The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-06-20

''Don't ask me, sir! Don't ask me-,
ma am, not for the love of heayen!' screams
the house maid, as she goes off in another
| fit
Mr. Mrs Darrell are very much annoy
ed, but they attribute the girls fear to her
illness rather than to the phantom with
which she is so familiar Nothing, how
ever, will induce her to remain in their
service, and she leaves the parsonage the
same evening, having told nothing further
of her adventure with the Blue Lady.
The cook is disposed to resent Eliza's
departure as personal injury. Had they
not weathered the storm together, and is
she to be left to ride into port alone? She
calls the poor housemaid all sorts of hard
names for being such timorous fool, and
swears that 20 ghosts may come and grin
in her face before they'd persuade her to
give up good service and a kind master
and mistress Notwithstanding her boasts
however, not more than a fortnight has
elapsed since Eliza's departure when avery
similar scream is heard from the basement,
and Bessie, running down in CONSERVATION,
finds the cook struggling on the floor,
black in the face and with distorted fea-
lures. The usual remedies are applied and
in few minutes the servant is sitting on
on the hearth rug, trembling in every limb
sCook-cookl What is the matter?"
cries Bessie Darrell.
20 ma am that face that awful face!"
returns the servant, sobbing.
"What Have you seen it, too ?"
"The Lord help me-yes, ma am I've
seen it the first and last time in my ife
No power on earth shall make me sleep
under this roof another night"
"What are you going to desert me also?
thought you always wanted to see the
Blue Lady's face. What is the matter
with you? Why are you so frightened p
FDon't ask me p exclaims the cook, as
she regarded her mistress with look of
terror II couldn't describe it to you, not
if you was to kill me fer it, but | must
leave you this very night, ma am, or | shall
be dead woman before the morning"
"This is becoming Serious said Hugh,
when his wife confdes the cooks inten-
tions to him. eve shall be unable to keep
a servant at this rate However, my dear,
you must send for old Martha Scraggs to
help in the work, and your sister will find
us a new cook and housemaid as soon as
she can.'
Notwithstanding the inconvenience to
which they are subjected, Mr. and Mrs.
Darrell contriVe to make themselves very
comfortable until the morning that Bessie
receives a letter from her married sister in
London to say that she has found her some
fresh servants.
''It is all right, Hugh, she says, cheer
fully, as she brings the letter to her hus-
band to read. "Maggie has found two
charming servants for us, and only waits to
know when she shall dispatch them to
sarcelett. But what is the matter ?" she
continues, as she observes his downcast
countenancei "has anything gone wrong
You look as if there was death in the
family
'Bessie," replies Mr. Darrell solemnly,
"write and thank Maggie for her kindness,
but tell her we shall not require the SER
wants, for we cannot remain in Sarcelett. "
"Not remain in Sarcelett And for
what reason ?"
"My dear, have seen the Blue Lady's
face =
"And are you going to be as ridiculous
as the servants ?" cries Bessie, t'Upon my
word, this is too absurd, and for brave
man, too
"You may laugh at me as you like, Bes-
sic, but we two must leave the parsonage
tonight I would not sleep here again to
save my life. [ am going to ride into
Gorhambnry at once, and tell the bishop
the reason of my resignation
a0h Hugh this is most disappointing,
and after all the trouble we have taken to
make the house comfortable. And how
are we to live if you give up the curacy p
"Don' ask me; have not the courage to
think, replies the unhappy man.
"And all because you have seen the
Blue Lady's face, when you have seen her
back 30 times. I wish | coald see it.
What is she Ike p
Hugh Darrell groans and buries his face
in his hands,
"Merciful heaven p he exclaimed; "pre-
seve me from dwelling on or remembering
it, or shall SO ont of my mipd T =
Not all the persuasions of his wife will
prevent his riding into Gorhamhury to see
the bishop but he insists upon her leaving
the parsonage when he does and putting
herself under the protection of neighbor-
ing farmers wife. He is to be away for a
night and he enjoins Bessie to remain al
the farm until he can fetch her away, and
starts on his journey very down-heartedly
but serene in the idea that his beloved wife
will be safe during his absence. But Res
sic is a very courageous and Independent
little woman. She does not like being
} treated as child, and she is curious on thC
subject of the Blue Lady's face. She il
even anxious to confront it. Old Marth;
Scraggs sleeps in the house, and why shoulc
not she? So when evening arrived she
makes some lame excuse to the farmer
wife and slips back to her old house; Thc
deaf and blipd Martha hardly knows sh,
! has returned and she steals up to her bed
room and lays herself down to rest, A
noon the following day Hugh Darrell pre-
sents himself at the farmhouse and demands
) his wife,
J 'sMrs. Darrell amt here, sir, replies th'
farmers helpmate; ''she went home to sleel
last night, and haven't come back yet. Tv'
been wondering all the morning if she'v
; got her breakfast"
, He makes no answer, but setting spur
to his horse gallops as fast as he can to tn
vine=coYered parsonage
aWhere is your mistress ?" he demand
breathlessly of old Martha.
. "The mistress, sir I'm sure [ don
I know. She came in last evening, but
haven't seen her since. | thought she hat
! gone back to the farm
: He leaps to the ground and dashes up
stairs with one bound. The curtains ar
: drawn closely around their nuptial bed
4 He tears them open and reads the awfu
truth at a glance. Bessie is lying on tn
r pillows, white as marble, with her eye
} open and fixed with horror, but dead
2 dead beyond all hope of recall. There i
| no need to tell the wretched husband wha
l has caused his loss, He knows that sh
; has been brought face to face with tn
Blue Lady