National Republican., 1884-09-13

ing. But Peggy was really surprised by
tho extra energy which ber grandfather
had contrived TO throw into into the con-
versaton that afternoon.
II shall be harder soon, IL that's any
comfort to you" was the final remark OF
this amiable old gentleman; after which
he went to bed, though the sun was still
shining, and IL was half nm hour before
his usual time. Indeed, tho alacrity with
which he had taken himself of would
have aroused the suspicious of most folk;
but Peggy was not distrustful-on the
contrary, very, very trustful-or she
would not havo waited all this whilo for
for Luke Stands aud Luke Shands's luck,
which was generally going tho wrong way
to which he was.
Five minutes aftor hor grandfather had
gone to bed, Peggy had put on her neat
little straw hat, aud was out of tho house
and tripping along tho high road. Had
she looked back she would have seen tho
head of old Matthew craning out of tho
front window watching her. Had she
waited at the bond of tho road she would
have found old Matthew there five min.
utos afterward, and had she hidden hor-
self behind tho great sprawling brambles
she would have seon Matthew bribe little
Tom Crasp-a ragged youth, who pro-
fessos to mind tho sheep in Owens folds,
and spent his time In flinging stones at
crows-to follow her, and bring him back
tho news where she had gono--to make
oil tho haste that ho could, too because
he, Matthew Brantwell. did not want to bo
out Of his bed much later than his usual
time.
But Peggy, unmindful Of oil this
treachory, had gone on her way with
grave cornposure, steadily and swiftly.
She had turned from the high road. or
tho apology that there was for q high
road in so break neck part of the coun-
try as Felspar, and gone down into tho
valley, deep down into the lower path by
the sido of the stream, whore the trees
arched overhead, and the way was thickly
hidden now by rustling dead leaves.
Presently she crossed little plank
across the stream, and went up from tho
valley by degrees, making for tho higher
ground by steep ascent through trees
and bushes, which hid the way from those
below. Here, q 100 or a $50 feet from the
valleys level, and q quarter of the way to
tho summit of the green-crcsted top, she
paused at strange flssure in the rock,
which she could now touch with her
hands, and looked around at the fair
English landscape lying beneath her
stepped in autumn tints.
1t had been sharp ascent and she
might have paused to get her breath, only
he was slight of foot. and not half rs
blown" as Tom Grasp, who, lying on his
stomach among the brackon, was painting
like puppy dog.
Peggy Brantwell was waiting for some-
thing it was evident. She crossed her
hands and sat down on n bowlder that
had slipped In times remote from tho
summit, and was covered now with
liohens and MOSES, and hero she waited
patiently, looking along the valley, a
pretty figure that any artist would have
| loved to sketch. There was Just a little
expression Of anxiety on her face oven, as
she gazed toward tho sun dipping slowly
behind cloud bank of purple aud gold
sun which she watched sink at last
with all tho devout expression of fire
worshiper. Then, as the edge of tho disc
disappeared, she turned round, darted
into the cleft of the rock, and was gone.
The cleft widened after few steps over
some rough loose shiuglc, and here, we'll
out Of tho draught, Peggy lighted a can.
die which she had brought with her, and
went on grouping her way steadily for
ward into the heart of those grand old
cliffs which have been tho wonder of
geologists of late years, but which nobody
thought great deal about in Peggy's
time.
"Peggy's best timo, that is-for Peggy
lives and flourishes still. and has grown
| very stout and buxom, and laughs when
she tells this story, as she has told it to
the present writer-with all the fears and
troubles in the background of some ff-
teon dusty years. and with tho sunshine,
as she says, round about her every
where" And yet 1t was Peggy's best
time, for her good looks aud health and
strength of youth. and the faith and
| courage of love, and the belief even in
old country superstitions, which she
clung to with the rest of tho good folk in
Felspar, who believed in "all the won
ders," just as unsophisticated Peggy did.
But Peggy was showing her belief by
acts, having great faith. poor little
dreamer that she was. And the proof
was in this desperate expedition, and in
the sudden dropping down on her knees
in ragged. Jagged part of the cavern
which had widened out into some SEM
blance of rOugh-hewn ROOM and in
planting her candle on an anvil-shaped
rock in the center, uncommonly handy
for catching unawares the kneecaps of
rash explorers. And had any one been
listening, which there was not-for Tom
"My Lady's Chapel" for the wealth of
Felspar, and was even lurking outside
with his hair on end-he would have
heard this extraordinary appeal to the
hidden genius of the place, supposed to
be propitiatory to all intercessions if
uttered five minutes after sundown,
neither moro nor less, because her LADY,
ship loved punctuality, objected to be kept
waiting, and, it was possible, had i'm
portant business elsewhere
"Lady of the Grey Tor Chapel (this re.
peated three times), listen to me, Peggy
Brantwel!, speaking with all her heart, as
all must speak who enter here, please
bring luck to my dear Luke, change his
bad luck into good, and help us all you
can. No one has seen me come in, no ono
shall see me come out. One, two, three,
four, five, six. seven (which, being ex-
actly the number of letters In Felspar,
was supposed to be the principal part of
the alphabet). High, low, Jack, game.
Amen. Here our superstitious heroine
blew out her candle, deposited it rs n
votive offering to the gods on the extem-
pore altar, and groped her way cautiously
and timidlv through tho fssure TO the
daylight, which shone at last ahead of her,
and which she was so long in discovering
that she began to fear she had taken a
wrong turning, and was coming out at
the other end of the world.
There was only twilight left, in fact,
when she emerged from Ny Lady's chapel,
and it had not picrced very far into the
shadows. 1t would be pitch dark night
before she got home to her grandfather,
she was afraid. Never mind, she had
succeeded in her mission, and perhaps
luck would turn now. At all events she
had done her best to make it turn, and
no one could blanc her afterward. And
no one had seen her come ont, and-Yah
Peggy gave vent to very substantial,
unromantic, and high-pitched yell, for