Year: 1861

"
ders until they had passed by. Stepping
aside with great caution, for tho swamp
was full of water, caused by the melted
SHOWS, she managed by the help Of rot
ten log to gain a position on a thick
cump Of wild flag behind the alders.--
Soon the possessors Of the voices made
their appearance, and by the aid of the
bright moonlight Miranda Jane recogniz-
ed the man and maid servants of Deacon
Shaw, They were making love to each
other at a great rate, but it came to an
end very suddenly, for as they were pass
ing by the girl caught sight of the white
garments of Miranda Jane, and uttering
a screech that would have done credit TO
a prima donna at the opera, quickened
her footsteps to run, uttering the cry Of
"a ghost, ghost!" at the top OF her
voice. Her valient cavalier gave one
look, without doubt as intense as Moses
of old, into the bush, then joining
in the cry, fed along at the top Of his
speed; but that look was the innocent
cause Of bad disaster to Miranda Jane,
for as she endeavored to somewhat change
her position, so as to let thicker por-
zion of the bush shelter her, she lost her
balance and slipped back into the bog
The water and mire in that spot happen
ed to be but foot deep, so she managed
to reach the path without much trouble;
but her dress, bonnet and shawl had not
improved much by the immersion, and
in fact she was dripping with mud apd
water from head to toe.


For few moments she was undeter-
mined whether to return to the house,
and forego the meeting for tonight, or
to keep on; but at last she determined on
/ the latter, for she meant no tumble in the
bog should be the means of her not be-
coming Mrs. Harry Hall, SO on she went,
and reached the designated place without
further mshap.


She reached the rock, but all was silent
as the grave. She walked round it to
assure herself that no one was near, but
no Harry could she find. Thinking that
she might have arrived too early, she
leaned against the rock and waited, ever
now and then calling low, "Harry, dear
Harry!' but no answer was returned.


Ten, twenty, thirty minutes passed,
but no Harry came; and long before the
time she was trembling with the cold
caused by her involuntary cold bath
Ten more passed, and just as she was
about turning her footsteps homeward,
having given up sll hopes Of seeing Har-
ry that night, she was startled by the
flash of torches and the sound of voices
in the swamp. For moment she was
frightened nearly out of her wits, as she
did not comprehend its meaning, and it
was not until the foremost had nearly
emerged on the pasture side of the swamp
that the cause OF the outcry flashed across
her mind.


The servants, nearly frightened out of
their senses at the sight of the supposed
ghost, had fled to the village, and their
genuine fright had reused nearly half the
inhabitants thereof, and headed by Dea-
con Shaw, they turned out en- masse to
investigate the mystery.


The moment Miranda Jane compre-
hended the true bearings of the case, her
fear lent its place to shame. Fearful
above all things that she should be discov-
cred, she darted round to the opposite
side of the rock, but she was too late, for
one of the foremost of the investigating
party caught sight of her dress as she dis
appeared round the corner. With the
cry of There, the ghost! There, the
ghost!' he started for the rock, followed
by all the rest Of the party at quick pace.
Miranda Jane, when she found that she
was discovered, determined to make the
best of her position that she could, SO
when the foremost of the advancing par
ty was within few PAGES of the rock,
she STEP lped from behind it and advanced
to meet them. Her sudden appearance
caused The foremost to fall back few
steps, but the bright moonlight enabled
them at once to recognize the person of
Miranda Jane Grabem in their ghost.


Full of wonderment they all gathered
round her, and piled her with innumera-
bic questions, for they could not conceive
how one so timid as she had always pro-
fessed to be, could be SO far away from
home at that time of night. But not
word could they get from her as to how
she came in such condition, and after
trying in vain, Deacon Shaw remarked
''that Miss Grabem belonged to the
church, and that she would be compelled
to explain all in church meeting"


Il guess, Deacon Shaw, that if You at
tend to your own shortcomings you'll
have your hands full, and no time to in
vestigate the doings Of your neighbors,
replied Miranda Jane, as she started home
ward, followed by the crowd. AS the
last one was leaving, he espied letter
laying on the ground. 1t was addressed
to Miss Graben," SO he overlook the la
dy and gave it to her. "Ah! this explains
why dear Harry is absent" she murmur-
ed, as she placed it in her bosom.


When she reached the house, and the
crowd had dispersed to their various
homes, Sally Ann, with a solemn counte-
nance, informed her that Mary Lowell
had eloped with Harry Hall. They had
gone to Boston, and would not return for
month.


Miranda Jane very nearly tainted at
this revelation, but she managed to reach
her chamber, and drawing forth the letter
broke the seal. She had no reason to
need her spectaces to decipher its con-
tents, for all there was in it were two
words in large characters: APRIL Fool.
Miranda Jane had bad cold for the