Middletown transcript., 1891-02-26

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, I entered the hall. It was
well lighted and densely packed, but
the platform looked rather bald.
There was the harp, and the harp
alone. After waiting some little time
a rather Insignificant parsonage made
his appearance by its side, and !
thought 1t looked very stupid to be
there, little dreaming what magician
was before me in the form of that lit
tie man.
| He commenced, and for two hours
was the abject slave Of that man.
He did with me what he would
was pastoral, was military, l was
| jubilant, l was sunk in soft delight
almost to tears! In short, / was
mesmerized in a halo of glorious
music What could it be? Surely
not that one harp. 1t seemed as if a
whole band Of angelic performers
were lowering about one. / am par
.ticularly open to musical impression,
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 l could be-
seech him to resume. But it was all
over, and with the rest | had to go
forth into the night.
In truth it was a fearful night.
There was high, cold wind,
with fiercely-beating feet, and com
ing from the brilliant light it was al
NEST impossible to discern the objects
around. | called out Reeve! Is
Reeve here ?'' and voice said
Yes, sir!" and pair Of grays ap-
peared to the front. The door of the
brougham was Immediately opened by
some ready hand, and 1 was glad to
escape the ferceness OF the weather,
and we drove off, the hail pattering
merrily against the windows. I saw
we were going the right way, but
lulled by the storm soon fell into
the embraces of the poppy god. The
glamour of the harpist was still upon
me and my senses still enslaved. L
dreampt the divine melodies of the
harp were still with me, but retreat
ing, and that | was compelled to fol-
low. I went on through brambles,
through wood, over rivers, over
mountains, and could not stay my
fight. At last they began to ascend,
and strange to say, l foated upward
also. At length, at terrible height,
the weird music ceased, and / inn
mediately fell.
My dream was over. The carriage
had stopped ON the gravelled 'front.'
age Of what appeared to be, and what
IN reality was, large house.
No words can express my astonish-
ment as l gazed upon the streaming
light that met me in all directions,
for the mansion before which we had
stopped seemed illuminated through
out its whole extent. For moment
or two could not disconnect from
what I had been dreaming but |
soon let myself out and perceived at
glance that the brougham before me
was not that of my friend Captain
Willoughby and that I could have
mistaken it for his seemed impossible.
+ What is all this, Reeve ?" said I.
!" What have you done with me?
This is Captain Willoughby-
20, lor o, lor !" said the coach
man, I've been and druv' home the
wrong gentleman. O, lor +! instead of
Master Fred I've druv' home the
wrong gentleman
"This is not Captain Willoughby's
carriage ?" repeated I.
No, sir" said the frightened fel-
low no, sir. no! Captain Willough-
by's carriage was just behind me,
waiting for Mr.. Percival, Reeve told
me-"
Well, then, why on earth did you
take me here, man
90, lor, sir ! how could I tell you
were the wrong gentleman? You
sings out: Shreeve, Shreeve !! and
| heard the door bang, and I had
enough to do to look to my horses, for
they we're very skittish. There were
a great number of things about, and
you sings out : Drive on, Shreeve!
aud T ddruv' ddruv' on and e e. ioat I've We been
and druv' the wrong gentleman"
" And where am [ now :" said /.
Why, sir, you see as how you're
at Squire Ellison's. And O, sir, do |
tell the Squire as how couldn't help |
it, or else l am a ruined man.'
BY this time several servants had |
come out with lights, crying: 90,
MIR. Fred, come in, come in. Miss
Effie is dying"
More than ever astonished, I walk
ed into the hall and was ushered into |
room, and in the midst of horror |
stricken faces. | briefly explained |
that l had been to the concert, and in
mistake had got into the wrong
brougham, not discerning in the |
roughness of the night that the car
risge before me was not that of nv
friend Capt. Willoughby, and misled |
by the fact that the names Of the
coachman appeared to be the same.
AS soon as began to speak I saw
the sorely distressed face of a fine old |
gentleman who had sat herped up. as
it were, in his ch air, begin to bright
en-, and he now burst in with
DIR. Percival? But dare saw
you forgot have had the good for.
tune to meet you once before, and it's
Heavens kind providence that has
led you here tonight. Such a mis-.
take could easily have arisen, nv
horses being the same color as those
of Captain Willoughby, and the