The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-07-25


bic, some trace of its occupant Half-a-
dozen men volunteered their services, and
at an early hour they started on their
unenviable mission. When they arrived
at the main door of the castle, they were
puzzled as to the csurse OF procedure they
should take. Some suggested that the
door be broken open, but to this the post
master, who was of the committee, OBJ
| jected. and facetiously remarked that
s'even being of another world is entitled
| to consideration, and we should ring the
| bell and hand in our cards" For it must
be said that the postmaster was the only
person who openly declared bis doubts.
| These suggestions, however, were obvi-
ated BY the sudden turning of a key and
| the rafting of bolts, the creaking of the
heavy door as it turned on its rusty hinges,
and the appearance of man in the door
| way. This rather sudden and wholly
unexpected appearance of the stranger
almost paralyzed the committee with fear,
and the facetious postmaster covered
| behind one of bis shiveriug companions
| and trembled. The stranger gaZed with
wonder at the terrified group, and when
| his dark, dreamy eyes rested upon the
courageous postmaster, his opinion OF that
| functienary was plainly indicated by the
| contemptuous curl Of his lip.
/ "Gentlemen," the stranger said, my
appearance among you has evidently been
| the cause of much discomfort to you.
| Had foreseen this, would have notified
| you of my intended visit here. l will tell
/ you that | have selected your village as
| my home, aud am now the occupant of
| this building. j arrived here Two nights
ago, and my name is Herbert Drew"
/ Having impaired this information, he
| passed out. accompanied by beautiful
| specimen of St. Bernard dog. The COM
mittee, recovering themselves, gazed after
| the receding figure of the stranger, then
at each other, and laughed outright-all
| save the postmaster, who walked away
suIlenIy, mortified al the ridiculous figure
| he had presented to the stranger, and
fearing the jeers of the villagers when the
story became known.
| Herbert Drew was barely thirty years of
/ age, and stood nearly six feet high,
although he did not appear so tall, owing
| to slight STOPPING of the shoulders. He
| was not handsome man-women would
not consider him such--but he possessed
| features which impressed person so
strongly that trey would never be forgot
ten. His dark eyes had peculiar, dreamy
expression, and his rather pale face was
an exceedingly intelligent one. Nothing
| was known of his previous history, and
| there seemed TO be little hope that much
| would ever be known of il, for he made
/ NO acquaintance, was never seen to speak
a dozen words to any one IN the village
except to the visiting committee-an 1
merely exchanged bows with those who
dared bow to him. He became familiar
figure, though, every day wandering off
into the different parts OF the village, and
lalways accompanied by his beautiful dog
He always had the same dreamy express
sion in his eyes, and his face always wore
an expression of profound thought. Pretty
village maidens would sometimes attire
themselves in their "best" clothes and
arrange to accidentally" meet him in his
wanderings, in the hope that they might
receive some recognition from him; but
they could pass and re-Pass him, and his
eyes would never rest upon them for an
instant. The women folk said he was a
veritable woman hater, and the young
girls called him a therrid man." But
they did not dislike him. They could not
say that they liked him, either. They
could notunderstand him. He was pointed
out to every stranger who entered the
village, as If he were a curiosity. at
whatever hour of The night the castle was
passed, the light whics at first terrified
the villagers would be burning brightly
and as day after cay passed. the people
| wondered more and more at his strange
| conduct and mode OF living. No. even
the wise, facetious postmaster could un-
derstand him, although he always looked
very knowing whenever he was spoken to
4 ~. md n INN n
that he knew something, If he would but
speak. But he did mol speak, and Herbert
| Drew remained mystery.
A beautiful May morning. How mer-
rily the birds sing and twiter among The
| branches of the trees, and how pleasant
looking aud lempting The green fields are.
| Wherever the gaze is directed, it is met by
/ something indicating Spring morning in
the village Of b. And the children
how pretty they look, ali dressed IN pure
/ white, as they scamper across the fields,
| exercising their limbs and their voices, III
blissful and youthful ignorance of adyer-
sites that may beset them in after life,
needless of everything but the satisfaction
of their childish gIee. And the mothers
even they forget for time their natural
| grief and cares, and their faces beam with
pleasure as they watch with motherly
pride the happy children in full enjoy
ment of their spirits. The children had
good reason to be happy, for it was the
day they were to accompany their teacher
to the neignboriDg woods and give them
selves up to their favorite amusements.
Frances Austin was the teacher of the
young idea in the village. Previous to
accepting that position, she was engaged
as governess in the family of a wealthy
New York City merchant; but she became
tired of the metropolis, and longed for a
simple, country life While in New York
she had many opportunities of observing
the unbending ceremonies and customs OF
society" and she considered them all