Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-03-13
THE GIPSY'S CURSE.
ny THE AUTHOR OF "GUILTY WITHOUT
CRIME" "THE wRECKERs OF
ERNA DOOM" ETC.
CHAPTER /.


IL was not often that anything of i'm.
portance occurred Mt Scarth Abbot, pic.
turesque struggling village among the
Cumberland hills, eight miles from the
nearest railway station and an equal dis.
lance from the nearest town. Year after
year nothing more remarkable than death
or birth, party at the Larches, school.
feast at the Rectory, broke the monotony
Of existence in the remote district, and the
sudden arrival, from "foreign parts" OF
the Lord of the Manor, the master of the
Court, who owned nearly all the property
for miles around, threw the whole district
into fever of excitement, which was in-
creased by the fact that no one expected
him.
He visited the Court at rare intervals,
and the last time he came, was about five
years back. The people at Scarth Abbot
said il was shame for him to go wandering
all over the earth, so rs to be quite an alien
among his own people. But then the
Court was great lonely, rambling place
for o man scarcely more than thirty to IN
habit, and with neither mother, sister,
nor wife; for the owner was still unmar-
ried, though he was the last in the direct
line. Scarth Abbot gossips shook their
heads when asked why the Court had no
mistress, aud told a dismal story.
Before the news of the Lord-of-thc-
Manor's return was a fortnight old anoth-
er shock went through the inhabitants Of
Scarth Abbot.
1t was asserted that Miss Durnford, the
maiden lady who lived at the Grange, was
about to receive a new inmate in her house.
hold, in the person of niece from "some-
where abroad" Wonders would never
cease, said the gossips. Miss Durnford
was first cousin to the Sabines Of the
Larches, who were very great people in
deed, and had been at Scarth Abbot since
the time of James j. Consequently the
newcomer must be second cousin to the
Sabines.
The villagers however knew nothing
about her except her name, and Miss
Durnford either knew no more or would
say no more; for she was no friend to viii
lage gossip, and never stopped to feed il.
The Doctors wife contrived TO discover
that the young lady whose arrival was
considered so important was coming from
Canada, where her uncle held a Govern
ment appointment, and that she was sent
over to her aunt because she could not live
in the cold climate of the Dominion; but
here even indefatigable Mrs. Frampton
came to full stop, and could get no far.
Their.
All in the village knew, when, one eve
ming in July, Miss Durnford's carriage
drove away towards the station, which
was at Moorstown, that it had gone to
fetch Miss Costello, and all turned out
when the carriage came back, TO try TO
catch glimpse Of the foreigner. But the
landau was closed, and nothing was visible
except portmanteau on the box.
The carriage passed through the high
iron gates, swept up the drive, and
stopped before the deep arched doorway
OF an old red brick house with mullioned
windows, and with turrets and buttresses
jutting out where one would least expect
TO find any excrescence.
At the top Of the broad low flight of
steps leading to the door stood a tall rath-
er angular looking woman of perhaps fifty
five or sixty, dressed in black satin robe
Of old fashioned make, and with a lace cap
on her smooth gray hair. A pair Of grave
kindly brown eyes looked out from be-
meath thick and still black eyebrows, and
the gazers' somewhat formal demeanor
coaaujn no degree be associated with
harsnhess or primness.
Out Of the landau, before the footman
could jump down to open the door, sprang
girl, graceful as fawn and attired in
traveling-dress Of the last Partisan style,
who bounded up the steps to meet the old
lady's outstretcbed hands.
"Dear auntie,p said a sweet young voice,
"how good of you to come to the door to
receive mew
"Good Of eV echoed Miss Durnford.
putting her arms about the girl, who was
taller than herself. elbow else would
you have me to receive my sisters child!"
kissing the girl fondly as she spoke
"Come In, my dear; you must be very tired
and very hungry"
1Eeither the one nor the other" was
the merry response. "Ob, this dear old
house hope / shall not turn you topsy-
turyy, auntiel We Transatlantics are so
free-and-easy that may do all sorts OF
dreadful things; and / am perfect cata-
mount"
Miss Durnford smiled indulgently into
face lovely enough to win its owner par.
don for far worse escapades than any
gently-nurtured girl of sixteen was likely
to commit, and she said kindly
"Well, well, we'll see; but / dare say
the Grange will be better for revolution.
Old maids--in the country especially
grow selfish and narrow-minded, living
alone, and with no one to think oil but
themselves; III you 90 upset tne PIin oiu0i
of things little, IL will be the better Tor
me-"
"You would never grow selfish auntie,"
said Miss Costello, scanning her relatives
face with steady but by no means imper-
tinent gaze. al dare say shall tease you;
but won't II can help it."
Miss Durnford laughed; It was not Of
ten she had anything to laugh at, and this
exercise was novel and pleasant.
"Come to your room," she said, "and 1
will ring for Mary,the parlor-maid, to wait
on you."
az don't need her, auntic, thanks. 1
don't trouble maid much at home. OH"
AS Miss Durnford, after ascending a
short flight Of stairs, opened an oaken door
-"what darling old-world room! did
miss the old things in Canada so, auntie-
everything was new and staring"
"Do you remember Europe so wellf'
asked Miss Durnford, as the girl threw of
her hat and jacket.
"Oh, yes, auntiel We have been out
there only five years. was seven when
we went TO Vienna; and weTwcre there
till uncle got this appointment in Canada.
IL not this place very cold in winteri"
avery cold indeed. We frequently
have the snov "a early as October: and