The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-08-20

Better be with the dead,
Whom we, to gain our place, have sent TO
peace,

Better be with the dead,
Whom we, to gain our place, have sent to
Than on the torture Of the mind TO lie
In restless ecstasy.
If lavish prOfuSiOn. recklessness of
cost. and carefully planned amusements
could make any social entertainment
great success, this second Christmas
Day at SilveTtOn Castle must certainly
have put all other events of the kind
completely i'm the shade.
The servants and tenantry were not
so well cared for as in the past. it is
true, for Grace had given orders that
they should put of their merry-making
till after she was married when they
could eat and drink, dance and sing, to
their hearts content. r..
All the guest-chambers in the castle
were full, and the eight bridesmaids
who We're to attend the bride on the
coming day were here with their moth
ers or sisters or chaperOus, each one of
the eight looking forward to the time
when she herself should take the lead
ing. part in n similar ceremony.
Grace Lllburne had not been very
judiciOus in the selection of her brides
maids -....
The pretty desire to triumph over her
friends and to create envy and jealousy
prompted her to invite Miriam Hind
man, brilliant brunette who rumOr
whispered had won Victor Gay
herds heart and he was only saved
from marrying her bv her father losing
the greater part of his fortune.
Mr.. LilbUne had objected to Miriam
being invited, and had suggested a
cousin of his own in her stead: but
Grace was obstinate, she had made up
her mind to invite Miriam, and Vic
tor could only hope that the invitation
would not be accepted
But here again he was disappointed.
and Miriam came, looking seductive
and brilliant as a humming-brd. gorg-
eOus with jewels and costly dresses. and
! giving confirmation TO the report that
her father had retriVed his fortune and
was now a richer man than ever.
| am afraid that Grace regretted her
/ Obstinacy when she saw how fascina-
/ tingly beautiful Miriam was, and Ger
talnly she was genuinely jealous when
+ she observed how Victor's ewes follow
+ ed the girl who had still the power to
make him forget everybody else when
/ she was present.
Miriam knew that Grace had not in
r Yited her out of affection, and that she
had no nObler aim than a desire to
mortify and humiliate her. and she de-
termined that the pain should not be all
on one side.
On her arrival at the castle. Miriam
/ persistently attached herself to Mr.. Lii
/ burne. Sue gave him her sympathy
/ with such witching tenderness. she con
dOled with him at being about to lose
/ hls second daughter, and then she be
gan 10 talk of dear Kate, who had been
her most intimate friend
i am quite sure that Kate is alive, -
She said, suddenly raising her voice SO
that all the others in the small tea-room
could hear her.
Grace frowned But Miriam paid nc
7 heed To the frOwn as she continued:
i-... - es, | am quite sure She is alive. ]
dreamed of her last night. and my
dreams always come true. We shall see
her soon, / nave HO doubt of il. b."
IF YOU nave nothing more substan-
tial than dream TO found your asSer-
ton upon. | thnk il is pity won should
make Ii. said Grace with cold severity
L don't SCr~yffy: my dreams have q
strange fU'uIty-for Being fulfilled. But
bv the way. isn't there some mysteriOu,
passage OF chamber in the old part o
the castle, or WIS. it destroyed wheI
most OF the place was rebuIlt;
She looked at GGag is she spoke, bu
il was AIr. Lll1um- who replied.
Il ueve" heard ot anything Of tht
kind Silycrt1a is SiugUluIy free from
romance Ne have not even the dis
tinctiOn of possessing a family ghost.
There IS, or there Was, some mysteT
ious means Of getting in and out of tn
castle" said Miriam, shaking her pre-