Telegram-herald., 1891-06-28
Where Is the h0asey. said he sud

Where Is the house, said hs sud |
denly.
'Oh. half nile or 50 along the road"
said NJ 4trie. Il. don't matter II yoa I
won't stop It was only letter thai
WAS 70 take II had gone 70 Chester /
YESTERDAY"
The young officer refined back his horse /
70 where ths troopers were ploddinS be-
hind, and few words passed between |
them. Very well, said be. rialag fer !
ward 70 the cart again. '.wen stop for |
fifteen minutes. IL IL won't take you any |
longer"
Mattie's heart began 70 beat as though
10 smother her. sho felt her eyes grow
misty with tears. Very well. said she,
after awhile. when she could trust her
self 10 speak, -'just as yoa choose.
How Matte ever got the soldiers into
the kitchen Of the farm house sud her
cousin into the hack entry without the
good old dame bctray ING hex she never
could tell
Perhaps il WAS because Friend Penny
was nearsighte<.; perhaps it was because
she was bewildered by the coming Of the
soldiers that she dit not recognize Mat
tie AT first.
Ard now at last Matte rad her in the
entry back Of the dining room
Cousin Mary" said she. don't say
anything-don't make noiSe-I am
Mattie-kusa"
Matte. | 4. r cried the old lady.
The girl clapped her hand over her
mouth "Hushr she said again. ''DCn'r
make noise-i can't stay must 60
back 10 the kitchen-the-e's q n.sn n
the barrel in the cart-send some ha>d
cider TO the kitchen right away and then
get hin out-rve told them that was
10 stop for aletter-make believe TO write
one"
an this size said pantingly and broken
ly. and then see was gone.
Nv here's the mulled ciderT' said the
young lieutenant.
Its coming" said Matte. II told
tho old lady to fetch it nigh. away"
The corporal had lit his pipe. and wac
standing locking out of the window,
streaked and blurred with rain. "HalloT"
lle cried suddenly. Hi, there! Stop,
What's that man doing with the horse
and cart"
Matte looked out Of the window and
saw John Gi ines. the hired man, lead
ing the horse and cart toward the shed
behind the house. ''Oh. he's only going
10 take the horse out of the rain," she
said: "let him alone. Here comes the
cider"
Friend Penny brought it in with trem-
bling hands and set it down upon the Ia
bic. "Now, maaln," said Matte, ''you
go and fetch me the iron. I'll sizzle the
cider up Oh, l am Il master hand at
making cider!" she ratified on; I'm show
you how to brow q null Of cider that'll
make yoE wig stand on end. Many
and many glass have brewed for old
Joey Sparks, and it had to be just so or
he'd leather me-" She hardly knew
what she was saying. but she chatted
wildly on as she heated tho iron in the
fire, dipping ii into the cider until it
steamed again, sweetening the fragrant
brown liquor with sugar and splicing it
with cloves and allspice. "Now. then.
taste that, captain" she said, handing it
to the young officer with flourish.
| She heard sound of shutting feet
| without. as though of men carrying
| heavy weight. and then thump as
though Of that burden set upon the
floor
What is that" said the lieutenant,
| stopping his hand as he raised the cup to
his lips.
IL don't know" said Matte. Moth
ing, guess. Did you know that this
house was haunted?"
mo, of course l didn't. How should
know it,
"Trus for You, captain! OF course
you didn't know it was haunted; but it
| is. and I'll tell you the story If you'd like
to hear it." Without waiting for an an
swer she ratified on, partly improvising
| string of nonsense, partly adherirg to
| the thread of an old legend of tie neigh
borhood-a story OF murdered peddler,
and Of how every year at the same ko1r
that the murder WAS done all the sounds
of the tragedy were enacted over again.
She was telling of how woman passing
through the kitchen had seen the peddler
Mt the table when her cousin came into
the room with the bogus letter in her
hand. Matte read in her eyes that the
work was done. and Herewith the story
came TO an abrupt end She put her
hand to her throat. Then SI forget the
rest of the story she cried wildly.
The young officer looked keenly at her.
You're drunk" said he.
mo. | amt" said Matte. in a shrill
voice. II am as sober rs ron are"
lis he safe:" she whispered al she
passed her cousin in the entry.
YES" said Jane Penny in an answer
ing whisper: and then, Don't give way,
| Matte"
"Don't speak to me- gaspcd the poor
girl.
"Halloor' said the corporal when they
| came out into tho rain, they've stood
| the barrel on end,"
And so they had. but IL was not the
same barrel that Matte had brought
| with her from tho Brandywine mills.
Sho saw that at fash. and then re-
| membered that her uncle had sent
double barrel one time to Friend Penny
| to pack smoked hams in for the winter.
That long. dreadful ride to Chester al
ways remained in her memory like some
horrid nightmare She had dim rccol-
| lection Of staring straight before her. of
what seemed to her the unending road,
| the fine rain dashing in her face aud n
bitter tishtness in her throat But ut
last it was ended. and she lay upon the