Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-06-08
The Alionby Ghost.

In all the village Of Saxonholme
thefe was no one more unlikely to be
the heroine of q romantic adventure
than poor, plain, little Margaret Heuder.
son. However, she was modest, sweet
tempered and moderately clever, and
girls OF this kind will always find some
admirer as long as sensible men exist.
Not that at the time my ctory commen-
ces Margaret had lover; on the con.
trary, she had always been too busy to
entertain an idea at once so pleasant
and so extravagant.
Indeed, there was not much room for
e1travagance of any kind in Margaret's
homo. Her father was the only village
schoolmaster, and his salary was eighty
pounds year-not very great income
when there was a large family to sup
port out of it. And unfortunately
Margarers eldest brother, who ought to
have been a great help to the family,
was a great trouble-a genuine human
black sheep indeed, who had, however.
finally taken himself away to foreign
pastures.
MngareE had been his only friend
when he was at home, and it was gen
orally believed that even in his self i'm.
posed Punishment he kept up 4 regular
correspondence with his sister, bat
there we're no proofs Of this, and Mar.
garet never in any way alluded to him.
Blu: no i'll fortune lasts forever. BY
dint Of hard and persevering efforts
Margaret at leng tn acquired an educa-
tion which she thought might warrant
her advertising for the situation Of a
governess. This application brought
her an answer signed, "Alice Selby, for
Lady Alionby." Alionby castle was in
distant shire i. looked almost like
going into a foreign country to Mar.
garet, but, upon the whole, she pre-
ferred it 50.
So Lady Alionby's terms were ut once
accepted, and n week afterward she
found herself standing alone at the gates
OF Alionby park. The stage-coach had
dropped her and her small trunk there,
and after waiting in the lodge 4 quarter
of an hour quiet old lady, driving q
low pony-phaetop, called for her. She
introduced herself as "Mrs. Selby," aud
after some slight apology for not being
shere when the coach arrived she re-
NAMED silent.
The castle stood on q slight EN- 'nence,
and was surrounded on thlee sides by
dense woods; the fourth was open to
the wild beating of the Atlantic on
rough, rocky coast. The entrance hall
struck Margaret as peculiarly dark, vast
and chilly; but they passed quickly
through it TO 9 small parlor in which
coal FIRE was brightly blazing. Here,
over q cup of tea, Mrs. Selby, in as few
words as possible, explained TO Mar
garet what she was expected to do, and
what she was expected not to do.
In the fret place il was evident that
Lady Ahonby might be a myth for
aught Margaret would be likely to zee
OF her. "She receives no visitors and
has peculiar dislike to strange faces"
said Mrs. Selby; "and as the left wing
of the castle is set apart for her use
you vii be required on all occasions to
avoid IT,"
"And my pupil p
"The right wing Ia placed at her dis
posal and yours; II is ample enough to
render any trespass upon the center CT
the castle unnecessary"
"Will not Lady Alionby give me
scme directions about the education of
the child intrusted to mer'
"5he Is satisfied to leave Il to your
discretion. Every week shall exam.
inc what progress has been made
There was . strange air Of authority
about the little old waiting woman, and
Margaret wa half-inclined to resent Il:
but she was somewhat awed by tho po-
culiarity Of her position, and tho strange
stiffness and isolation Of the life into
which she had dropped.
Perhaps Mrs. Selby wished 10 test
her patience and self.rsstraint, for she
fat IN silence and impassiveneas until
the day was quite dead, and there was