Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-05-27

would have nothing 10 do with neigh
bors, and those who came 10 the house
were principally ole friends from dis
tance.
And. thinking OF the cold, stern man,
who had never once caressed her, it did
not seem unlikely that he might have
been mkind to her parents. He was not
unkind to her. It is true, but lie had
never been tender. Black Jane was
fond Of her, but she was ignorant and
superstitious; and perhaps the most
congenial companion Margaret had ever
had was q very strange one
a woman, no longer young, evident
lY working person, yet as evil
IDENTIFY by birth lady, who had met her
once in the woods, when sne was a little
child, and had asked her for kiss, and
who ever slice had, now and again,
crossed her path in some lonely place,
ana talked Io her as no one else ever
did. She had asked her name once,
and the woman had said Call me Mar
Lha."
Martha was my mothers name"
said the child; ''she died before | ever
her" Then suddenly she was strangely
moved. 'Oh. if I only had a mOtherl"
she said. And the woman kissed her
again, and two tears dropped from her
eyes.
That was years ago. Margaret was
now II; yet still she met the pale, fair
woman. with her haTd-wOrked hands
and high-brPd face, her common dress
and ladylike movements, in the woods,
by the little spring. amid the gray rocks
in the pathway that led from the or
cIIard Itself. That was when her grand
father was away. And she had never
spoken TO him Of this lady. He had
never allowed her to have any friends.
OF late. however, Margaret had had
little secret Of her Own. one that she did
not tell her friend any more than her
grandfather.
Some one else had met her in the
woods. Some one.else had told her, asthiS
woman had said, that she was beautiful.
Yes. someone else had kissed her also
with kiss that thrilled her through
and through. She had a lover of whom
she knew nothing save that he was
handsome, that he praised her, that he
said life WAS unbleSt without her. She
knew her grandfather would put an end
to fle pleasant meetings if he guessed
at them; and Ralph Harland bad told
her SO.
"A strange old gentleman, your
grandfather = he had said, "a man who,
though doubtless deserving of respect,
has 10 sympathy for others. Were l 10
90 to tie house and ask permission TO
visit YOU. though Ee knows me well
enough by reputation, he would drive
me from his door. We must marry
first Margaret, and then ask his for
gIveuess. We can do without it if he
refuses IT, l thiuk.'
And Margaret felt that if she had but
her Ralph for her very own she could do
without all else. What had her grand
father ever been 20 her? She loved her
friend Martha much better.
Tlat day she kissed Martha fOndly
when she left her. She han promised
her lover TO leave home with him that
night. aud she knew that they might
never meet ,g gain.
She looked back after she had gone
little way. Martha stood looking after
her, Shading her eyes with her hand.
All that evening Martha wanderd to
and fro like an uneasy spirit, taking
silent ad.eu Of her old home She felt
some rem0rse when Size looked at her
grandfather, and she even felt sOTTy
that she was leaving Black Jane thus.
But Ralph stood first. She had no
thought of drawing back. She sat in
the Old kitchen at last, lingering over
the SPOT where she had been happiest,
for. IL there had been any comfort it
FEr..gT- I..#.g-g milo
the door burst open and Jane herself
t0tteTed in, and, trembling with horror,
C st herself upon her knees.
- have seen a spirit, Miss Marga.
ret. - said Jane. a spirit from the
o e world. I've seen your mother,
chIt, white and worn and wTetched,
standing watching your window from
tn. orchard yonder. Some trouble is
coming. some trouble is coming. What
shall i do?'
Margaret, with a horror for which
she had no words. cTOUChed close TO the
black wcman's side.
For the moment her resolution fail
ed. But the terror passed ere long.
She even grew to believe that Jane was
the victim of her supeTstitiOus teTTOrs.
And she went to her room at last, re-
solved 10 meet her lover as she had
promised. She had prepared her little
bundle and placed her tiny sum of
money m the pocket of her dress. She
had written a note To her grandfather
and laid it on the mrumpled pillow.
And now that the house was all still
even. Jane. IN spite of her terror. asleep
in her garnet rOOm-the girl crept down
stairs and out into the orchard.
The moon shOne bright: the path TO
the road was clear. She crept down il
and opened the gate. y little way be-
yond a dark figure stood among the
trees. II hasteued forward.
''My darlingl' cried a soft voice
It was Ralph; all MargaTet's terror
vanished. She was with her lover;
she was safe.
y carriage stands at the foot of the
lane, " he whispered. I'VE will be be-
yond pursuit in an hour. Come my
darling"
But as she placed her hand in his and
lifted her lips TO his own another figure,
crouchei until BOW in the shadow of
the great pear tree beside the gate,
arose and gIided like a ghost between
them. \ whte face turned itself toward
Ralph Harland, a white hand waved
HIM backward.
"DemOul' said low, clear voice.
"Rlack-hearted demoni leave this poor
girl and gol'
"Who are you, who interferes?" said
Ralph.
Her mother" " said the woman.
Margaret screamed. In the white
moonlight. her head uncovered, her
face pale as that of the dead, the face
seemed that cf a spirit. She did not
recognize Martha, and, overcome by
terror, fainted in her arms.
When she again opened her eyes she
was alone with the woman. She knew
her face and voice now, and angrily
shrUnk from her.
'WheTe is Ralph?" she said.
"Ralph as you cali him, has gone for
ever. hope. Ii he has gone to his wife
he has done well. for he has Ons. l am
yoGr mother. Years ago | left my
fathers home with one as bad As Ralph.
We were married, and six months after
ward / learned that he had another
wife, and he finally lied to escape the