The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-02-23

limbs relaxing, his form sinking wit
a luxurious reposein his bed-''mothe
can come and take care of me-"
called her, and saw him turn t.
her with the complete dependence O
a child, and then | went away ant
left them, as perplexed a man as an,
in Scotland. [ must say, however,
had this consoletion, that my mint
was greatly eased about Roland. HI
might be under hallucination, bu
his head was clear enough, and l die
not think him so i'll as everybody elst
did The girls were astonished ever
at the ease with which [ took his i'll
ness. "How do you think he is?'
they said in breath, coming round
me, laying hold of me. Not half sc
i'll as | expected" j." | said; mot very
bad at all" "Oh, papa, you are 6
darling!' cried Agatha, kissing me
and crying upon my shoulder; while
little Jeanie, who was as pale as Ro-
land, clasped both my arms round
mine, and could not speak at ALL !
knew nothing about it, not half SC
much as Simson, but they believed in
me; they had a feeling that all would
go right now. God is very good to
you when your children look to you
like that. 1t makes one humble, not
proud. | was not worthy of it; and
then | recollected that | had to act
the part Of father to Roland's ghost,
which made me almost laugh, though
L might just as well have cried. It
was the strangest mission that ever
was intrusted to mortal man.
1t was then | remembered suddenly
the looks of the men when they turn
ed to take the brongham to the sta
bles in the dark that morning; they
had not liked it, and the horses had
not liked it. | remembered that even
in my anxiety about Roland I had
heard them tearing along the avenue
back to the stables, and had made a
memorandum mentally that l must
speak of it. 1t seemed to me that the
lest thing | could do was to go to the
stables now and make a few inquiries.
1t is impossible to fathom the minds
of rustics; there might be some devil
try of practical joking, for anything
[ knew; or they might have some rea-
son in getting up bad reputation for
the Brentwood avenue. 1t was get
ting dark by the time | went out, and
nobody who knows the country will
need to be told how black is the dark
ness Of November night under high
laurel bushes and yew-trees. | walked
into the heart of the shrubberies two
Or three times, not seeing step be-
fore me, till | came out upon the
broader carriage-road, where the trees
opened little, and there was a faint
grey glimmer Of sky visible, under
which the great lines and elms stood
larkling like ghosts; but it grew
black again as / approached the cor
ner where the ruins lay. Both eyes
and ears were on the alert, as may be
but l could see nothing in
the absolute gloom, and, so far as |
can recollect, | heard nothing. New
ertheless there came strong impress
sion upon me that somebody was
there. 1t is a sensation which most
people have felt. have seen when it
has been strong enough to awake you
put Of sleep, the sense of some one
looking at you. | suppose my imag-
nation had been affected by Roland's
story; and the mystery of the dark
ness is always full Of suggestions. I
stamped my feet violently on the
gravel to rouse myself, and called out
sharply, "Who's there?" Nobody
nor did I expect any one to
answer, but the impression had been
made. | was so foolish that [ did not
ike to look back, but went sideways,
keeping an eye on the gloom behind.
It was with great relief that l spied
The light in the stables, making a sort
Of oasis in the darkness. | walked
very quickly into the midst of that
lighted and cheerful place, and
thought the clank Of the groom's pail
one of the pleasantest sounds | had
ever heard. The coachman was the
head of this little colony, and it was
to his house | went to pursue my in
He was native of the
and had taken care Of the
place in the absence Of the family for
years; it was impossible but that he
must know everything that was going
On, and all the traditions Of the place.
The men, l could see, eyed me anx-
iously when | thus appeared at such
an hour among them, and followed
me with their eyes to Jarvis's house,
where he lived alone with his old wife,
their children being all married and
out in the world. Mrs. Jarvis met me
with anxious questions. How was
the poor young gentleman? but the
others knew, | could see by their
faces, that not even this was the fore
most thing in my mind.
Noises s?-ou ay, there'll be noises
the wind in the trees, and the water
down the glen. As for
tramps, cornell, no, there's little O
that kind O cattle about here; and
Merran at the gates careful body"
Jarvis moved about with some embar-
from one leg to another as
he spoke. He kept in the shade, and
did not look at me more than he could
help. Evidently his mind was per-
turhed and he had reasons for kpeD-