The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-06-07

heard Ormsby's voice, sLnxdale, I sax
 Loxdale. close heAind nc, and vande. leur jumped up aad stood n white and shaking. Thsse he is he said, point. ing over ny sNoulder, but not . creature coald ] see. Wandeleur couldn't ssand 1t, and sold out xeon sisss.
 thanked Loxdale and departed, pux- xied bat unconvinced, in search of efhes ghost seeza. As usual, came across any number of men who knew the man who had seen it !; and one ghost story is very Ike another when defails are required. Omsby's servant had mel him al the dooE cf his room dead and dripping ? the veEy night he was drowned, and had incoufinenfly thrown down can of hot water and ded. Two other men had sen him, always at night, and under circum- stances unfavosable to recoxnisioo hali | dosea oshen had heard tell of him. 7 Aitogesnes had but meagre report to take with me to Miss Dacre.
 Peadersli Count is moldy, melancholy old place, smotheEed in ivy up to the chimney-pots, and its mistress looked un- speakably foslom sitting at one end of a dark, .paneled room, and a long bare table down the middle, and rows of chairs at each side. She received me very gra- ciously and sweetly. Her companion, a deaf old Lady, was sitting knitting in a basket-chair by the window, and, after the first few words of introduction, made no attempt to join in the conversation.
 told my story. Miss Dacre listened sadly, great tears gathering in her eyes when l produced her cousins last few words s'If he would but have trusted mel" she sighed
 Her attention grew keener and keener as went On, pretty pink flush rose to heeacheeks and her breath came fast.
 The fellows say Loxdale never used to believe a word of the story" concluded, " but just now he has gone in for spirit ualism, and this seemed an illustration ready made to his hand, $" he has taken 1t up and makes the most of it."
 She rose without replying and opened door into another room, evidently her own special sitting-room, only a shade less dreary than the one we had quilted. The whole house seemed m some inex- plieable manner to be in mourning.
 :" l have something to show you she said, and followed. Directly facing me was full-length porrait of an officer in our uniform. l stopped short involun- tarily.
 "You know him ?" she asked eagerly.
 That's the face that looked in through the mess-room window. could swear to it."
 = He is alive. know il, have felt it all these years" And with a cry of thanksgiving, she sank down sobbing hysterically.
 Here a peal of the jangling door. bell went echoing through the house, and the old stag-hound that lay in the hall gave one big bark. Miss Daere dried her eyes rapidly at the sound of voices and approaching footsteps and smiled kindly at me.
 am sure you will not fail me-" she began. but l interrupted her.
 I'll find him. Trust to ne, Miss Dacre. If he's on earth, I'll run him down and bring him back to you"
 She gave me a sweet, thankful look and pressed my hand. Mrs. Smylie." was announced. and we returned to the other room to 6nd Lally woebegone and penitent. l left her to make her peace with Miss Dacre, and departed brimful ot nope ana invention.
 soon found myself at the limits of both. For weeks after. made a ripor- ous search TOT all who had been in the regiment in Ormsby's time, with small result. Most were dispersed, discharged or dead. or else knew nothing about him.
 Per contra, my questions had stirred up hornets nest amongst the officers. The story was revived, discussed, ampli- hed, till l hated the name of Ormsby. We became haunted with a vengeance now. It grew to a gigantic nuisance at last. If the interest could have exhaled itself m "chaf,' there would have been an end of 1t sooner or later, but the | colonel persisted in regarding it as a per sonal question, and was prepared to re- sent any remarks of sportive or derisive nature.
 The very core and centre of the whole | agitation was little Mrs. Smy.ie. She had conceived the widest most unreason- ing attachment to Miss Dacre, and I | suppose the attraction was mutual. for | the carriage from the court was thence forth constantly to be seen at our gates. 1 Lally to or from the object of her devotion. What she did when she got to Penderell, never could imagine. ba. she came home every time brimmine | over with sympathy and admiration for | her new friend.
 It's ateing her heart out with sorrow. she is How would he rest aisy in his grave, I'd like to know, and she breaking | her heart with the shame of his death.
 Her vlvid Irish imagination was capti. vated ey the romance of the situation. and Smylie might scold, entreat. implose. Talk about the ghost, she would and did, till greater and more personal cause of excitement absorbed her. z We were all startled by three pieces os news in rapid succession.
 Smylie was going. Had sent in his papers"
 Smyiie's old aunt had died. and left him lot of money
 "Smylie's cousin, a noble lord, who had never taken the slightest notice of him before, was going out as governor of St. Domingo, and taking Smylie as h;,