Year: 1867

To such place as Allan Bridge any little
event is godsend; but the reopening Of the
famous Rood Abbey tragedy furnished talk
for the whole county and country. The
London papers reverted to it with tantaliz-
ing brevity, and it got into the Nornainster
Gazette at full length again. The Eskdale
readers of that news followed the case with
greedy interest. They heard the story of
Alice Pierce from the days when she was
$50 winsome, so bonny," down to the hour
when, the magistrates having seen her, and
the doctors having certified to her insanity,
she was removed by her afflicted father and
a female keeper from the ward of Allan
Bridge poor-house to the pauper lunatic
asylum at Norminster. After occupying
column or two for seven or eight weeks, the
mystery was pronounced to be still unfath-
omed and unfathomable, and it subsidized once
more into uneasy oblivion.


In the magniloquent editorials, which
furnished the patrons of the Nornsinster
Gazette with opinions on its facts, Mr.. Tin
dal had been very smartly handled. Forci-
BILE illusions were made to the cowardice,
the unmanliness, of attempting to fix the
barbarous crime on a woman, who was as
incapable of defending herself as the dead.
"The time was cunningly chosen" said the
leader, " but truth had prevailed over cum
ming; the base plot had been defeated; and
the burthen of suspicion lay where it had
originally fallen-where it must continue to
lie until some fuller disproof were offered
than what had lately been brought under the
investigation of the Allan Bridge board OF
magistrates


The Gazette containing this article came
to Rood Abbey on Sunday morning in
June, as it came to every other well to-do
house in Eskdale. Mr.. Tindal read his con-
demnation in it, and a present end to all his
dreams. He read it in the garden, and while
he read 1t he let his pipe go out. "This is
over" said he, and dropped the paper on the
grass; and for the first time chill of utter
despondency crept over him.


He had recovered his strength now, and
his natural color; but the torturing anxiety
of the recent inquiries had not passed over
him without making its mark. She sun
shown with midsummer glow, but he felt no
warmth in Its shining. While hope was with
him he had caused his house and gardens to
be swept and garnished and now on the
soft turf there was spread luxury of bios
som and beauty that Knocked him with re-
minder of his short-lived joy. He had seen
no friendly soul to speak to, except DIR.
Grey, since the turn the investigation about
Alice Pierce would take became apparent.
While it was doubtful, here and there man
had drawn near to him, who had since drawn
back again. Even Pierce had left him; moi
in anger on either side, but with mutual con-
cession and sorrow. Early on in the inquiry
he had spoken to the Vicar of his desire tc
restore the dreary, neglected old church, and
had been checked, and hidden to stay until
he was clear of the imputed guilt of murder
for Mr.. Featherston and his rosy wife were
not found impenetrable to the Sable inhu.
ence of public opinion; and each to the
other had confessed a doubt, q dread-ha6
whispered awfuly.that it was not fit mar
with unrepented blood on his hands should
bring any gift to the alter. He had felt the
recoil in their promising acquaintance, ant
had come no more in their way. With
many besides them the stirring up of The
stagnant pool had done him more harm thar
good. The lively girls at the Grange tool
heed not to cross his path; men meeting


him in the road made only half obesance


the servants under his own roof did him sh.
and grudging service.


He thought often of Pennie, and wonder
: ed, did she think of him? Would she hol'
out to him helping hand, or would she


like all the rest, avert her eyes, and pass hin
by on the other side?


: What long, blank day it was, that gold
, en- day in June, on which the Norminste
t Gazette announced to Eskdale the solem