The Penn's Grove record., 1882-08-26

later than was her wont, with Crum
ble's bell sounding far ahead.
Now, the broad path up the moun
tain wound in and out in great curves
avoiding the cbasms, and choosing thu
most gradual ascent. There was an
other and more direct way which
Bretta often followed, and which she
chose now to accelerate her return
This was narrow and rough, and IN
some places so steep that climbing w
it from rock to rock was like ascend
ing a great natural stairway.
This night the mist had settled down
until it hung an impenetrable curtain,
shutting out everything into a
region of obscurity. Even Bretta's
sharp eyes could not distinguish OBJ
jects more than a yard distant; but
she clambered on fearlessly, secure in
her perfect knowledge of the way. AT
length the path verged upon a more
level space, where on n side there was
a sheer descent of a hundred feet, and
on the other the rocks broke away in a
wide cleft or ravine.
Bretta was half way across this ridge
sire ching over this space to the next
ascent, when she paused at a sight
which took aw ay her breath and held
her motionless as she gazed at 1t.
A woman's hgure, taller, she knew,
than any living woman could be, white
and dim, and wavering, stood up
against the mist ont over the middle
of the precipice. 1t had long floating
hair W aving about Its shoulders, and
seemed to approach or Tecede as the
mist thickened or was pierced by the
moon rays.
For a moment Bretta lost speech and
thought, aud gszed awe stricken upon
it. Then her native courage came
back, and clssping her hands rever-
emily she addressed 1t:
spirit, whatever thou art, what
wouIdst thou with me?"
The spirit did not speak, but as
Bretta folded her hands, threw up Its
arms as though warning her back.
"Speak to me-" Bretta cried, imploI-
inely. "See | do not fear thee. Tell
me why thou hast sought me here
But the figure wavered away, and
Bretta turned to see the mist break
ing and rolling up before the moon
light. When she looked again, spirit
and mist had both vanished. She
turned her face toward the mountain,
and there, a few steps before her, the
ledge had crumbled away, leaving a
yawning gulf in to which she surely
would have fallen had she attempted to
traverse it through the mist.
"Ah, O L know it was a good
spirit" she said to herself. "But for
it | should DE ly ing down there bruised
and dying upon the rock"
With a thankful heart Bretta crept
down the ledge and back through the
ravine, until she could regain the path
beyond the new-made assure.
She found Crumple grazing near the
COW yard and shut her within, while
she went on to the cottage, where
Dame Breitmann had grown nervous
over her absence.
"Cblld, Child! why wilt thou loiter
so late? Thou wilt come to no good by
it.n
"Never mind, granny" Bretta an
swered, with her usual careless laugh,
as she reached down the bright tin
pail from the shelf. 81 have come to
no i'll by it yet"
The dame sighed, and took up the
gray stocking from her lap. But her
thoughts were troubled, and her hands
trembled SO that she dropped the
stitches from her needle and tangled
the yarn unwound from her ball.
Bretta, coming in with foaming,
trimming pail, found her straining
her eyes over the mis- wrought work.
"Let me do 1t, granny" she said,
with mere thoughtfulness than she
often displayed. And taking the
knitting from the aged hand, she
kneeled before the fire and proceeded
to set it right.
Dame Breitmann laid her quivering
hand upon the girls head, passing II
down the long locks which had es'
capped from their fastening, then ut
tered a ~reproving exclamation
"Bretta, child, thy hair is heavy
with damp where was thy bonnet?
But Bretta was lost in her own
thoughts, and it was easy to conjecture
that she had carried her head covering
instead of wearing it.
From that day the girl studied more
carefully her grandaunt's comfort
When she sewed, she picked up thu
scraps and lint she had scattered, In
stead of racing away, as heretofore
the moment her task was done. A lit
tie watchfulness on her part spared
the good dame many a painful step
The latter wondered at the change ant
was thankful; but knew not the caus'
of it, for Bretta had never told he
that she seen the Spirit of the Mist.
The girl thought the spectre she ha'
seer was a special protecting power
and thinking that sucn was watchinI
over her, taught her greater gentlenes
toward others who were not 90 favored
For a time the dame had no caus
for complaint. Then Bretta longed t
see the spirit again, and fingered lat
upon the ledge But night after nigh
passed and it did not come.
Weeks passed. Bretta was gradual
going back to her light ways. On
night she fingered late in the valley
and speeding homewsrd, though
nothing OF the spirit until she reache
the ledge. She was half startled I
fud it there again, pictured again,
the mist midway out over the prec
pice. She spoke but 1t did not al
auar and vanished as before when th