The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-12-26
LYDDY'S TRIUMPH.

tuuRut t6Tm Ot olbtrlCt bCnOO
in small country hamlet near Mt
Desert two years ago.
The house In which went to boart
was one Of the most lonesome place
imaginable. A low. rambling farm
dwelling. surrounded by woods field.
and meadows. No other house was IL
sight and the road In each direction
lost itself in dense growth OF trees
A turn OF the ROAD n quarter OF n mile
away brought one TO tho school house,
church half dozen dwellings ani
the one store OF the place.
The family with which I boarded
consisted OF Mr.. Enoch Blaire. an itin.
Grant preacher with fair education.
but an inherited dislike OF work; his
wife. Mary one OF the best women
ever knew, q thorough housewife,
with sound practical common sense.
a pure earnest love Of religion. which
she expressed In deeds more often
than words and their son, Jem, IL
years OF age.
One evening. after had been men,
Der OF the family several W eeks. aud
the strained relations OF schoolma'am
and boarding mistress had worn away.
Mrs Blaire asked me to bring my
books into the kitchen and sit with
her. Jem had gone to bed with a
toothache and Enoch was at revival
meeting in the next district. He
would not be home until very late and
she was going to sit up for him.
Iaccepted the invitation gladly. for
the bright cheerful kitchen was my
delight was so spotlessly clean and
homelike. the pleasantest room in the
house. A warm fire added to the
cheerfulness. for the fall nights had
grown chilly.
Mrs. Blaire did up" her dishes
brushed the floor strained the milk.
while looked over the next days les
sons; then we drew our chairs nearer
the fire tor one OF the talks l had
grown to enjoy so much.
What shall we talk aboutP" said
Mrs. Blaire, as she clicked her knit
ting needles. .Religionp"
I" This was her favorite theme. and /
loved to hear her express her Baptist
views OF life and death. So / led her
TO talk. till at length looked at the
clock. 1t marked l1:30.
Where can Enoch bep" said Mrs.
Blaire gathering up her work. HE
WAS never 80 late before"
She arose. went to the window and
peered out into the intense darkness.
shivered slightly came back and
threw few moro sticks on the fire.
We sat some time in silence watching
the sparks fly out through the hearth
OF the cooking stove.
The old clock in the corner struck
the hour of IL with slow, deliberate
strokes.
A sudden breeze sprang up and
swung shutter to with loud clatter
Then all was fearfully STILL when
slowly and distinctly from the far dis
lance came q low. musical sound.
Nearer and nearer 1t came louder
and louder 1t grew. until the whole
room was filed with the sweet melody.
1t was singing, but singing such as
had never heard before. The words
were unintelligible but the sentiment
was OF Joy and happy rejoicing.
sat spellbound until the sweet
sounds faded away as they had come.
/ could not tell whether they were
within or without overhead or under
our feet The melody was everywhere.
1t gave me strange. unexplainable
feeling OF awe. / turned to look at
Mrs Blaire. Her face was ashen.
The lines about her mouth were tight
ly drawn, and the nervous hand that
grasped the back OF her chair shook
visibly.
A feeling that / could not account
for OF wishing to shut out the night
prompted me to draw the shades close
over the black windows and come
closer to the warmth and glow OF the
fire. All this l observed and did be-
fore asked:
Did you hear anything Mrs. Blairep"
Yes, I heard" murmured Mrs
Blaire. in scarcely more than whis-
per-
1T couldn't have been Jem." as
serted. but to satisfy myself 1 went to
the stairway and listened. I heard
only the hard, regular breathing o. o
heavy sleeper.
What was II, Mrs Blairep" asked
again.
Mrs. Blaire had resumed her accus-
toned placid expression and said
with light reassuring laugh:
''Oh. 1t was nothing at all. Come
let us go to bed. We will not sit up
longer for Enoch. / will come In and
sit with you till you go to sleep. II you
want me TO" said was not in the
least afraid. But lay awake for a
long time, wondering over the strange
scene. ! felt sure Mrs. Blaire had a
story. and wanted to hear it.
Though not a believer In spirits
anything supernatural had strange
fascination for me.
Mrs. Blaire and were left alone
again the next evening. As we again
drew our chairs up before the crack
ling fire, my companion said without
any introduction:
MY dear. I'm going to tell you o
strange story" ga
did not speak.
Twenty years ago my only sister.
then beautiful girl OF eighteen. mar
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