The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-04-08

There was change in the weather this
morning. Low-lyiDg mists wrapped the
frozen waters in warning veil white and
mournful as shroud. Skating was pro-
nounced unsafe, and Lexington, with some
other gentlemen of the party, started on a
shooting excursion. l remained at home,
having still hopes that the approach of rain
was more distant than appeared, and that
the fog might pass off, giving us another
days enjoyment of the ice. Lucia was too
fond of the exhilerating pastime to miss it,
if it could with any sense of security be
managed, and determined that if she were
led into rashness it should not be alone.
Doubts or expectations, however, were at
once ended when at twelve o'clock light
rain began to fall, and the wind veered full
to the south. If my fair cousin could have
been seen or spoken to the long hours which
succeeded would not have been so over
clouded, But she absented herself from
drawing-room and library during the entire
morning and afternoon. l first saw her at
dinner-time, surrounded by the usual circle
of guests, and scarcely inclined to afford me
a fair share of her attention or amiability.
Lexington was on the scene, and assiduous
as usual. He had come back rather cross,
l thought, from his moorland sport, having
had plenty of rain and little sport. He a.
tempted to shine now, but his jests seemed
damp like himself, and would not go off
and if Lucia listened to him, it was scarce
ly with enhancement She was evidently
bored. Or preoccupied, at all events; and
when the party broke up at an early hour
she retired with an abruptness which be-
trayed a secret relief at her escape from So
ciety.
found my room warm and bright as ever,
and sat reading for some time by the fire in
the dressi groom. Then left lamp burn
ing on table opposite the door leading into
the inner chamber, and betook myself to
rest. In assuming this attitude l was far
from feeling disposition to slumber. On
the contrary, l was never more wakefpl in
my life; but was resolved that the apparent
routine of matters should go on as OH other
nights, and that no marked watchfulness
OH my part should affrighta too nervous Wis
liant
Time passed, midnight approached, and l
remembered with a quickening of the pulse,
which rose at least to expectation, that it
was just at this hour that the mirror before
me had reflected such a strange scene on
the preceding evening. The moment was
exciting. l was not superstitious. 1t was
suspicion rather which entered my thoughts,
but this kept every sense strained and acute
The night was gloomy one, and rain had
tency that the thick evergreens outside no
longer formed resisting canopy, but pro-
NOTED, as it were, second shower, which
maintained a ceaseless echo Of that which
came direct from the skies. The sobblng
sound without, the stiffness of my low dark
ly-wainscoted chamber, each had a signifi-
canoe of its own which was somewhat sad
and portentous. / could scarcely say what
apprehended, but my memory had gone
back to circumstances of far away past. 1
had heard when boy that my cousin Geof-
fry had lost himself in our uncle's good
graces through his habits of wild and grace
less extravaganza. Having had final quar-
rel with him on this head, the nephew had
gone abroad where he managed for time
to subsist in some speculative fashion of his
own. He married early an Italian lady
with forum, rather more considerable
than usually falls to the lot of foreigners,
and from this point in his career little more
was heard of him till he returned to Forrest
Hall with his daughter, lovely girl of six
teen. and paid visit of policy to it's fast
failing owner. A strange notion crossed my
mind as recalled these details. felt that
it was quite possible, indeed most probable,
that my cousin had become involved in fresh
embarrassment when he made the success
full move which had gained him the Forrest
Hall property. Could it be that he had
tried to step more quickly into this by any
false play with its late master? Had a ficti-
tious death been managed, and was uncle
Geotfrey still alive and a prisoner in some
dark and mysterious way in his own house?
The vision l had seen gave some color to
the thought, but it was dismissed again as
mere freak of the Imagination. Such a
scheme and its accomplishment we'll knew
could scarcely be reality of days like the
present.
TO BE COSTTNIIFD.