Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-09-02

Hattie aud Rachel entered the house,
both nnxious to ascertain the reason
why he had left them so abruptly. As
they were good deal alarmed about
him, twas a relief to them 10 hear that
he had returned home. his mother
told them be was 10 the garden, out
search for him there proved fruitiess.
AT last Mr.. Vane rather timidly said
that George, having some business with
Ben Fayle, had gone after him up the
glen, but that he would soon be back.
Hattie Immediately determined not to
wait for George, but to follow him 10
| the glen. She had some business with
| Ben Fayle, TOO; she would take this OPP
portunlty OF transacting il, and on the
| way back, when she had George all 70
I herself, she would cunningly unfold
| her plan and get him 10 agree TO 1t.
! Having settled this la her own mind,
Hattie went on her way quite cheer
| fully.
As she walked up the path by the
side OF the mountain stream, women
came out OF their cottages cut into the
steep banks Of the glen aud smiled at
her and held up their babies for her 10
NHHs AOL enD " a. VOL huOWh ~ NA~At 10y
her father owning a small shooting
property further up. Hattie smiled
back at the women; she even stopped
and chatted with them for moment,
taking care to praise their babies with
enthusiasm, yet with such an open
mind that she declared each 10 be the
finest child she had ever seen. II Is no
wonder that Hattie was tavorite in
the glen.
But to-day there was motive forhs
conduct apart from mere goodness
hears-a motive not very unlike that
which had taken Ton Willmott into the
shops in the town. For Hattie desired
tho friendship and GOOD will Of these
people on behalf of George, who was to
go sailing away In boat belonging to
some Of them if she could manage It.
and to gain this end she was prepared
TO 90 good deal further than the praise
of few babies. Old Martha Coole had
no baby, only a black cat; Hattie 10
Quired Jenderly after that. For Martha
was a power In the glen, and much re-.
spected, being reputed the posseSsor OF
the "evll eye" which brought her great
store OF crabs and HOLSTERS from weak
kaeed fishermen.
The weaver's cottage. solidly built OF
stone like all the others, matched ana
whitewashsd, stood by Itself where the
glen Swallowed 10 meet the gOrse and
heather as they gathered for the last
rush up 10 the mountain top. There
was much marshy ground around ii, tall
reeds and grasses growing luxuriously
rnrhf Ia nd n q
+ path, with big stones in it 10 give firm
/ er foOthold, ia through them to the
door,
Strange noises proceeded from the
| cottage as Hattie approached. When
/ she knocked voice, which seemed TO
/ come out of the past, 80 far away aud
/ hollow il sounded, called TO her TO
/ come 10, and entering she saw, through
/ the rsek of peat smoke which filed the
room, a queer little old man, white
/ haired aud brOwn-skinned, with dim
/ eyes which peered at her as though she
stood at great distance. The old man
was sitting at a loom, a wonderful con-
/ triyance OF wood and ropes, which
J crsaked and groaned as II all its joints
were rheumatic with age.
Good morning, Dan, said Hattie.
/ "You know me, don't you? l have
often been here before. Is Ben at
homer"
Jaw. come in, come 10" said the old
weaver, bending over his loom. Come
in, Miss Hattie, and sit ye down,
though it's but poor place for the
like Of you. No, no, Ben's not at
homo, He's away after the Holsters
this morning"
but Mr.. George Vane has been here
to see him, hasn't he?"
"Not that I've seen. No, not that
I've seen at ali. But there's such a
power Of people about now that it's
hari TO see them all, " he explained as
though crowds were continually COM
ing TO that lonely little cottage.
But surely, DAN" urged Hattie, "if
Mr.. George had been here you would
have seen him?"
II wouldn't like to say" answered
the old weaver, from the dark corner,
in which the loom creaked and grOaned
In a most distressing way. "NO,
wouldn't like to be too sure at all. IL
never does TO be too sure. The days
are so long now, one iorgets the begin
ming before the end comes. They are
so dark, too"-he stopped and peered
about aim as 10 a dream-"oh, uncOm.
mon dark: the SUI never shines aa it
used 10 do; things are more like shad-
OwS. II is the last day; the aud OF all
things, coming upon the earth-it must
be-"
But the visions are plain, Dan,
aren't they" said Hattie, with an effort
at cheerfulness.
AYE, plain enough" and the dim
eyes frightened little, and the loom
ceased grooming. They're the only
things that are plain. l saw 3 strange
thing last night, Miss Hattie, a thing
that has troubled me all this day.
saw a nan who had fallen out with his
neighbOr, and he made a great hole in
the ground, close to the sea, for the
neighbOr TO tumble into By night. And
when it had come 10 pass as he had
planned be was mad with remorSe.
tore his hair and called for his neigh
20 come up out Of the hole again,
at last, thinking to make amends Q
prevent more evil, he flung himself
too. But the sea found its wayintot
hole aud scOOped il out little by lit
so that the lands on both sides fell
AID with them many of the ownt
Day bY day the hole grew bigger, u
10 seemed as If il would swallow up
whole countryside, and as l stood tn
aud looked down into the blackneSs
could hear the raging Of the waters
the plunging of the dead bodies as Il
washed 20 and fro. Now wat was
81 rh,s ME- Heel H.