The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-12-21

ever saw in all my ife."
"Beautifulp'
Lovely as an angel"
what was she like?' the lad asked, ex-
citedly. "Oh, father, If it should be my
Harriet! You don't know her, you know.
1t might have been her, you know, and she
has lost her way and can't find us. Did you
see her face-her, hairY She has hair like
| -o
Like new sovereign, and big eyes, and
pretty color in her cheeks" said, in
amazement. IF your Harriets like that, /
| think must have seen her, in blue gown
| -v
Eyes, that's her, she did wear blue dress.
| Father, she must have been coming here
and lost herself in the park. shall 20 and
look for her. Oh, If you only knew what a
weight you have taken off my mind by tell
ing me this. will soon find her; she can't
be far away"
III that is your Harriet she's as deaf as a
post" l said, feeling quite put out to think
how / had shouted at her. and she had taken
no notice; but Ralph laughed, and said lIar-
riet was not deaf, she must have been think
Ing of something else.
mother will take care OF her for Tonight
won't you, mamme"' he said, coaXing
Cherry, who would have slept on the ktch-
en- stones to do him any service.
II shall go to bed and have that hot
drink" said. l was feeling out of sorts
and consequently out Of temper; the two
things generally 60 together; and Ralph ran
of to find the girl and bring her to his moth
er.
He didn't find her, and didn't 20 to sleep
/ was restless and feverish, and could only
toss and tumble about in most uncomfort-
able fashion all the night through, and be
very glad when 1t was morning aud day
light and l could shake off the megrims
that seemed to have got hold of me.
was sorry for the lad, for he took the
thing so much to heart There never came
any news of the girl 10 us, and what she
could have been doing in the park that even
Ing was more than could make out. HAD
very little doubt that it was Harriet Belt
that had seen. Ralph made me describe
her over and over again, and the description
OF her was exact; but she evidently didn't
mean to marry him; and the other young
fellow, Jem Hackitt, knew as little about
her as we did. He had taken to drinking a
good deal lately; he was never very steady,
not at all like our Ralph, and he was dis
posed to make light of the girls disappear
ance altogether.
He seemed rather inclined to make up to
our boy at this time, but neither of US liked
him, and Ralph could not bear the sight of
him. He declared that IL it had not been
for him Harriet would never have dsap-
peared and he did not believe him when he
said he did not know anything about her.
Jem Hackitt only laughed when he was told
: what poor Ralph had said in the fulness of
his heart, and said time would show; but
time went on and showed nothing, and it
was six weeks from the time Of Harriets
disappearance and nothing had been heard
of her.
We were sitting at our supper one even
Ing. 1t was bright summer weather, and
the sun was still shining slantways across
the grass, and everything was still with the
stiffness of the coming evening. We were
exceptionally early that night; we had had
apretty hard days work, Cherry and /,
cleaning and washing the place, and we re-
solved that we would go to bed as soon as it
got dark; so she made the supper ready and
we sat down to rest and enjoy ourselves. |
don't think had eaten half-a-dOzen mouth
fuls when a man came running across the
park-one of the undergraduates he was.
looking as il his eyes were coming out Of
his head, and his face as pale as ashes.
Come, for heavens sake-come with me-"
he said, and we started up, wondering what
had happened.
what is the matter, John Withers?" I
asked, "you look as if you had seen a ghost"
"As bad-as bad" he said, shiyerlng, II
have seen dead body"
"Bless the ad-wherew asked Cherry.
I'm Dredgitt's Pool--a woman" he gasp
ell out, and then turned so sick and faint
that he was obliged to sit down and recover
himself.
II was looking up the swans" he said;
there's been something the matter with
them lately, and the master said they were
to be seen to. That was what was the mat
ter with them-that thing in the water, l."
Don't sit there talking, manu- said,
thinking perhaps that there had been an ac-
cident and that someone had fallen in;
come along, we may get her out. Perhaps
she isn't dead"
"You wouldn't say that If you saw her."
he said, family. Dead! She must have
weeks in the water. The rats"
"Stop!' said turning as sick as he look
ed; "thatll do"
went back with the lad to the place, but
he had told Others as well as me, and there
was quite little crowd about the water
side.
rs 1t anyone we know, John Withers?'
asked, as we went with all our speed.
No" he replied; II don't think so. A
girl dressed in a blue gown, and"
1t was the same then; the girl Ralph said
was his Harriet. Poor boy, what shock
for him; but 1t would be over, and he would
find someone else who was more worthy Of
him, FOR in my heart felt sure that Harriet
BELT was not good woman, and not calcu-
lated to make any man happy. The people
made way for me as came up TO the side
OF the water, and Jem Hackitt was among
them he was very pale, and he shivered a
little as someone said there had been foul
play, Tor there was great mark on the
forehead where the skull had been smashed
In with something heavy.
She was murdered, poor thingw man
said. Someone will swing for herr
lcouldn't look at what they laid on the
grass; 1t was too horrible. | am an old man,