The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-10-14
FRIDAY MORNING, OCT. IA, 1892.
Concluded from first page. I


glittering eyes. With an amazed ex-
clamation I started up and crossed to
her side, but there was no one there Of
course, and returned to my place beside
my betrothed feeling decidedly silly.
Everybody had glanced up at my
hasty movement, but made no COM
ment, so l subsidized into my chair, an
swering Hopes remarks at random and
feeling most dreadfully puzzled. When
| glanced again at Mrs. jackson, she
was looking out Of the window with a
pale, sad face. Good heavensp thought
/, can that woman be jealous of that
noble husband of hersY Then / searched
the room for Cairns, and was Mortified
to find the same dreadful look on his
face. And-was l mad, or did l again
see that diabolical face bent as if whis-
pering in his carr
"'Cairns,' called, without an in
stant's pause, ring for lights
"He started violently at sound of my
voice, and his face resumed its usual
amiable look as he sprang up to do my
bidding. After the lights came l saw
no more visionary faces and should have
thought it all fancy on my part had
not cousin Rose found opportunity to
whisper, Did you see that horrible face
beside Mrs. JacksonsY and she became
very angry when ! laughed at her and
told her she must have been dreaming.
In the end convinced her of the folly
Of such an idea, but have many times
been sorry we did not tell the others in
stead of hushing it up.
"Well, after that night things were
never quite the same. A spirit Of dis
cord was ever in our midst. We got a
habit Of looking over our shoulders,
though ! don't think any one remarked
it but myself, as if conscious some one
or something was ever beside us. A
malign influence seemed to have taken
possession of the place, and to have got
into all our hearts. Roger and Rose
had quarreled. Hadyn became often
sively attentive to my fancee and evinced
such u growing antipathy toward my
self that all intercourse between us be-
came uncomfortable.
"Many times in the dusk I thought
saw that devilish face, and the lips
seemed ever whispering diabolical
wickedness into the heart of some one.
1t pervaded the whole house, and the
only ones undisturbed were mother and
Mrs. Kent.
"'Oh, dearp sighed Rose one day
after tormenting Roger until he had
gone away with white face and woeful
eyes; i don't know what possesses me
nowadays. l seem to delight in wicked
ness, and l never was so before. What
can it be, Roger
"I believe some evil spirit haunts this
house, was my reply. Let us try to
induce the rest to go somewhere else for
the remainder of the summer
"For moment Rose seemed seriously
considering the subject; then l saw that
half turning of the head so drea,i, !.
and she laughed mockingly:
Leave this delightful place? Why.
Royce, you must be mad. don't ,...,
to go. l rather enjoy being w?v. :.
It's new sensation, you know anU
ran off, seemingly much amused at l.
disappointed face.
Il tried to induce Hope Kent to ,ro.
Jose change, but all to no ptrpo. :,
and SO time ran on. One evening | was
walking with her on the terrace, ard
her manner was 80 kind, so like the
dear old days before we went to that ac-
cursed place, that was emboldened to
ask her to set day for our marriage.
AT my words she turned such
flushed, happy looking face to me that
for a moment / was sure her answer
would be all desired. But all at once
her expression changed, and l saw, or
imagined saw, for one horrible instant
that diabolical face beside hers, the ma
licious eyes fastened upon mine, while
the lips moved beside her ear.
'Grasping her arm, cried excitedly
RUM Yielding to the impulse Of my
hand, she sped lightly beside me to
where the others were gathered on the
veranda; then she turned upon me with
flashing eyes:
Chow dare you brighten me so2 Your
face was just dreadful
"Of course could not explain, but
have often since wished l had, even at
the risk of ridicule and chat. After
that Hadyn was always more in favor
than myself, and her continued GOODNESS
almost drove me mad. There is no use
in going over in detail all the events of
that wretched time, but here is list of
the results:
"Mr. and Mrs. Jackson have been
through the mire of the divorce court;
Mr.. and Mrs. Cairns welded bliss has
forever lost its flavor; father and Mr..
Kent have dissolved partnership and
are bitter .nemies. Mother and Mrs.
Kent were the only ones unaffected by
that foul Kama Rupa, yet they are
made unhappy by their husbands rup-
turing of lifelong ties. Rose Upham is
but not to Roger Kent, who is
going to the dogs in consequence"
Here my friend paused and gazed
gloomily out upon the snowy street.
Well l said, when the silence had
asted some minutes. "And your
"IT" There was fash in the fine
eyes turned upon my face. 81 ferreted
put the history of that old house, and
found, as had expected, that one of the
most diabolically wicked of men had
lived and died there, and that his influ-
ance SO pervaded the place that no one
had ever lived happily there since his
lime, also that more than one who had
gone there pure and good had gone
away to life of wickedness."
Another silence which lasted until |
again broke it.
SIS that all?s
mot quite. The curtain falls on the
asst act of the drama tomorrow at st.
1uke's, when Miss Hope Kent becomes
Mrs. Haydn Upham. Rye johnson in