Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-12-10
THE CROWSNEST GHOST.
A True Story.

The CKOWSNEST GiOST.
A True Story.
II would be almost impossible to dis.
cover any one more entirely devoid Of
superstition than myself. Nevcrthe-
less, when / was seventeen years old
an event happened which caused me to
believe mine haunted life. ! was
staying in Paris ut the house of my
guardian, Sir Charles c., and dress
Ing for my first ball-a ball at the En-
glish Embassy. My dress, triumph
OF Partisan taste, had been fastened,
and / stood before the glass while my
maid arranged the flowers in my hair.
A splendid bouquet lay beside my
gloves aud fan upon the toilet-table.
"Ah, now mademoiselle is beauti-
full" exclaimed my maid Justine, in
French, as she stepped back to survey
her work admiringly.
l blushed with pleasure. 1t was the
first compliment that had been paid
ME, and my glass told me it was true.
81 wonder who sent me these flow
ers?' l said, taking up the bouquet
preparatory to leaving tho room.
Mademoiselle will doubtless dis
tonight" was the girls reply.
At this moment there was q knock
at the door. A telegram was handed
TO me. -
"Mrs. Northcote is dangerously i'll,
and wishes to see her step-daughtcr be-
fore she dies"
Startled, dismayed, but beyond all
measure vexed at receiving such an I'M
timely message, 1 dropped the paper
upon the floor. " Bring me railway
guide quickr' / said to Justine.
Mrs. Northcote was my step-mother,
but we had never met. My father had
made mesalliance out in India by tax
ing half-caste for his second wife, and
when he died he left to his widow, for
her life, the family estate of Grows
nest" to which he had only just sue
ceeded. / found by the railway guide
that if l changed my dress with speed
there was time to catch the last train
that night from Paris. BY noon next
day should reach Dashshirc, in which
county Crowsncst is situated.
justine" | cried, eXcitedly, 'bring
me my travelling dress. You must go
with me tonight to England -"
you take off that ravishing dress that
suits you to such marvelP Would you
give up the ball --p"
Once moro l looked at my reflection
in the glass. Once more took up the
railway timetable TO study its contents.
AT nine o'clock next morning there was
another train. Meditatively |
raised the bouquet to my face. Who
was il said: "The woman who hesitates
is lost?' The sweet perfume of the
flowers permeated my senses. Who
had sent them? Curiosity prevailed. l
would wait till the morrow, go to tho
ball, and solve the mystery. Sir Charles
and Lady C were waiting for me
when / descended the stairs. l did not
say anything about the telegram; we
entered the carriage and were driven TO
the Embassy.
The ball was brilliant in the extreme,
and completely intoxicated with the
adulatlon / received. LA jolie An
glaise" "The new debutantep was
on everybody's lips. The night was
half over before even remembered the
atowed object of my deferred departure
for ngland-namely, to discover the
sender Of tho flowers.
"O what were you thinking so pro-
foundly, Miss Northcotcp" asked gen.
tleman, in way that made me start.
The speaker was Mr.. Weston. He had
been Introduced to me q few days be-
fore at my guardians house.
" was thinking of the sender of this
lovely bouquet, and wondering who he
IL. See, my name, Nina is spelt out
ip white violets," answered, holding
the Aowers'toward him.
Il hope you were thinking kindly Of
the donorp"
Indeed I was.''
THANK you. VIII you always SO
think of him--of meF'
My surprise was too great to frame
an immediate reply. Besides, his
manner embarrassed me. 1t inferred
so much more than the mere words.
danced with him more frequently than
with any one else, and found new
and strange attraction in his presence.
On returning from the ball / told my
kind host and hostess of the telegram,
and of my determination to start for
England on the morrow.
Lady c. looked grave when she
read tho message.
"You might have saved few hours
dear, -" she said.
"Only very few. And then should
have missed the most delightful expert
encc of all my life!" l answered, fer.
vently.
"But it was case of life and death,
my child" she added, gently. And ]
felt she had given me repr6of.
My trunks were soon packed by Jus.
tine, who accompanied me to England
Sir Charles c., as my legal guard
an, also insisted on going with me, and
late on the following night we were
driving through he'meonless darkness.
| OF country roads to Crowsnest. A
stately housekeepcr met us in the hall
Miss Northcote, you come too late, '
she said, and there was more austcrity
than sadness In her tone. "My deal
mistress died three hours ago. II you
had left Paris last night you would hav,
been In time. My lady had commu
nicauon she desired to make to YOU"
"What was itp" asked, in much dis
trcss.
That no one will ever know in thi
world" was the answer. And I fel
frop that moment as though Mrs. Ste
! veub W1 my enemy,