The Republican., 1889-12-14

were at Jne door, anu was DOWleu
along to my destination. 1t was GER
tainly far preferable to an open dogcart.
N was soon reached. rather tardily
remembered that ticket had not been
secured for the entertainment, and
drove at once to the music shop where
they were sold, and secured one.
Telling Reeve to make himself very
comfortable during the interval, and to
be ready when the affair was finished,
| entered the hall. 1t was we'll lighted
and densely packed, but the platform
looked rather bald. There was the
harp, and the harp alone. After wait
ing some little time a rather insignifi-
cant parsonage made his appearance by
its side, and l thought n looked very
stupid to be there, little dreaming what
a magician was before me in the form
Of that little man.
He commenced, and for two hours
was the abiect slave Of that man. He
did with me what he would was pas
toral, l was military, was jubilant, l
was sunk in soft delights almost to
tears! In short, / was mesmerized in
halo Of glorious music! What cowld it
be? Surely not that one harp. It seemed
as if whole band of angelic performers
were lowering about one. l am par
ticularly open to musical impressions,
but never had been so completely en-
thralled. His intervals were intervals
of torment, only to be succeeded by new
raptures; and when at last all was over,
felt only that could beseech him to
resume. But it was all over, and with
the rest had to go forth into the night.
In truth it was fearful night. There
was high, cold wind, with fercely-
beating sleet, and coming from the
brilliant light it was almost impossible
to discern the objects around. | called
out Reeve! Is Reeve here?" and
voice said: eyes, sir!" and a pair of
grays appeared to the front. The door
of the brougham was Immediately opened
by some ready hand and | was glad to
escape the fierceness Of the weather, and
we drove off, the hail pattering merrily
against the windows. | saw we were
going the right way, but lulled by the
storm l soon fell into the embraces of
the poppy god. The glamour of the
harpist was still upon me and my senses
still enslaved. l dreamt the divine
melodies of that harp were still with
me, but retreating, and that was com
PEELED to follow. | went on through
brambles, through woods, over rivers,
over mountains, and could not stay my
flight. At last they began to ascend,
and, strange to say, l floated upward
oil of fnN h 10 hAi
the wierd music ceased, and l imme-
diately fell.
My Dire am was over. The carriage had
stopped on the gravelled frontage of
what appeared to be, and what in reality
was, large house.
Nc words can cypress my astonishment
as / gazed upon the streaming light that
met me in all directions, for the man
sion before which we had stopped seemed
illuminated throughout it's whole ex-
tent. For a moment or two l could not
disconnect it from what l had been
dreaming; but 1 soon let myself out and
perceived at glance that the brougham
before me was not that of my friend
Captain Willoughby, and that 1 could
have mistaken it for his seemed impos-
sible.
"What is all this, Reeve?" said I.
"What have you done with me? This
is not Captain Willoughby-"
80, lor! o, lor!' said the coachman,
'1've been and druv' home the wrong
gentleman. o, lori instead of Master
Fred I've druv' home the wrong gentle
man"
This is not Captain Willoughby' scar
riage?" repeated l.
No, sir" said the frightened fellow;
mo, sir, no! Captain Willoughby's car
riage was just behind me, waiting for
Mr.. Percival, Reeve told me-
"Well, then, why on earth did you take
me here, man"
o, lor, sir! how could l tell you were
wrong gentleman? You sings out:
'Shreeve, Shreever and l heard the
door bang, and | had enough to do to
look to my horses, for they were very
skittish. There were a great number of
things about, and you sings out; Drive
on, Shreeve!" and 1 druv on; and o,
lor! I've been and druv' the wrong gen.
leman!'
And where am / now?" said l.
"Why, sir, you see as how you're at
Squire Ellison's. And o, sir, do tell the
squire as how l couldn't help it, or else
/ am a ruined man."
BY this time several servants had
come out with lights, crying: 80. MIR.
Fred, come in, come in, come in! Miss
Etfle is dying"
More than ever astonished l walked
into the hall and was ushered into a
room, and into midst of horror-stricken
faces. l briefly explained that had been
to the concert, and in mistake had got
into the wrong brougham, not discerning
in the roughness of the night that the
carriage before me was not that of my
friend Captain Willoughby, and misled
by the fact that the names of the coach
men appeared to be the same.
AS soon as began to speak saw the
sorely distressed face of a fine old gen.
tleman who had sat heaped up, as it
were, in his chair, begin to brighten,
and he now burst in with:
CDR. Percival! But dare say you for
got have had the good fortune to meet
you once before, and it's Heavens kind
providence has led you here tonight.