San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-10-15
THE GIPSY'S CURSE.
BY THE AUTHOR OF equity WITHOUT
CRIME" ''THE wRECKERS OF
ERSA doom" ETC.
CHAPTER /.

It was not often that anything Of inn
portance occurred at Scarth Abbot, pic
turesque Struggling village among the
Cumberland hills, eight miles from the
nearest railway station and an equal dis
lance from the nearest town. ear after
year nothing more remarkable than death
or a birth, party at the Larches, school
feast at the Rcctory, broke the monotony
of existence in the remote district, and the
sudden arrival, from '.fOreign parts" OF
the Lord of the Manor, the master of the
Court, who owned nearly all the property
for miles around, threw the whole district
into fever of excitement, which was in
creased by the fact that no one expected
him.
He visited the Court at rare intervals,
and the last time he came, was about five
years back. The people ut Scarth Abbot
said it was shame for him to go wandering
all over the earth, so as to be quite an alien
among his own people. But then the
Court was great lonely, rambling place
for man scarcely more than thirty to In
habit, and with neither mother, sister,
nor wife; for the owner was still unmar-
red, though he was the last in the direct
line. Scarth Abbot gossips shook their
heads when asked why the Court had no
mistress, and told dismal story.
Before the news of the Lord-of-the-
Manor's return was fortnight old anOth-
er shock went through the inhabitants of
Scarth Abbot.
1t was asserted that Miss Durnford, the
maiden lady who lived at the Grange, was
about to receive new inmate in her house.
hold, in the person of niece from ''some-
where abroad" Wonders would never
cease, said the gossips. Miss Durnford
was first cousin to the SaDines of the
Larches, who were very great people ill.,
deed and had been at Scarth Abbot since
the time of James |. Consequently the
newcomer must be second cousin to the
Sabines.
The villagers however knew nothing
about her except her name, and Miss
Durnford either knew no more or would
say 10 more; for she was no friend to viii
lage gossip, and never stopped to feed it.
The Doctors wife cOntriyed to discover
that the young lady whose arrival was
considered so important was coming from
Canada, where her uncle held a Govern
ment appointment, and that she was sent
over to her aunt because she could not live
in the cold climate of the Dominion; but
here even indclatigabc Mrs. framptOn
came to Il full stop, and could get 10 far
ther.
All in the village knew, when, one eve
ming in July, Miss Durnford's carriage
drove away towards the station, which
was at MOorStowm, that it had gone to
fetch Miss Costello, and all turned out
when the carriage came back, to try to
catch glimpse of the foreigner. But the
landau was closed, and nothing was visible
except portmantcau on the box.
The carriage passed through the high
iron gates, swept up the drive, and
stopped before the deep arched doorway
of an old red brick house with mullioncd
windows, and with turrcts and buttresscs
jutting out where one would least expect
to find any eXcrcscence.
At the top of the broad low flight of
steps leading to the door stood Il tall rath-
er angular looking woman of perhaps fifty
five or sixty, dressed in u black satin robe
of old fashioned make, and with Il lace cap
on her smooth gray hair. A pair OF grave
kindly brown eyes looked out from be-
meath thick and still black eyebrows, and
the gazers' somewhat formal ucmeanOr
could in no degree be associated with
harshness or primnesS.
could jump down to open the door, sprang
a girl, graceful rs Il fawn and attired in Il
traveling-dresS of the last Partisan style,
who bounded up the steps to meet the old
lady's oUtstretc!vu hA&d>.
"Dear auMtr," >aid 4 sweet Young voice,
show good OF you to come to the door to
receive me"
..Go",. %. me- cchOsd Miss Durnford,
puIlIu- ncr ms about the giri, WHO was
taller l.II herself. GLOW else would
you have me to receive my sisters ciIiG:'
kissing the girl loHdly A. ~l" spoke
'Comr III, my dear; you must b, very tired
and very hungry"
"Neithcr the one nor the other" was
the merry response. ''Oh, this dear old
house hope shall not turn you tOpsy-
.turvy, auntie! We Yransatlantics are so
free-and-eaSv that | may do all sorts Oh
dreadful things; and am perfect cata-
mount"
Miss DurnfOrd smiled indulgently into
face lovely enough to win its owner par
don for far worse escapadeS than any
gently-nurtured girl Of sixteen was likely
to commit, and she said kindly
DWELL, well, we'll see; but l dare say
the Grange will be better for revolution.
Old maids-in the country especially
grow selfish and narrow minded, living
alone, and with no one to think of but
themselves; if you do upset the prim order
of things little, it will be the better for