The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-07-11

be in waiting.
STANFIEID MARROW"
"You will go, I suppose :" said
Willis Howard, to whom Mr. Byron
presently showed his note.
"Of course; one cannot refuse such
a summons. 1t is probably a question
of life and death"
"I am due at Uxmoore tonight
rather different errand from yours
a masquerade party. l am sorry we
are not travelling in the same direc-
ton"
81 am sorry also. DO you know
anything of the people at NARROW Hall,
Howard7'
"Never heard of them before. Are
they strangers to your
"Entirely So"
"Now goodbye, old fellow; my
traps are all slowed away in the train,
and had better follow them Take
care of yourself among those mysteri-
GUS strangers.
In the hustle and confusion at the
station Mr.. Byron's satchel was mis-
laid ; but he presently caught sight of
the familiar object on distant table,
aud felt inwardly thankful for its un-
gainly proportions and the huge brass
diamond which made it 80 easily rec
ognized.
AT Portland respectfully dressed
man in charge of wagonette came
forward to meet Mr.. Byron, and during
the drive to the Hall the former dis
coursed freely upon the existing state
of affairs there.
A son and heir to her fine estate had
arrived, and there had been great re.
joicing there; but within the past twen-
tyfour hours their joy had been turned
into mourning by despatch summon
ing the newly-made father to the
death-bed of his only sister, in Ger
many. The young mother seemed to
feel presentiment of misfortune, and
insisted upon the baby's being baptiz-
ed before the departure of its father.
The clergyman of the parish was TEN.
porarily absent; hence Mr.. Byron's
hasty summons. The ceremony would
be performed in the chapel connected
with the Hall, and would be very
quiet, being witnessed only by the
father and grandfather of the child,
with possibly one or two guests.
After lunching in a sombre, richly
decorated dining hall, Mr.. Byron was
shown to bed room, with the intima-
tion that his services in the chapel
would be required in an hour, if con.
venient to him.
There was something strange and in
teresting about the fine old mansion,
so lately scene of rejoicing, and now
silent as an empty church. No men,
bers of the family were visible, and the
great house seemed deserted, save for
a few silent-footed servants.
AS the time for the baptism drew
near Mr.. Byron asked to be conducted
to the vestry room. To make sure
that everything was in readiness, he
opened his satchel, when to his con-
sternation, instead of drawing forth
neatly-folded surplice, he held up be-
fore his astoaished gaze doublet and
hose of scarlet and gray satin, such as
might be seen on the stage in GAS You
Like It.
Alas for the veracity of Messrs.
Piper and Tipson and the credulity of
the worthy Mrs. Minis The so.
called unique bag had many duplicates,
and MIR. Willis Howard had bought
one that very morning in which to
stow away his fancy ball costume.
Here was predicament, indeed, for
the Rev. Julius Byron In despera-
ton he flew to the wardrobe in the
vestry room. Vain hope! Not shred
of the other clergyman's vestments
hung there. What was to be done
Even if in extreme cases the church
rules permitted the clergy to officiate
without robes in sacred edifce-and
for the moment Mr.. Byron was too be-
wildered to think whether this would
be permissible or not-how could he
explain the annoying mistake to these
strangers ? They, already 50 troubled,
would think him an untrustworthy,
careless triher.
In his perplexity he rung for the
man who had already waited on him.
'ls there lady in the house with
whom l could speak for a few mo-
ments ~ Mr.. Byron asked.
"My mistress cousin is here but
she does not leave the invalid's rooms
for anything just at present"
"Then l will write my message in a
note.'
He stated the case as clearly as he
could on paper, and despatched the
servant with it. In answer the lady
sent her maid to inquire if the search
had been made everywhere in the ves-
try for surplice. He sent back word
that further search was useless.
After some moments of, to him, ter
rible suspense-for him to appear in
the chapel--the maid returned and
with deep bushes and nervous twitch-
ing of her apron-hem, began:
"My young lady told me to tell you,
sir, that if you would not think it any
harm, she would send you her--Oh,
no, | don't mean, that, sir. She said /
was not to say who it belonged TO, but
she would cut the bands off the sleeves
aud the lace from the neck, and il would
be long, and nobody would notice that
it was a night-gown, sir; and if you don't
mind, sir, would 90 and fetch it at
once, for there is no time to lose"
The servant girls concluding words
were only too true, and however much
he might have hesitated at her sugges-
ton in cooler moments, he was thank
ful now for any solution to the difficult
ty.
"Tell your mistress that shall be
very grateful to her for the loan she
proposes, if she thinks the deception
will not be discovered"
The servant vanished, and was soon
on the spot again with snowy linen
night-gown. The neck at the back
had been torn down to admit broader
shoulders and lineg handkerchief had
been hastily stitched in to hide the
rent. Most of the concentrations had
been cut away, but enough remained
to prove that the garment belonped IN