Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-07-14
A PHANTOM BRIDE.

there all night, actually within a stones
throw OF home, but for the lucky
chance which set you In our direction!
Were you going into London this terri
bic evening, Or"
"Lunnon! o. this hour o. a Chrisser-
mas Evel" echoed Tom Indignantly, as
he flicked tn old mares ears with his
well-worn whip. Were no. SIGH hay
thins as al that, I'd ha' We know, an
our missuses a-waitin' meanwhile at
'ome. Ma, ma. We carries as a rule
'twixt Burnham an Wimbledon. our
days work wur over IAN stiff enough
an all it proves a. this sayson o. tn
year., an jist as we wur a-turnin' doom
agin Beech Clump, as is a spot wheer
boundaries meet, along o. three fine
beech saplings, oop comes little miss,
%a-runnin' till yer c'ud most see tn cart
on ur a-thumpin' gen UT bosom. Wull,
no sooner nd we gotten tn message
Than SEES | to Bill, SEES l, wv maun fust
-
"Messagel What message?" inter-
rupted Dick. 1--WE saw no little miss
we sent no message!"
For one long moment Tom stared
blankly up into Dicks face, then he
united a prolonged howl, addressed
presumably TO Bill, who was walking
alongside the horses heads, encourage
ing and assisting them over the toll
tome ground.
"Wha' did ! tell yer, Bill, moo? Dost
beer wha' tn gent says? She wur
naugbt but a pixie, a weird imp thing
It'll likes as we've heerd tell on, heer
ind heerabouts o. Chrissermas Eve! /
les as much at fust, but Bob SEES, ses
he
'Git outlr quoth Bill with infinite de-
rision. albeit he momentarialy relin.
pushed his hold on the bride, and
dropped alongside the cart, resting his
hand on the shaft, and gazing up wide
eyed and open-mouthed into the faces
bf its occupants. IF so be she wur no
morteal crittur, 'Ow COON it then as we
found the conveyance an tn gents all
Rs we heerd say? Letten alone as
-
But ] don't understand" interrupt
cd Dick impatiently. 1--WE saw no
human being and yet you say
"A little lass COON runnin' longside
o cart an SEES she, al gaspin like: a
gents opset doom Burnham-road, not
4uatter-mile fra tn crossroads. An
an well paid for tn job veil be an all,
fur he's a rect doom rich 'un o. tn rect
sort an no mistake or words { same
effect" added Tom, with a praise
worthy desire to be perfectly v~eraciOus.
Thin she wur Oft like a shot, an. ses
I Bill, or now | think on I, SEES Bill Z
me: 'Wull! we've no choice but TO in
vestigate this natter so we turns tn
'Osses' 'eads t'woards tn crossroads,
stead o t'other DIRECTION: but, afther
awhile. ses | 10 Bill. What an it shold
prove ma but a myth? .Th'lass wur but
a puir weird crittur.!'"
I'm astounded!' exclaimed Dick:
"for I'm inclined to swear that we
passed no human being on the road.
and that no human eye lighted upon us!
I'm not of a superstitious turn. else,
egad! it's enough to set one wondering,
and to rouse ones half-forgotten child
lsh tendencies towards belief in Christ
mas fairies. sprites and elves. Cabby!
| say, cabby, are you sufficiently all
there 10 listen to what these fellows
say, and add your testimony to mine?
It's quite impossible, isn't it9 that
/"
But a prolonged snore from cabby at
the bottom of the cart, snug and warm
beneath the bear-skins and divers
horse-cloths, e~ffectually demonstrated
The futility Of applying for corroborat-
i've evidence in that quarter; mean
while. encouraged by Dicks exclama-
nation, Bnl took up the parable in his
turn. and continued:
Hill she wur n ~white-faced creetur
an all, uncanny like, an that small!
An she fitted off same way as she
COON; we seed nothing on her oppear-
ance or disappearance, so s. speak. An
NV xxifafu V.Nfhnr do Toll N tala aa fnuy
years ago, fore cor time, tn common
'ad used T. be 'aunted by ghosts an
sperrits an'sich like, mostlings o. New
Year an Midsummer Ewes. SO it's
gain enuff that a night like this"
"Hulloa.' Dick somewhat p~rofanely
interrupted the narrative at this junct-
ure, as the cart humping uneasily over
a buried stone turned a sharp angle Of
the road; dashed if l don't know
where we are! Why, Of course, there
are the vicarage lights cleaning be-
tween the leafless trees, we're within a
stones throw of the dear old spot!
Here cabby, cabby, up, u up;
time. Whip up the old boss, Bill, my
lad, and land us with all imaginable
speed
Bill complied willingly enough with
these instructions, and Tom hurried
now to the rear with praiseworthy alac-
rity in order literally to push behind"
so that in a very few moments the cart
was stumbling along in the familiar
ruts of the narrow lane (which Dick not
unjustly stigmatised as the worst road
in Englandl, leading round TO the vicar
age doors.
AS they drew nearer, the young mans
heart throbbed with a sensation Of JOY
so acute as to be well-nigh pain, and he
was ever after wont TO declare that
never until that moment had he even
dimly realized the depth of bliss COM
prised in those simple words, lat
home!"
Long ere the cart came to a stand
still before the gates, the hall-door was
flung open wide.
"Oh! it's only the carriers cart
cried a fresh young voice in disappoint-
ed tones, rs a tall 1.-the figure turned
away.
"But, Edie, Edie! it is I, Dick" eried
Carlisle, stumbling to his feet. labelled
This side upwards! Valuable-with
care!' So don't hustle OF in that fash
ion, old girl. before you've given a fell
low a kiss
Dick, Dick! is it possible? Mamma,
girls, Dick is here! Oh, you dear old
boy, we've been SO terribly anxious all
the afternoon; We expected you hours
ago. and when you failed to appear, we
could but pray You had not started
lest you should be lost in the snow!
But reinforcements had arrived from
within doors ere this peroration was
concluded. Dick ran q fair chance,
seemingly. of enduring death by stran-
gulation or ~Suffocation after all, for no
sooner was his neck released from one
pair of soft feminine arms, than he
found himself embraced by another,
and Rugged with alarming ferocity.
"Hulloa. hulloa!" quoth the CHEEKY
rector. rs he emerged from his study
beyond. hearing joyous voices raised in
greeting in the hall: 'do You mean Ia
smother the lad. Nellie. Edie, Katiei
seeing that lie has had a narrow escape,
take IL, of perishing i'm a snow-drift,
for Heavens sake spare him to enjoy
his Christmas plum-pudding once more,
ut any rate. Dick. my boy! how are
you? Come in, and let US close the
door,
But Dick explained that the Burn
ham carries had yet another precious
human parcel within their cart de-
handing ever more careful delivery.
"Details anon, dear girls; I reserve
the history of my Christmas Ewes adj
venture. The first thing to be done
now is to see to my late companion in
adversely, a certain luckless cabby, who
has Jared even more d~isastrously than
L. Let us minister to his comfort. and