in upon us. Yet our
bolts and bars have always kept us safe
from the ill.intentioned, if any such
came near us, and they would be suffi-
clent now. But come, you must sit here
no longer. 1 will draw the curtains
close, and watch by you till your fright
is over"
She unwound the scarf from the shoul-
ders of Jane, and laid it in drawer,
and then, after removing the remainder
of her dress, without any assistance of
her own, led her in the same passive
ness to her bed.
The widow returned to her own cham
ber no more that night. She lighted
candle and placed it at distance from
the bed, but she could see by it, when
she took her seat at the bedside, that the
tears were rolling fast from between the
closed eyelids of Jane. Still she could
elicit no explanation, for there was moth
ing to satisfy her in the few unconnected
words which were always returned to
her anxious questions. Toward morn
ing she ceased to weep, her countenance
grew more haggard, she gesticulated
wildly, and in indescribable alarm, her
foster mother despatched message, by
the first passing neighbor, to the physi-
clan Of the settlement. Hours, however,
must have elapsed before the summons
could be answered, and the widow, who
was skilled in simples, went out to Sc
lect, from her garden stores, such medi-
cinal berbs as she believed efficacious in
nervous disorders, for of that nature che
presumed James malady to be. She was
arrested in her task by the abrupt en-
trance of q neighbor, carpenter, who