The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-03-10
THE ALIONBY GHOST.


In all the village of Saxonholme there
was no one more unlikely to be the hero
inc of romantic adventure than poor
plain, little Margaret Henderson. How.
ever, 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 al
the time my story commences Margaret
had lover; on the contrary she had
always been too busy to entertain an
idea at once so pleasant and SO extrava-
CANT.
Indeed, there was not much room for
extravaganza of any kind in Margaret S
home. Her father was only the village
school-master, and his salary was ESQ a
year-not a very great income when
there was a large family to support out
of it. And unfortunately Margaret s
eldest brother, who ought to have been
a great help to the family, was trouble
"a genuine human black sheep, indeed,
who had, however, finally taken himself
away to foreign pastures.
Margaret had been his only friend
when he was at home, and it was gener-
ally believed that even in his self-im-
posed Punishment he kept up regular
correspondence with his sister, but there
were no proofs of this, and Margaret
never in any way alluded to him If she
had this little bit of secret romance in
her life, it was the one relief to weari-
some and monotonous days of prosaic
labor.
But no ill-fortune lasts forever. By
dint of hard and persevering efforts Mar
garet at length acquired an education
which she thought might warrant her
advertising for the situation of gov
erness. This application brought her
an answer signed "Alice Selby, for Lady
Alionby." Alionby Castle was in a
distant shire; it looked almost like going
into foreign country to Margaret, but,
upon the whole, she preferred it so.
Deep down in the little woman's heart
was strong vein of romance. and her
fancy was taken by this dream of little
child in big lonely castle; and indeed
the castle, without the child, would have
been attraction enough.
So Lady Alionby's terms were at once
accepted, and a 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 quarter
of an hour, quiet old lady, driving a
low pony-phaeton, called for her. She
introduced herself as ''Mrs. Selby," and
after some slight apology for not being
there when the coach arrived, she re-
manned silent. Margaret followed her
example, and during the drive occupied
herself with admiring the huge oaks and
beeches, and the thick green turf of the
park. :.
The castle stood on a slight eminence
and was surrounded on three sides by
dense woods; the fourth was open to the
wild beating of the Atlantic on a rough,
rocky coast, The entrance hall struck
Margaret as peculiarly dark. vast and
chilly; but they passed quickly through
it to small parlor in which a coal fire
was brightly blazing. Here, over cup
of tea Mrs. Selby, in as few words as
possible, explained to Margaret what she
was expected to do and what she was
expected not to do.
In the first place, it was evident that
Lady Alionby might be myth for aught
Margaret would likely to see of her.
"She receives no visitors and has Pc
culiar dislike to strange faces" said Mrs.
Selby; land as the left wing of the
castle is set apart for her use, you will
be required on all occasions to avoid it. !"
"And my pupilP"
1.-The right wing is placed at her dis
posal and yours; it is ample enough to
render any trespass upon the center of
the castle unnecessary"
"'Will not Lady Alionby give me some
directions about the education of the
child entrusted to mep
''She is satisfied to leave it to your
discretion. Every week shall examine
what progress has been made" There
was strange air of authority about the
little old waiting-woman, and Margaret
was half inclined to resent it; but she
was somewhat awed by the popularity
of her position and the strange stiffness
and isolation of the life into which she
had dropped
Margaret thoroughly understood, too,
the value of accommodating herself to
circumstances, and after she had finished
her tea she sat quietly gazing through
the window at the black-green surges
beating themselves into foam among the
rocks below her. Perhaps Mrs. Selby
wished to test her patience and self-re-
straint. for she sat in equal silence and
impressiVeness until the day was quite
dead, and there was no light of any kind
save the dull glimmer of the red Goals in
the CRATE.
Then slowly, and with deep sigh, she
lit candle. and said: Come, if you are
rested, l win take you 10 your room and
your pupil"