The Opelousas courier., 1883-12-08


OF the screech of sea-gulls and the rush
OF outgoing waves, never pausing until
she had reached the ruinous fence,
where a few stumpy lilac bushes and a
struggling apple tree or two marked
the spot where once a garden spot had
beenl
The blood-red fires Of the sunset were
almost dying out now-an ominous
chill seemed to fall on the atmosphere
and, as the gate cracked beneath her
hand, Kitty Primrose almost wished
that she had not come.
a low, melancholy strain of music
filed the air and died away-the wall
ing, perhaps, of some ghostly violin
long since moldered away to dust, and
in the same moment Kitty was startled
when her eyes perceived a face at the
window.
With q shrek she fell fainting amid
the long grass! Poor little Kitty! She
had firmly persuaded herself that she
was not superstitious, but the dying
light, the dolorous moaning of the sea.
the sad strain of supernatural music,
and the ghostly face looking down
upon her from the ruined ashes above
these combined influences were enough
to upset anyone. She had over-esti-
mated her W strength of mind and
body--that was all.
Aunt Jean glanced up from her little
bits of silk and velvet.
"Sure enough" said she, "where is
the child? She went out just about
sunset. Surely, she ought to be back
by this time. Perhaps Priscilla Hawk
is with her"
But Priscilla Hawk, upon investiga-
ton, was found to be darning stockings
in the back kitchen. Uncle Dionysius,
seriously alarmed at her long absence,
jumped to his feet.
"We must look for the child at once"
said he. This is. most uncomfort-
ablel''
Kitty, however, was nowhere to be
found. Not in the little honeysuckle
- EIr.A-# 49,
arbor at the foot of the garden, nor on
the ragged rock below, where one got
such q magnificent view of the ocean,
nor under the .quincebush, whose
bonghs dropped, banyan-like. almost
to the ground-not in one of her
favorite hooks!
"This IS very stranger said Uncle
Dionysins, with a perturbed face.
VERY strange indeedi' said Aunt
Jean, beginning to cry.
Even the old farmer and his wife
were frightened, and Melissa and Pris-
ella. the two daughters, looked blank
ly at one another.
"She must be--drownedf' whisper
ed Aunt Jean.
More likely kidnappedl' declared
Uncle Dionysius. Whats the nearest
telegraph station? Ten miles away?
Great heavens! What is a person to
do in such a benighted place as this? r.
But just as he was stamping around
the floor and working himself into q
fine paroxyism of rage, the back door
opened, and in walked-Miss Kitty
Primrose herself.
With Mr.. Brian Balmore ather side.
"Oh, uncle, / hope you haven't been
frightenedf' said Kitty, laughing and
crying In the sane breath.
'tShe IS not in the least hurt said
Mr.. Balmore. AND it is all my
faultl'
NO. It isn't contradicted Kitty,
..it's miner
'Childrenf' said Aunt Jean, .what
does this mean e.
.It's Brian that was the ghost" said
Kitty. Il saw his face at the window
and heard his violin, and then, silly
goose that I was, with my mind full of
Priscilla's hobgoblin stories, / tainted!
And then Brian came out and picked
up and threw water over my faceI!a
aBut,' cried Uncle Dionysius, wildly
rumpling the hair on the top Of his
head with all his ten fingers, .why
don't somebody explain! How on
earth came Brian Isalmore there, of all
the places id the Woridpn
The young man laughed.
sTo confess the truth, said he. Il
was camping out in the old ruin. i've
been there eyer since you brought
Kitty 10 Sandy Point. / could not
endure to DO separated from her, SO I
have been playing Robinson Crusoe Oh
d small scale, and doing what sketch
ing | could"
@And he says he loves me, cried
Kitty, ~radiantly. and We are 10 be
married as soon as we get back to the
city. Oh, I am happy, 50 very happy"
Uncle Dionysius and Aunt Jean
looked at each other. Verify true love
had been too much for them!
avail y uoid ITssaIa Dsnnvu;.1s ssv,va