The Red Cloud chief., 1884-09-05

took himself TO a dre=sing-room 20 fold
his surplice and replace IT in the sachel
chosen by Mrs. Minis. While 20 n
gagged a letter was handed him with the
word ''immedi ateiy'' written conspicu-
ously on the envelope. The contents
were rs follows:
NAHLow Hall. Thursday. isth.-If Rev.
Julius Byron could Ind e CONVENIENT TO Of
nclafe AT a private baptism this afternoon NJ
Marrow Hal, he would confer a frcst favor
on tie un~dcrsaynei. 1r. byron j. re IGe-tcsl
10 pardon the n pa"eu. ~bTagqiSrH OF this no
tice. a. me case Is urgent. The . .. I'll. train
stops at Portland Station. where a carriage
will be la waiting.
"You will 20 / suppose said Willis
Howard, TO whom SIR. Byron presently
showed his note.
III course; one cannot refuse such a
summons. 1t is probably question of
life and death"
Il am due at Uxmo C tonight -rath-
er q different errand from yuurs-a
masqu rade party. I'm sorry we are
not travelling in the same direction"
II am sorry also. 10 you know any
thing OF the Teop!e at NARROW Hall,
Howard?n
"Never had heard of them before.
Are they strangers 10 you??"
Entirely So"
"Now good-oye, old fellow: my traps
are all slowed away IT, the train. and
had better follow them. Take care o.
yourself among those mysterious
strangers"
In the hustle and confusion At the sta
lion Mr.. Byrons sachel was mislaid,
but he presently caught sight of the
familiar Oh ect on Il distant table, and
felt iawarG!y thankful for its ungainly
proportions and the huge brass dia-
mond which made it SD easily recog-
nizcd.
at Portland n respectfully dressed
man IN charge of awaSonettc came for
ward Ia meet Mr.. Byron. and. during
the drive Il the Hall. tie former ds-
cOurscd freely upon the existing state
Of Affairs there. 4 son and her to- the
fine estate had arrived, and there had
been great rejoicing. but within the
past !wentv-foUr hours their ioy had
been turned 10 mourning by a dispatch
summoninL the newly-madc father 20
the dcath-bed o. his only ; ster n Ter
many. The Young mother seemed to
feel a preSentimcnt OF misfortune, and
She INSISTED upon the young baby being
bapti CT before the departure If its
father. The clergyman of the parish
was temporarily absent, hen e Mr.. BY
rOns ha>iy Summons. The ceremony
would lie performed IN Ike chapel con-
ne ted with the Hall. and would he
very quiet. being witnessed only by the
father and grand ather of the child,
with possibly onc o. TWO quests.
After luaclIjng in a Sombnr. richly
decorated dininr hall. Mr.. Byron was
shown 10 "a bedroom. with The intima-
ton that his s~er,iccs in the chap |
woIld be- required in an hour if con-
ven:cnt tU HIM.
Tacrc was something strange and in
tcrrstiEg a3OUt the fine old mansion. so
lately 4 scene Of re.oi ing, and now 81
lent "a an empty church. No mcmJc $
of the family were visible. and the gIeat
house seemed deserted, save or a Jew
silent footed servants.
AS the time for the baptism o.;
near, Mr.. Byron asked t. be eond'iclcu
to the ycStrY room. 10 make sure ina.
everything was n readiness he opened
his sachel, when, To hs CONSERVATION.
instead o. drawing forth a neatly o."ei
surplice. he he'd " 90. IS I
i,u a"Satin. such rs might he seen
d..tIe stage in "As You Like It,"
Alas for the rcra":ty o. Mes>rs. Finer
anu II o and he Crcdui.iv of the
worthy Mrs. Nims. The so called
unique bag had many dup!ica es, and
Ne. Wills Howard had bought one that
very morning in which to stow away
his !aucy ball costume.
Here was a prcdicamcn. indec! for
Rev. julius Byron In deSpel alton he
Lew To the wardrobe ia the vcs.ry-
room. Vain hope. Not a shred OF the
other clcTgyman's veStmrnts Lung
the c. What was 10 ne done. Even If
III extreme cls.S the church rules per
mit'cd the clgr-y To o~il;ciate without
robes III the sacred ed ice-ani or \
moment N. Byrol was too bewillerrd
10 think whether this wou,d be permits
sible or not-how could he explain the
annoying mistake To those stran rcrS?
They. already so troubled. woal think
him IN un!ruSiwoTtay, careleS, tribe
In his grsuieNliy hc rang or the man
who bad already waited on him.
"ls there a lady in the house with
whom | could speak for Il few mo-
mentS?' Mr.. Byron asked.
My mistress cousin is here: hut she
does, not leave the invalid rooms TOR
anything just at present"
Then | VIII write my message in q
He stated the case rs clearly Is he
coult on paper, and dispatched the ser
a n with il. In anSwe- the Ia IL sent her
maid 10 inGu lie if search had been made
in the yeStry-room for n
surpl.ce- tie sent ba k word that fur
Their search was useless.
After some moments of. TO him. ter
riblc SuSpen>e-ior the time was almost
for HIM 10 appear n the hapei-
he maid returned. and. with dacp
and a ner ous witch NJ o. her
apron hem. began:
"Aiy young lady told me to tell vou. 4,
r. that. II YOU would not tn nix il any =.
,arm, she would send Won her f:
no. | Ion mean that. SIR. She I
IA Il 1 WAS not TO say who it helon red
o. but she would cut the bands OF the ,
.leeveS and the lace from the neck, and I
{ would be lonr. and nobody would j
iotice that it was 4 night-gown, 5 r: :
nd. II YOU didn't mind. Sr. / would go 5
md fetch i, At ne for there is no :
10 lose.' ,
Ihe girls concluding remarks were ]
'nly too true; and. howeyec much he {
night have hestated ut her suggcst on c
II cooler moments. he was thankful
low for any solution o. the diaicultv.
Tel yo2r mistress tat | shall he I
cry grateful for the loan she o :. /
{ she thinks the deception will not BE- |
iiscotered.n +,
The servant vanished, and was soon |