The St. Johns herald., 1896-09-26
TIE DEACON'S DISAPPEARANCE
By WILLIAM LEIGHTON.

wait another day. There is an old say
 ing something to the effect that if yor want to keep your friends, don't prolone your visit beyond three days, and if yor want to be thought not dead, don't bt unaccountably absent from home beyond three nights. '"
 To this Mir. Girvan agreed, and bott of us saw the propriety of visiting tht deaconess, who was hour by hour losing hope. We found her in the same posi- tion in which had left her. noticed that as we entered she turned a wistful eye upon us, with an expression that seemed to speak and say, 'Is he not with you?" and there followed that blank look in which the orb seems dead.
 There was silence everywhere, as ii Angerona had there set up her temple, and the votaries were mute. The chil- dren, ignorant of the cause of change in their mother, had been put to bed. The servant whom we saw as we passed the kitchen sat at the freside hanging her head, as if she mourned the death of 8 kind master, and no neighbors dared to intrude where they could carry no com fort-a species of kindness this in the people of Scotland which results from 8 delicacy they get small credit for from those who judge from rude speech and homely if not coarse manners.
 We sat down quietly and gravely, 8 clear enough indication to her that we brought no hopeful intelligence, nor had we sat many minutes when we came to understand what was the direction of the current of her thoughts. They had been all running toward the conclusion that Angus Macgillivray was in some way connected with the mysterious af- fair.
 ''Have ye inquired" she asked as she cast her eye over us, Eff Angus has been at hame syn yesterday? Icould wad my marriage ring he's ava, and nae suner than he should be. Will yeno answer?" she continued in wailing tone. "Is he in Edinburgh? When was he seen? Can naebody tell?"
 I looked to Girvan, for could not answer without falsehood, and he un- derstood me.
 'I have made no inquiry, Margaret, |" said he, "nor did think it necessary to go there-the suspicion seems so un- natural Besides are you not taking on too heavily This is only the second day."
 'The second dayP' she burst forth. "And Deacon Macgillivray hasna seen his wife or his bairns nor sent a letter or message to tell whaur he is. The second day'' she continued in the same wailing strain. "When was it that he was half an hour behind his dinner? And this has taken place in Edinburgh, which is just lang street, whaur every body kens everything about everybody. ,"
 Many longer absence has had 0 happy explanation, '" replied her broth CT. "We have only as yet one fact, and it will just look as you view it. You know peats will build the side of a house as we'll as make fire that will burn you.
 But there's nae use buttering peats," cried she impatiently. 'I tell you Deacon Macgillivray is dead, and Angus is the man who has made me a widow and my bairns fatherless.
 And then came fit of hysterical sob- ping, which we had no means of allevi- ating. While looked at her, and of course pitied her, could not help think ing how completely her suspicion was confirmed by the information had got, and which 1 dared not communicate to her. There was enough of sorrow for the hour And as we saw we could be of no further service that night we left her to that kind of consolation which the heart seeks for itself, and sometimes the more readily and successfully that it is left to itself and to him who is master of the heart and the issues thereof
 Next forenoon repaired to Girvan's, as arranged between us, in order that together we might make more thor ough search to the effect at least of as- certaining whether the missing man had been seen, and when and where, during the forenoon of his disappearance. On going along found that the affair had spread, insomuch indeed that the ques- tion, "What has become of Deacon Mac gillivray?" belonged now to the public. There was only one solitary grain of news. It appeared that person of the name of Peter McGlashan, 0 laborer, who resided in the Cowgate, and whom we saw and interrogated, had been the involuntary cause of some of the theo- ries, but all that could be extracted from him amounted to this, that he had seen Deacon Macgillivray that forenoon hurrying up the High street, and that having occasion to return, he had met, about 10 minutes later, Angus Mac gillivray coming up the bow, the top of which he doubled as if he were going down the High street. One or two oth- CTS spoke to having seen the brothers on the same route.
 It was with minds very i'll prepared for meeting with the deaconess that we betook ourselves about o'clock in the evening to Borthwick's Close. We found the same house of gloom, with the shadows increased in the darkness of these hours, and all appearances be- tokening utter hopeleSsness. The hours passed without any better reckoning than the increasing silence in the street and the gathering gloom of the un- Snufed candle till it might be about II. when slight knock was heard at the door.
 Mrs. Macgillivray started, and we were not less surprised-nay, have no | = ! ( u !