Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-02-14
A RAY OF SUNLIGHT.
"Ouiet. Bess! steady, Fanrn

Il
Jack Trevor gathered the reins more
tightly in his grasp, and touched the
horses with the long circling lash of his
whip.
Five minutes more will accomplish
the distance if we can maintain this
present rate of speed, he remarked to
his companion who had taken out his
watch and was anxiously consulting its
crystal face.
''And will the place afford shelter for
our partyP'
"Sheltcrr' Jack gave low whistle.
"Why, yoN could quarter an army in
the old barracks and have room to
spare.
Five minutes seems but short pc
riod," said Laura Decker, glancing rue
fully at her crisp muslin gown with its
dainty garnishing of cream lace and
blue ribbons; "but the floods will be
upon us in earnest long before The ex-
piration of that time.
Farewell, my love. murmured her
cousin Rettie pathetically, furling her
sunshade, under whose rim of soft pink
silk her bright brown eyes were won't
to peer out beseechingly. "You cost
u
elements will have no mercy upon you,
my beauty"
"And my mauve sateen," walled
stately Miss Johnson, surveying the
said miraculously fashioned garment
with actual tears, that she did not dare
let fall on her delicately tinted cheeks,
for a cogent reason that she fondly i'm
agined was known only to herself.
"Are you afraid, Miss BeckwithP"
Lawyer Hunter leaned over and was
looking into the girls face, thinking
what Il strong one it was, with its
decided mouth and darkly-fringed grey
eyes.
"AfraidP No. Why should i be?"
She spoke little impatiently, and let
her gaze wander back to the great
masses of black clouds that lay piled
above the horizon-like ebon mountains,
the lurid lightning flashing fitfully
above their ragged peaks.
A sudden peal of thunder startled the
horses into mad gallop, and brought
an hysterical scream TO the lips of Miss
johnson.
"Oh!" cried little Kettle Trevor, UNI
der her breath, her face growing very
slipped unheeded 10 the yellow straw
that had carpeted the bottom of the
roomy old vehicle.
Don't SILVER so, child.
1t wa, Margaret Beckwith who
spoke. and as she turned 10 the little
limp figure, she quickly Invested her
self of her long wrap, and hid crisp
muslin, dainty ribbons, and all in its
Voluminous grey folds.
''But YOU will take cold yourself
demonstrated Lawyer Hunter.
Il am not tender plant" she re-
sponded laughingly touching with one
slim hand the dark blue of her cloth
dress. II do not attend picnics clad in
gossamer attire when"
Eureka! at last"'
1t was Jack Trevor's big hearty voice
that rang out, and moment after he
drew up the foaming horses with tri-
umphant flourish of whip and reins.
'Now ladiesr'
Ned johnson seized Rettie Trevor in
his arms, and sprung up the crumbling
steps of the porch. His stately sister
assembled with more haste than grace,
and just as Lawyer Hunter handed Miss
Beckwith up and followed himself laden
with books and shawls, the patter of
great drops sounded on the roof, and in
moment the outside world was mist
of driving rain and rushing wind, be-
fore which the great trees bent like sap
ings, and the flowers laid their broken
heads on the drenched earth, and
looked up with pitiful tear-wet faces to
the angry sky that an hour before had
been blue and smiling as an infants
eyes.
"Open, thou inhospitable DOORS"
spouted the irrepressible Jack, striking
the panels with such force that the era
zy latch gave way and the entire party
surged into the wide musty hall, from
which opened large dark parlor,
sparsely furnished with dingy curtains
and few moth-eaten couches and
chairs.
"Ugh! it's damp and musty," cried
little Kettle Trevor. Uplifting her
dEinty nose in disgust,
And haunted, concluded her broth
er Jack, looking at her with solemn
eyes.
''Hauntedr Kettle would have
screamed, but her particular cavalier
was examining the dismal prospect
from one of the many diamond-paned
windows, and she wisely concluded
that it would be waste of breath.
''rell us the story, Jack"
A dozen voices chimed in the request,
and nothing 10th, Jack seated himself
on the edge of faded chintE sofa, and
began, in n deep sepulchural tone, that
accorded well with the shadows and
general mustinoss Of the place:
You may not credit the facts, my
friends but considerably less than half
century ago these rooms now so 81
lent and deserted. were filed with ma
ny gay company, and jest and dance
made the hours fly merrily enough.
The owncr of the old mansion had
brought TO its roof bride, a bonny
young thing, according 10 local tradi-
lion. and a year after, an heir appear
ed to complete their felicity. All went
merry as marriage-bell, till the poos
young mother discovered that her liege
lord was given over to an Unsuitable
love for strong stimulants. Unfortu-
nately. the shock broke her heart. and