The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-03-21


 valued boyish possession, would rise from my bed and walk straight through the darkness, as if 1t had been sunl ght, to the spot where the lost thing lay :; sometimes would follow an intention of my waking hours twice awoke in the dead of night, once on the face of cliff overhanging the sea, with handful cf eggs from a gull's nest-once two miles from home at cottage where had seen a spaniel which l greatly coveted.
 Put, with my sister Annie, it was a common thing to rise about midnight and take her needle, and the stitches she made in darkness were as true and even as those she set in day or to go about her ordinary work in our little household, and return unawakened to her bed when her task was done. One strange lapse in her slumbering work about the house was that she never lighted fire if she put bread to bake, or prepared a meal ready for cooking, she did everything as if she were awake, up to the fire. Ina, she never touched as for a light, though her eyes were open, they never followed the work she did. All of her motions were guided by some subtle sense which made vision needless for her; and when a candle was placed a, her hand she did not heed it, more than to avoid 1t.
 "B't when Annie was I4 she changed her somnambulism in form. At about that age began to outgrow mine, SO that l have long since lost all trace of it. But Annie, while rising less of.en in her slumbers, began to have in her waking hours moments of deep reverie, during which she did things she was afterward conscious of only in part, or not at all. Always, whether she knew or knew not, her deeds were sweet and kind, ever full of thought for the happiness of those near to her, and in both conditions she was happy and unharmed. So we gave the matter little heed, and dwelt together, us three, old John Seacliffe, our grand father, Annie and myself, in great affec- tion and tranquility, until the day when Annies two lovers came to vex the little quiet pool of our existence.
 "The first lover was Harry Hobby, son of a man of some note in the little village "a handsome, tall, dark fellow, our play. mate when we were all children together, and Annie's ardent, eager lover, when well grown man of P, he came back from college, where he had won more honors in his sports than in his studies, and seemed disposed to devote the remainder of his life to idleness and love-making.
 "ln her lighter, gayer moods, Annie seemed made for Harry, and he for her |; but in her serious hours, and especially following her dreamy periods, their lives lay far apart, and many times the flush of anger was on Harry's cheek because of her indifference, as he strode away from the gate of our little cottage. And for Annie; Grandfather Seacliffe disliked him very much, and between Annie and the old man there grew and lived an af- lection deeper and stronger than comes often between parent and child. So, though Harry pressed his suit, and Annie was often for hours along the beach or on the cliffs by his side, and many times sat in the cottage porch late in the gloaming with her hand fast locked in his, she would never give a promise, or suffer more than the touch of Harry's lips upon her forehead when they parted.
 The summer when Annie was 10, and had already begun to make violins,
 sat one evening in the porch with my sister, and played upon one which had just finished, as have this," said the old violin-maker, pausing in his story to touch the strings and call forth the same tender, longing melodies of memory which had moved him to begin this story of strange lives. "As sat there" con- tinued. the violin-maker, touching the strings idly, and letting the soul of the instrument move me as it would, my eyes fell upon Annie's face, and saw she smiled with so sweet a joy that her coun- tenance seemed trans6gured. Why does your face wear such gladness, sis terP l asked. Yours would be as glad as mine, Thomas,' answered Annie, If the music of your new violin brought so' bright dream of the future to your soul as it brings to mine. Yes, even now see one approaching who has been coming hither since the dawn of life, bringing joy for all of us.' Then looked around but saw no one, and gazing more closly on Annie's face, in the twilight, I saw she was in one of her ay-dreams, only the smile upon her mouth made her face happier than had ever seen it look. 1t is not seemly that should wait him here said my sister, blushing red and so she rose hastily and sat herself down by the easement within the cottage, and went on with the glad melodious chords of love and hope which the new violin gave forth and very soon Arthur Penfield paused before the gate and stood there listening and when the theme was ended, bade the stranger welcome, and he came in and sat down beside me, and we had a long conversation upon music and violins; for our new friend was master of the instrument and played with a skill far exceeding my own, though he would not have me say so he contending always that l touched the soul of the violin, while he could but move it to his will. But be that as it may, had never then heard such music as Arthur Pen6eld brought forth from my new violin, and was glad when he said he would come again, and that he should remain some weeks in our little