Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-02-09

inous, but somehow natural.
"Then we've a matter Of ten miles
to go, he said. deliberately; "and gin
/ might offer an opeenion. yell do bet
ter to TAX Jimmy Browns bit giggie.
The man frae Macbane's tauld him to
be ready the morn"
Guided by the cautions "opeeuion"
OF the station master, / found Browns s
trap waiting outside the station. He
was English, as / could tell by his &C
cent. and-this. perhaps. ascountsd for
the slight tinge Of contempt in the
worldly officials reference to him and
his vehicle. His horse, as far as l
could tell by the station lamp, seemed
a poor one; but it showed a remarka-
bly, viscious temper when / tried to
get in-kicking and backing, and
seeming possessed by an irrational de-
sire to do me some bodily harm.
"Whoa, then, will ye. We beast ?"
called Brown, as he caught hold of the
rein and dexterously foiled the brute's
instant attempt to bite him. You're
a harm to others and no good TO your
owner. You're just like Macbanes
muckle cat that killed two men, and
the third was Macbane."
l had gained my place on the seat
at last, but this remark nearly shook
me off it again.
What do you mean by that ?" I
almost screamed at the man. He
turned puzzled face up to mine as
he climbed into his place and took the
rains.
"Oh, l don't know sir" he answer
ed, as We ratified off. Its just say
ing the folks have about here. It's
some story about an old war-lock Mac
bane that had the tower long ago,
believe. Nothing to do with this one,
course not. got into the way
Of saying it from hearing it often,
that's all"
] did not answer him, as We drove
On between high banks Of earth and
rock, with now and then tree nod.
ling threateningly above us. was
faint and tired and unable to think in
4 connected manner. The grim old
proverb, like the Scriptural or quasi
Scriptural phrase, transformed itself
into a dreary refrain, which rang in
lime to the beat of the horse hoofs on
The dry road. Killed two men, and
The third was Macbane; killed two
men, and the third was Macbane" it
seemed a part of me, pulse in my
very brain, till it grew meaningle S
with incessant repetition.
We drove on westward, toiling up
nils, rattling down them, always
moving toward the storm, as the storm
moved towards us. Now and then l
heard the muttering of thunder-now
md then a livid CLEAN of lightning
glanced across the face Of the cloud,
,r moaning gust Of hot wind swept
lp the dust, and fell silent again. |
took little note Of the scenery on eth
er side; and indeed | could see but
little of it in the darkness. The
growing brighter and near
er, occasionally revealed some bare
cliff face, some solemn black row OF
pines, some thread or sheet of water
i hardly saw anything. 1t was all
a part Of my dream still, and it seemed
natural to me when a black grove of
tall trees, and in the midst denser
black mass, with one or two lights
twinklins in it, rose up before us, and
tie driver told me it was the De'il's
Tower.
As We came up to it and l reused
myself from my lethargy a little to
observe my journeys end, ! could see
that part of the building seemed ruin
Gus and broken down; the walls end
ed in a slope bristling with bushes.
One grim-looking tower at the corner
loomed high above us, apparently un-
injured, and half way up itgshone a
faint light.
l alishted, paid the driver, who
seemed in hurry to get away, rang,
and when al old woman came to the
door, asked if Macbane was at home.
She said in reply that he was i'll, and
could see no one; bat when / gave my
name she conducted me through a
long passage-part of it almost ruin
Gus, part in better repair-to the
foot of a winding stair. Here she
told me to 80 up and knock at the
frst door came to, and stood at the
foot of the steps with her candle to
light me up. When l reached the
dOor-which was some way up-I
could hear her hObble away. leaving
me in darkness, only relieved by ar