The morning call., 1892-04-19
In A DILEMMA.

tO0Ye Inc man lei III naterDaI RranuUOtHeE 5
Ong dlsused room upstairs. In this North
ern home to which We had recently removed.
falling heirs to ii through that very ances-
;ress' will. the dwellers regarded November
rather as a winter than an autumn month,
and to-day the wind howled and the rain
.,attered with a persistence marvellous to
hear,
And as it happened, was all alone in the
house. Father had gone to take his russell
apples to market-the apples that l myself
had helped to harvest and pack into the
barrels-and was not expected home until
tomorrow night at the earliest. Jack, my
brother, was in Montreal, fitting up the law
office which was henceforward TO be his
abode. Jean, our hard-featured, cross
grained old servant, had gone home with
the "rheumatcS, as she termed it, TO be
treated by a certain ancient Indian herb
doctor: and. just at dusk-fall, Peter, our
useful man." had thrust his shock head
in at the du0T.
II say, Miss Ruth" lie had said, there's
plenty of wood, and eyerything's all snug
t0I the night, and I'm going over to Steph-
enson's. They are in trouble there"
Trouble, Peter? What kind of trouble?
Is the old man sick p
But in answer to my query Peter only
uttered an indstinct remark and went out,
siamming the door behind him.
stood in front of the fire looking down
at the glowing embers. and bordering
within myself The Stephensons, who
lived in an old gray-stOne house on the
other side of the precipitous glen, had al
ways been riddle 90 me. The family was
small, consisting Of only grabbed old man,
d is poTteGtouSly silent wife and two tall,
ungainly sons; and what on earth they did
with all the big, ech0Ing rooms, or how they
contTived TO live, perched like cagelets on
the side Of the rock, l could not form the
least ides.
City boarders," Peter had once grunted
out in answer to my persistent interroga-
tlOns.
But If they kept city boarders, why did
they not leave these dTeary mountain fast
nesses when the leaves fell and the dismal
autumn fOgs gathered above the cliffs? AL
together, there was a certain atmosphere OF
mystery about these 'StephensOns" that
aroused all the Eye-like instincts in my ma
iure.
While stood thinking, soft tap sounded
at the door l opened il at once, never
once remembering that / was alone in the
house.
I'VE never orter do thar, Miss Ruth" said
the weIl-knOwn accents of Mrs. Gludge,
Farmer Gludge's buxom wife.
do what Mrs. Gudge?'
open the door after dark, when you're
alone in the house, without asking who's
there"
How did you know that was alone in
the hOuSe?"
II just met Peter goin' tn Stephenson's."
'Ohl' said /; but We don't have tramps
here"
I'm not so certain O. that said the
farmers wife. Your folks hain't lived
here as long as / have. We're lust nigh
enough to the Canada line TO have queer
characters proWlin' about when ye least
expect EN-. And then there's Stephen
sons"
what Of Stephenson's p" l cried eagerly.
who Is Stephenson. any way2 DO tell me.
Mrs. Giudge"
WEI. 1 declared" said Mrs. Gludgc, as
IL possible now that they hain't told your"
They have told me nothing
"WeIl. it's likely they didn't want TO scare
you or make you nervous" said Mrs.
Gludge; "but. all the same, l think that
you'd oughteT know"
Mrs. Gludge." cried Selling her arm,
what Is itF DO tell mel"
lowering her voice to a whisper, as though
the raindrops and the ruStling FIR boughs
could OYerhear.
"a whatP" l gasped.
For people of feeble mind" explained
the woman. land lunies." tapping her fore
head as she spoke.
stared at her.
Then" cried /, that's what Peter meant
when he said that-that-"
Zone of the poor creatures has somehow
given 'em the Slip" said Mrs. Gludge: IAN
oHiy been there few days. Nobody knows
just how 1t happened, but happen 1t did.
My man has gone over with a lantern to
help hunt for him. and so has Peter"
He might have told me!' l exclaimed
Indignantly.
ANY way. don't think he ought to have
left you here alone" said Mrs. Gludge, Sc
verey.
But you have come to stay with me, Mrs.
Bless your heart, Miss Ruth. no! I'm
On my way TO carry letter to Mr.. ROM
mey's up the road-a very important letter,
with IN haste writ on it," In addition to
her duties as farmers wife. and mother of
large family of little children, Mrs. Gludge
helred her husband in the care of an obscure
little country postoffice a mile down the
road; ANDY the way, I'd nearly forgot
tive got letter for you, too. That's
what brought NE here"
For me. Mrs. Gludge?"
InstlnctlVely put out my hand to grasp
the treasure. while the woman fun bled first
ID one and then in another Of her pc ckets.
its very strange" said she. 81 made
sure had it. [ did have it when started
away from home; bat now / remember.
Just at the foot Of Gibbs Cliff | took ont
my handkerchief to tie around my neck. the
WIND came SO keen around the rocks, and /
must a pulled 1t out with that and every
thing TOO pitch dark to see. Oh, Miss Ruth.
L am SO sorryl Please don't report me.
there's good young lady, or l shall lose my
piaceV'
swallowed down great lump of discom-
future and tried to laugh
Report yon, Mrs. Gludgei" said ], Ser
talnly not. 1t wasn't your fault Ii YOU
hadn't kindly thought of NE, and started to
0ring s IL 10 me on your way to Komney's. you
would never have lost it."
"a. And quite true" said Mrs. Gludge. rue
iully' D9t ali the same, | wish / hadn't
been 80 dreadfully thoughtless. I'll send
the boys out to search for it"
"oh, never mind the letter." interrupted.
Il. Il aa re say us only from Jack; Tomorrow
Glndge. you will come back and stay with
me till Peter gets back? Jean is away, you
know, and"
"Yes. my dear, I'll do that" assented the
woman. evidently relieved to be let off SO
easily on the score of the letter. "And IL
wont be long first. It's only a short half
mile to R0mneys, If the wind didn't blow
SO Ike all possessed tonight"
win good-natured nod she disappeared
into the rain and darkness, and / ran hack
to pile fresh logs on the waning fire. Bank
burglars, extradted wanderers, a lunatic at
iaTge-wlth all these possibilities whirling
In my brain, 1t Is not strange that lighted
second lamp in order effectually to Danish
all lurking shadows in the angles of the
room, and started nervously when sudden
gust OF wind shook the windoW-shutters as
with some imperious hand.
III 60 up in the garnet and bring down
oone putteIhuls, thought l. land then Ill
get some cider from the cellar. 1t will be
inn to crack the butternuts and watch the
snsils blaze In the fire; and Mrs, Gludge
VIII IKE drink of cider when she comes
back all wet and chill"
Cneered by this happy thought caught
up lamp and few to the garret of the
roomy mouse where my father haa he
slowed al The treasures OF the nutty autumn
WOODS. somehow. Priscilla, the cat. had
got locked into the garnet, and had to re-
iease her from DURANGO vile, and replace
oox or two. which she had knocked off
from the window-sill, before came down
driving her catship before me, with The
lamp In one hand and an apronfui ~ hut