The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-11-04

hdo loOheo Dach once, anu Inen the
house was all a-lght, and merry voices
of them who had not yet missed her
had made music in the night Now
the house was all tark-dark and silent.
What did it mean? The shutters were
all closed; she tried the front door. it
was fastened; the side door. that also
was barred and bolted At first she
thought it must all be Il joke, and, as
she walked around the house. she eX-
pected at any mon elt to hear some
sounds OF life, to see the light from
within flare out from door and window.
to hear the ringing laughter and merry
raillery of men and maids, among them
Lochin's voice, and perhaps Git cost
her pang to think of it) the masculine
tones, little jeering, of Mary Colqu-
hon. But no, it was all silent, dark,
and solitary. The night was growing
bitterly cold. Maggie shivered, and
drawing her snood closer about her,
noticed that it was frayed and worn
a sudden, strange alarm possessed her.
What wonderful thing had happened!
Her snood, and dress, and even her
shoes, all new Gas she thought), but all
now in tatters.
Strangely frightened, she ran to the
big door and raped loud and long.
At first no answer, but the hollow echo
of the sound as from an empty house.
She raped again vigorously, and, by
and by, a window overhead was eau
tiously unbarred, and the sash raised.
A volce-her father's-was heard:
''Who is it knocks?''
'''ris Maggie, father" she answered,
quickly; 81 fear hae stayed long, for
it's over cauld."
"Merciful God!'' cried the good min
lister. Twas his daughters wraith,-
of that he felt assured, for in those
olden days such marvels were believed
in by good and bad alike. But, wrath
or not, Mr.. McCallum was sustained
by a higher trust that not even the dis
! embodied spirit of an underworld had
| power to daunt him. He came down
and opened the door, and Maggie, tot
tering in, fell in his arms in dead
faint. Agnes, reused from her slum-
Der, came quickly, but, when she saw
her sister, screamed aloud for fright,
having thought her lost and dead a full
year.
At last, before blazing fire of logs,
Maggie revived. 1t was a terrible
awakening. With staring eyes, and
great horror tugging at her heart, she
heard the story of the year,-of her
mother in her grave, grieving that she
had gone, whittier none knew, though
they had sought her for many a long
day; and of Lochlin;-no, not as she
dreaded to learn, husband of Mary Col
| quhon, but afar somewhere to the
south. He had mourned, they told
her, as one who could not be comforted,
and now, for Prince Charities crown,
had ridden away with the Blue Bonnets
across the border.
AS she had waited, and the efin
king had promised, Kit a came wi
rush." 1t came near breaking poor
Maggie's heart. 1t was long before
she gave over mourning; but in time,
for shame to sit in dleness and grief,
she took up the burden of life once
more, saying nothing of the strange
thing that befel in Wonderwood, and
the people of the parish looked at her
with a grand pity, thinking her just Il
little daft, for nothing they knew
except always in her hazel eyes visit
full look fixed upon the far-away hills
beyond the border, where Prince
Charles men were fighting for crown
and country.
| But, while she looked and hoped for
tidings from the south, news came of
great battle at Drummossic Moor, by
the shores of the firth of Moray. 1t
was sprlngtime again, and along the
highway from Inverness the routed
Highlanders streamed before the vic
torious English under the duke Of
Cumberland. Maggie was at the manse
gate one evening in April, ministering,
as best she could, to the dispirited and
wounded clansmen. when one of the
bonneted chieftains, with quick, glad
cry, spurred his tired horse out of the
ranks, flung himself off, and in an in
stant had his arms around her.
Maggie" " he cried, dear Maggie
For a moment she started, looking
into the bronzed face bewildcred; then
she said, softly, "Lochlin, dear Loeb
lin " J.. Home .Journu.
After dinner of legal dignitaries, i
barrister remarked to a judge: II have
made comfortable fortune at the Bar,
and now think of retiring and devot-
ing the remainder of my years to the
study of those things that | have
neglected. What would you advise
me to begin on?' Law promptly
replied his lordship
does your wife ever lecture yol?'
''Lecture! I'm going to get her a
stereopticon.