The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-06-14


Mattie's heart began to beat as though
to smother her; she felt her eyes grow
misty with tears. every well" said she,
after awhile, when she could trust her
self to speak, 'sjust as you choose.
How Matte ever got the soldiers into
the kitchen of the farm house and her
cousin into the back entry without the
good old dame betraying her she never
could tell.
Perhaps it was because Friend Penny
was nearsighted; perhaps it was because
she was bewildered by the coming of the
soldiers that she did not recognize Mat
tie at first.
And now at last Matte had her in the
entry back Of the dining room.
Cousin Mary" said she, don't say
anything don't make noise-I am
Mattie-hushl"
MATTEL r cried the old lady.
The girl clappedt her hand over her
mouth. "Husht' she said again Don't
make noise-I can't stay-I must go
back to the Htchen-there's man in
the barrel in the cart--send some hard
cider to the kitchen right away and then
get him.out-rve told them that was
to stop for letter-make believe to write
one"
All this she said pantingly and broken
ly, and then she was gone.
Where's the mulled cider?" said the
young lieutenant.
"It's coming" said Matte II told
theold lady to fetch it right away"
The corporal had lit his pipe, and was
standing looking out Of the window,
streaked and blurred with rain "Halloin
he cried suddenly. Hi there! Stopl
What's that man doing with the horse
and carts"
Matte looked out Of the window and
saw John Grimes, the hired man, lead
ing the horse and cart toward the shed
behind the house. "Ohl he's only going
to 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 ta-
BILE Now, ma'am. said Matte, "you
go and fetch me the iron. Ill sizzle the
cider up. Oh, am a master hand at
making ciderF she ratified on; 'sI'll show
you how to brew null of cider that'n
make your 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 rs she heated the iron in the
FIRE, dipping it 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 shuffling feet
without, as though of men carrying a
heavy weight, and then thump as
though of that burden set upon the
floor
What is that" said the lieutenant
stopping his hand as no raised the cup to
his lips.
Il don't know" said Matte. Moth
ing. guess. Did you know that this
house was hannted?"
mo, of course didn't. How should
ALOW III
True for you, captaini Of course
you didn't know it was haunted; but it
is. and III tell you the story if you'd like
to hear it." Without waiting for an an
swer she ratified on. partly improyising a
string of nonsense, partly adhering to
the thread of an old legend of the neigh
borhood-a story of murdered peddler,
and OF how every year at the same hour
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
at 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 Il forget the
rest Of the storyr' she cried wildly
The young officer looked keenly at her.
You're drunkf' said be.
mo. 4 amt. said Matte. in shrill
voice. = am as sober rs you are.
lis he suffer she whispered as abe