The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-03-09

) light upon the damp grass beyond
There was strange suggestionin the
open door-so futile, a kind Of en-
blem Of vanity-all free around, so
that you could go where you pleased,
and yet that semblance Of an enclos-
ure-that way Of entrance, unneces-
sary, leading to nothing. And why
any creature should pray and weep to
get into nothing; or be kept out
by nothing! You could not dwell
upon it, or it made your brain go
round. | remembered, however, what
Simson said about the juniper, with a
little smile on my own mind as to the
lnaccuracy of recollection, which even
scientific man will be guilty of. |
could see now the light of my lantern
cleaning upon the wet, glistening
surface of the spiky leaves at the
right hand-and he ready to go to the
stake for it that it was the leftl
went round to make sure. And then
| saw what he had said. Right or left
there was no juniper at all. | was
confounded by this, though it was en-
tirelY a matter Of detail; nothing at
all; bush of brambles waving, the
grass growing up to the very walls.
But after all, though it gave me a
shock for moment, what did that
matter? There were marks as if a
number of footsteps had been up and
down in front of the door; but these
might have been our steps; and all
was bright, and peaceful and still. |
poked about the other ruin-the
larger ruins Of the old house-for
some time, as | had done before.
There were marks upon the grass
here and there, [ could not call them
footsteps, all about, but that told for
nothing one way or another | had
examined the ruined rooms closely the
first day. They were half filled up
with soil and debris, without brackens
and bramble-no refuge for any one
there 1t vexed me that Jarvis should
see me coming from that spot when
he came up to me for his orders. /
don't know whether my nocturnal
expeditions had got wind among the
servants. But there was significant
look in his face. Something in it
| felt was like my own sensations
when Simson in the midst of his
scepticism was struck dumb. Jarvis
felt satisfied that his veracity had
been put beyond question. | never
spoke to a servant of mine in such
peremptory tone before. [ sent him
away with flea in his lug" as the
man described it afterwards. Inter-
ference of every kind was intolerable
to me at such a moment.
But what was strangest Of all was,
that [ could not face Roland. [ did |
not go up to his room as would have
naturally done at once This the
girls could not understand. They
saw there was some mystery in it.
mother has gone to lie down"
Agatha said: she has had such a good
night" But he wants you so, papa!"
cried little Jeanie, always with her
two arms embracing mine in pretty
way she had. | was obliged to go at
last-but what could | say? | could t.
only kiss him, and tell him to keep
still-that l was doing all I could.
There is something mystical about the
patience of child. at will come all
right, won't it, fa' her?" he said "God
grant it may! l hope so, Roland"
"Oh yes, it will come all right" Per-
haps he understood that in the midst
of my anxiety | could not stay with
him as | should have done otherwise.
But the girls were more surprised
than it is possible to describe. They
looked at me with wondering eyes.
IF ! werA i'll, papa, and you only
stayed with me moment, [ should
break my heart said Agatha. But
the boy had sympathetic feeling.
He knew that of my own will | would
not have done it. I shut myself up
in the library, where l could not rest,
but kept pacing up and down like
Gagged beast. What could do? and
if [ could do nothing. what would be-
come of my boy? These were the
questions that, without ceasing, pur-
sued each other through MY mind.
TO BE CONTINUED.