Marshall County independent., 1901-05-03

ID one, Inc IurToL cnamDer, as II WIS
called. though it was not built in tur-
ret fashion, Rose came upon tangible
relic of the past.
1t was a large oaken cabinet, black
with age. Its doors were open. AS
they approached it the setting sun
broke from a bank of thin white fog,
and filled the whole apartment with a
ruddy glow. Rose. ever curious, was
the first to search the cabinet.
There were several toilet ornaments
In Venetian glass and gold upon the
upper shelf. Upon the lower one lay
small yellow packet and a fragment
OF an old letter. Rose took It up ca
gerly and read these words traced in
delicate yet uniformed handwriting:
And so / send the gift, but l fear 1t
will outlive your love. Last night,
wnen you left me you forgot my good
bye kiss; and so this morning !
thought"
There the fragment ended 1t was
the old, old story, coming down from
remote years. Woman's tender love
womdn's panied recognition of slight
-woman's faith, mixed sweetly with
woman's fear of losing what she priced
far more than anything else the world
had to bestow. Rose stood musing
with the torn paper in her hand, till
her father spoke.
Poor little goose! l wonder where
she and her lover are now? What is
in the packet, Rose?"
The girl broke the string. A long
tress Of dark brown hair fell lightly
over her hand. That was the gift"
no doubt. which was still fresh and
glossy, while the head on which it
grew was perhaps lying low in the
grave.
Rose laid it reverently back beside
the letter. Mr. Cowley fdgeted about
moment or two, and then said that
they had better go. He had evidently
seen enough for that day at least. AS
for Rose, the dead girls words seemed
sounding in her ear all the way home
Yet why dead?" She asked herself
that, as she woke with a start at two
o'clock the next morning.
Mrs. Cowley went back to the village
fotel In a more agreeable frame OF
mind. She fondly imagined that the
gloom and silence of the Hall had been
too much even for the jovial spirits of
her husband to encounter. Brighton
looked nearer than ever as she sank
placidly to sleep that night
But the next morning undeceiyed
her. Mr.. Cowley was up with the lark.
and when she descended with the girls
to the nine o'clock breakfast. he was
not there. He had gone to the Hail."
meek Mrs. Grimes informed them with
a courtesy.
To the HALL" gasped Mrs. Cowley
in dire dismay. What for?"
Mr.. Grimes went up with him,
mum. They took out a lot of painters
and plasterers, num- Not to speak of
the two charwomen as is to go next
week"
Mercy preserve u.s." exclaimed the
Mortified British matron. Is the man
in his senses? Can he think of living
there after all that we saw last night?"
Mrs. Grimes shook her head and
sighed.
Men Is that contrary, mum, that an
angel from heaven would not we'll
know what to do with them" she OH
served, sympathizingly And certain
Iy, after living SO many years with
Simon Grimes, she ought to have been
a judge.
Mrs. Cowley took her breakfast with
what appetite she might. At noon her
liege lord appeared-dusty, tired and
cross. From him she learned that the
workmen We're progressing favorabIy.
that the place would be ready for the
charWomen by the end of that present
week, instead of the next, and that ev-
erything would be finished by the last
day of the month.
so get ready to move on the first
day of December. old lady" he added
merrily, for We shall keep our Christ
mas therer'
The 'old lady" groaned at the
thought. What sort of a Christmas
would it be in that dismal, lonely
haunted ruin?
he always did. Day after day did he
spend at the Hail. sometimes with Mr.
Grimes, sometimes with the agent but
Oftener alone with his workmen. who
did their tasks in platOOns, and would
on no account, stay on the premises a
moment after sundOwn. Not so the
charwoman who succeeded them. She
was stranger in the place, and felt
no reverence for its traditions. Conse-
quently she refused to believe in the
ghosts; and when Mr.. COwley heard
her avOw her want of faith in a great
strong voice and with a hearty laugh
he was so enchanted with her good
sense that he engaged her on the spot
to remain at the Hall as servant till
the scruples of the neighboring dam
sells should be sufficiently overcome to
enable them to serve, with or under
her. or perhaps to take her place. But
for her OppOrtune arrival, Mrs. Cowley
might have been forced to make her
own d,get her own dinner and black
her husbands boots-for no village
girl could have been induced for love
or money to engage at the Hall till it
was fairly proved whether Queen Bess
was there or not.
Mrs. Mccarthy. however, was a host
In herself, and the sight of her broad,
smiling face was enough to put the
most grabbed ghost into good humor if
by chance she should happen to meet