Year: 1865

objects that had presented themselves


his view.


alt is very strange" said he to hin


self; al have never been in this plac


before, and I could swear that I've see


this house, and the next, and that to ou


left"


On he went, till he came to a corner q


a street crossing the one down which h


had come. Before long he arrived at tn


church with the architectural feature


that had attracted his notice in the dream


and then the high road, along which h


had paused his way, coming at length t,


the same by path that had presented it


self to his imagination few hours befort
there was no possibility of doubt o.
mistake. Every tree and every turn wal
familiar to him. He hurried forward, nc
longer doubling that the next moment
would bring him to the cottage; and this
was really the case. In all its exterior
appearance it corresponded with what he
had seen in his dream.


! Who, then, could wonder that he de-
termined to ascertain whether the coinci-
denoes would hold good in every point ?
He entered the garden and went directly
to the spot where he had seen the well ;
but here the resemblance failed; there
was none. He looked in every direction,
examined the whole garden, and even went
round the cottage, which seemed to be
inhabited but nowhere could find any
signs of a we'll. He then fastened back
to the inn in state of excitement hard
to describe. He could not make up his
mind to allow such extraordinary coinci-
dence to pass unnoticcd. But how was
he to obtain a clue to the awful mystery? :?
He went to the landlord, and asked him
directly 10 whom the cottage belonged
that was on the by-road near to him.


al wonder, sir" said he, what causes
you to take such particular notice of that
wretched little hovel? 1t is inhabited
by an old man and his wife who have the
character Of being very unsocial. They
scarcely ever leave the house, see nobody,
and nobody goes to see them. Of late
their very existence appears to have been
forgotten, and I believe you are the first,
who, for years, has turned your steps to
the lonely spot"


These details, instead of satisfying his
curiosity, only reused it the more
Breakfast was served, but he could cat
none, and he felt that if he presented
himself to the merchants in such a state
of excitement, they might think, him mad.
He walked up and down the room and
looked out of the window, endeavoring to
interest himself in a quarrel between two
men in the street. But the cottage and
garden preOccupied his mind, and, at last,
snatching up his hat, he made his way to
the street. fastening to the nearest
magistrate, he related the whole circum-
stance briefly and clearly.


at is very strange" said the officer,
1" and after what has happened, I don't
think it would be right to leave the mat
ter without further investigation. I will
place two of the police at your command
you can then go once more to the hovel
and search every part of it. You may,
perhaps, make someimportant discovery"


He allowed but very few minutes to
elapse before he was on his way, accom-
panied by the two officers. After knock
ing as the door and waiting for some
time, the old man opened the door. He
received them somewhat uncivilly, but
showed no mark of suspicion when they
told him they wished to search the
house.


"Yery well as fast and soon as you
please" was the reply.


"Have you well here ?"


"No, sir; we are obliged to get our
water from a spring, about quarter of
a mile distant"


They searched the house, but discover
ed nothing of any consequence. Mean
while the old man gazed upon them with
an impenetrable vacancy of look, as if he
could not understand why they were in
truding on his property. Finally, they
forsOok the cottage, without finding any
thing to corroborate their suspicions.-
They, however, resolved to inspect the
garden. By this time a number of per-
sons had collected together outside, hav-
ing been drawn to the spot by the sight
of a stranger with two policemen. They
were asked if they knew anything of a
well in those parts. They replied they
did not the idea seemed to perplex them
At length an old woman came forward,
leaning on a crutch.


IA well?" said she. ais it a well
you are looking for? That has been
gone these thirty years. remember it
as if it were yesterday; how I used to
throw stones into it, just to hear them
splash in the water.