Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-03-18
than what did see, . replied Ellie, with

a smile.
But, despite all her efforts TO be cheer
full and like her usual self, "A troubled
thoughtful look fingered in her eyes.
which perplexed and worried me, and
which | could not forget. 1t was only
when Arthur returned to the partner
ship subject, and we gaily discussed the
advantages that would arise from it
that Ellie's dream ce,sed to haunt me;
ana, as no one ever hinted at the sub
Ject again, | soon forgot all about it.
Five years passed away-five short
happy years-blessed by Providence in
many ways, and darkened by only sin
gle trouble-little Ellie, my youngest
darling, was taken from us. For a
while | felt as If ] could not be re
signed. She was the sweetest and pret-
test of alb the ilock-at least so
thought; and | INDUCED in very wild
and wicked repinings | felt it all the
more too. because just then l lost my
dear sister Ellie. She married Ernest
Hamilton, and they went abroad
Ernest was not at all strong. The doc
tors gave his malady no name. but thev
strongly advised his giving up work and
trying few years of complete rest in
the South of France. His uncles made
him liberal allowance. and, had It not
been for her husbands Ill health.
think dear Ellie would have been su-
premely happy. She was not very
gushing" correspondent, but she never
neglected us. and was devotedly at
tached to my children.
But one day was rudely awakened
from all my pleasant dreams by the
startling intelligence that Lesson Bros.
and Goriug had failed. The first shock
of such news was terrifying; but | had
no idea of the real meaning Of it till
Arthur told me, some days after, with
tears and bitter Self-reproacheS, that
failure meant absolute ruin ard perhaps
disgrace, that there was nothing to be
saved from the general wreck, and that
he, more than anyone else, was to blame
that he had speculaJed rashly and
madly, and lost everything.
L comforted him as well as | could,
poor fellow, ana assured him that |
knew he had acted for the best, what
ever other people might think. | en-
treated him to rouse himself and meet
his troubles like man, and emulate my
bravery; though in truth felt an alb
ject coward when | thought of the fu-
ture-hot on account of the pOverty-I
could face that-but the disgrace which
poor Arthur feared lay behind. When
the affairs of the firm were investigated,
however, Lesson Brothers and GOring
emerged from the wreck honorable but
ruined men-that Is, the great bulk of
the loss fell upon their own shoulders,
Arthur's especially; and that consOled
my dear husband more | think, than
anything else.
My little fortune, bringing me in
about TO ty pounds year, was settled
on myself, and on that We should have
to exist till Arthur found some occupa-
ton. Our household was broken up,
our servants were dismissed, and we
went into cheap apartments. Some of
Arthur's friends behaved nobly to us in
our trouble; for they all seemed to real
ize that he had been ill-adyised and up-
fortunate. not careless or wicked. One
offered to keep Willie at school till we
could recover ourselves little; another
proposed to do the same for Fred; and
third offered Arthur a situation III
ireland as a steward TO Sir Redmond
Blake of Abbey lands.
"The place is remote, unsettled, not
IN any sense of the word sinecure, "
Sir Redmond SAID in his letter, ''but the
salary is five hundred pounds a year.
and the expenses are tritling. If you
decide on accepting the situation, l
should like you to commence on your
duties at once. Mind-I warn you be-
forehand that you will require both pa
tience and resolution, and perhaps a
little courage; but an Englishman and
a man Of business is not often lacking
in those qualifications.
III go, Maggie" SAID Arthur, after
reading the letter ior the third time
YES, I'll accept this situation. In the
present depressed state of trade |
couldn't do nearly so well in London.
Five hundred pounds year in Ireland
IS a large income, and, as Sir Redmond
saws. the expenses are tritiing. Yes,
We'll go, dear. "
VERY well, Arthur replied. ''lt
seems hard to have to 90 away from the
children, but / suppose it cannot be
helped. We must make the best of 1t,
dear, and it may not be for very long"
Not an hour longer than | can help,
Maggie. Let me only accumulate a
little capital, and I'll begin again"
And then Arthur wrote off at once, ae-
cepting the situation
A month afterwards, with our two
Youngest children-Minuie and Jessie
we placed at school, as we had learned
that there would be only very meagre
opportunities for educating them in the
place to which we were gOing-and one
servant who had nuTSed all
nv little ones. Arthur and | started for
Abbeylands, full of hope and bright
authorizations for the future, cheerful in
spite of parting with our loved ones
and the breaking up of our happy home,
At last We reached Abbeylands, after
a ouarter of an hours drive through
sort of park on the shores of the lake.
The house itself stood slightly on A hill,
and commanded magnificent panora-
mic view of the surrounding country
for miles With the sea to the back and
the lake IN front, Abbeylands seemed
to rest on sort of bridge between them.
Ii was a glorious old house, though
IN a pitiable state of decay. Each side
of the principal entrance was fianked
by two enormous square towers; and an
arched doorway adorned with rich cary
ing admitted US into wide hall, IN
which a turf fire smouldered dreamily
on the wide hearth and filed the room
with A strange. not unpleasant odOr-
An elderly man rose up from the shadow
of the chimney corner and advanced to
meet us with rude courtesy.
eyer the new agent, Mr.. Goring;
wav IN. sir Welcome TO Abbeylands,
ma 'aml Pm Miles Kelly the bailltf. y
"Ah, yesl I've heard of You from
Sir Redmond. L hope we shall work
together. Miles. for the good OF the ten
ants and the good of the property, "
said Arthur cheerlly.
II hope SO, sir; but sorra much good
there is in either one or the other; Was
the rather gloomy reply. Would you
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