Year: 1878




Tuesday; and if she " ere i'll, Mary would
be sure to let us know. 1t is only one of
your 'fancies, little wife"


Still | did not feel easy, for more than
once before my so-called fancy" had
reality; so l determined that in q few
days would 20 and see Mrs. Benson. All
that evening | could not get her out of my
thoughts, and it was long time before l
went to sleep. think it must have been
about 3 o'clock in the morning that woke
in a state of terror. had dreamed that l
saw Mrs. Benson standing in the window
of her bedroom, beckoning me to come to
her,and pointing to female figure who was
stealing along under the shade Oft the trees
in the avenue, for the moon was shining
brightly.


l started up, thinking heard her call
me. And here is the most extraordinary.
part of it all--although l was now quite
awake, heard, as thought, voice, say
ing to me: go tell Mrs. Renson MarthaIs
ieceiving her; tell her to send her away at
Once.o


Three times these words seemed to be
repeated in my ear. l can't describe eX
aclly what the voice was like it was not
lond but quite distinct; and felt as / lis
tened that it was a warming, and that |
must obey it. / woke my husband and
told him my dream and the words 1 had
heard lie tried to calm my mind and ev-
identity thought me foolish to be so fright
ened by only stupid dream. l said l
would drive over the first thing in the
morning and see if anything was wrong
with Mary or her mother. The only thing
that puzzled me was that Martha should
be mentioned as deceiving Mrs. Benson.
ha a,tol ~ Snk kaa and lalyts maid
for her, and was believed to lie most trust.
worthy in every way. She had been four
years with her, and was much respected
She was a silent, reserved kind of u per-
son, about 30 years of age. One thing I
had often RENAL ked about her was, that
when speaking to any one sne never look
ed straight at them; but l thoughtit it might
be from kind Of shyness more than any
thing else.


As soon as breakfast was over | set off,
telling my husband / would very likely
not return until next day, and, If possible,
he was to come for me. He could drive
over early and spend the day, and we
would return together in the evening, ifall
was we'll with his mother.


When | arrived / found Mrs. Benson
and Mary looking as we'll as ever, and
every thing seemingly just as usual.
Martha was sitting at work in her little
bedroom, which opened off Mrs. Bensons
dressng-roOm. l could not help looking
at her more closely than 1 would have
done mt another time, and | thought l saw
a look of displeasure cross her face ut see
ing me. Mary and her mother were, of
course, delighted to see me, and asked why
Henry did not come too. So told themI
would stay till the next day, if thew would
have me, and Henry would come for me
then. Then they were quite pleased at
that arrangement, for it was not very often
my husband could spend whole day
with them.


AS the day passed on and nothing out of
the way happened, | began to think l had
frightened myself needlessly, and that my
dream or vision might have been the re-
suit of an over-anXious mind. And then
Martha, what about her? Altogether |
was perplexed. l did not know what to
think; but still felt certain underlined
uneasness. offered up a silent prayer to
be directed to do right, and determined to
wait patiently and do nothing for while.
l almost hoped I might hear the voice
again, giving me definite instructions how
to act. Lunch passed, and dinner also;
and the evening being very warm. for il
was the middle of July, we sat at the open
window enjoying the cooling breeze that
set in from the sea.


AS they were very early people, shortly
after ten o'clock we said Good night"
and went up To our bedrooms. My room
looked on the avenue, some parts OF which
were in deep shade, while in other parts
the moonlight shone brightly through
breaks in the trees. l did not feel in the
least sleepy, and putting out my candle
sat by the window, looking at the lovely
view; for | could see the coast quite plain
ly, aud the distant sea glittered like silver
i'll the moonlight. | did not think how
long had been sitting there until heard
the hall clock strike II. Just then heard
as thought, foOtstep outside my door,
which evidently stopped there, and then
in a few seconds passed on. l did not
mind, thinking it might be one of the
servants who had been up later than Usual,
and was now going quietly to bed. I be-
gan to undress, not lighting the candle
again, as l had light enough from the
moon. AS came toward the window to
close it, saw, exactly as in my dream, "a
female housekeeping in the shade of the
trees-going down the avenue. | deter
mined to follow and see who it was, Tor |
now felt the warning voice was not sent to
me for nothing, and l seemed to get cour-
age, girl though 1 was, to tathom the mys-
terry. l hastily dressed, threw dark
shawl over my head, aud going noiseless-
ly down stairs, opened the glass door in
the drawing-room window, and left it so
that could come in again. kept in the
shade of the trees as much as possible,
and quickly followed the path had seen
the woman lake. Presently heard voices:
one was a mans, the other wOmans.
But who was she? | came close and yot