The Lamar register., 1901-05-08

ret fashion, Rose came upon tangible
relic of the past.
1t was large oaken cabinet, black
they approached it the setting sun
broke from a bank of thin white fog,
and filled the whole apartment with
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
a small yellow packet and a fragment
of an old letter. Rose took 1t up ca
gerly and read these words traced in a
delicate yet uniformed handwriting:
"And so l send the gift, but fear 1t
will outlive your love. Last night,
when you left me you forgot my good
bye kiss; and so this morning l
thought"
- There the fragment ended. 1t was
: he old, old story, coming down from
remote years. Womans tender love
woman'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"
til,
glossy, while the head on which it
grew was perhaps lying low in the
grave.
Rose laid 1t reverently back beside
the letter. Mr.. Cowley fidgeted about
a 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 start at two
O'Clock the next morning.
Mrs. Cowley went back to the village
hotel In 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 undeceived
her. Mr.. Cowley was up with the lark,
NJ 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
courtesy.
ITO the HALL" gasped Mrs. Cowley
in dire dismay, what for?"
Mr.. Grimes went up with him,
mum. They took out lot OF painters
and plasterers, mum. Not to speak of
the two charwomen as is to go next
week"
Mercy preserve us!" 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 well
know what to do with them." she OBJ
served, sympathizingly. And certain
ly, after living SO many years with
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 were progressing favorably,
that the place would be ready for the
eharwomen 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,
nArily. for we shall keep our Christ
mas there!"
The "old LADY, groaned at the
thought. What sort of Christmas
would it be in that dismal, lonely,
haunted ruin?
But Mr.. Cowley carried his point, as
he always did. Day after day did he
spend at the Hall, 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
moment after sundown. Not so the
charwoman who succeeded them. She
was a 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 great
strong voice and with 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 haxa heen forced to make her