Year: 1879

his supper; and SO saying the miller wished me good evening, and turned to go indoors, while stepped out towards the station, across the fields, unable to form any conclusion about what had passed hut looking forward with l sense of relief to Wyatt's arrival:

 As passed along the path across the fields from the mill to the village, 1 met young woman whom, although am not quick at re- membering faces. I concluded to be the mill ler's daughter. She gave me look as of rec ognition but passed on without speaking, and turned round to look afterher. Yes, it must have been her saw; ; she Is tall and slight, al- | though there is certainly nothing graceful or gliding in her gait she walks as awkwardly as most rustics; it must have been the dim light of evening that threw glamour over her movements. And under sudden impulse called to her. and she stopped and came back few steps to meet me.

 asked her if it was she who had been down to the cottage on the evening of our first vis- it.

 Yes, she said she and her sister had been i down there that afternoon, to lock it up.

 Your sister ?" asked, for 1 remembered that the miller had spoken of sending only one of his daughters. Then you did not go 1 alone? thought your father had sent you by yourself? He said so."

 ''So he did, sir, truly but my sister was going to the village, so she went along with me. We didn't say nothing to father about it, because he would have said it was nonsense. But beg your pardon, sir, must be getting home" and she turned to go on. Stay one moment ;' 1 said, and then, as she stopped and turned round again, I asked. "Whcre was your sister when you came out by yourself through the wood? 2"

 ''Me come out by the wood ?" cried the girl, her mouth opening wide, and her eyes and face alike expressing astonishment why, 1 wouldn't go through the wood for worlds, l should expect to see"

 "What would you expect to see?" asked eagerly, interrupting her

 II beg your pardon, sir" she answered, her manner changing abruptly to one of caution, "I didn't mean anything 1 beg your pardon, sir, but father would be very angry if he knew had been talking to you about such things. l wish you good evening" SIT" and bobbing me curtesy, sne turned on her heel and pursued her way to the mill.

 Had this conversation passed near the cot tage itself, or the grove, or while the events of the night had left their first impression, be- iieve should have been startled by this cor roboration of my own alarms; as it was, in the broad daylight of these pleasant meadows, with the village and railway station in full view, it was not difficult to succeed in putting aside all sensation of uneasiness but could not help looking forward with extreme satis- faction to the return'of Wyatt, to whom de- termlned to communicate my experiences et the night, not without strong anspicion that my story would be received with considerable ridcule

 Although the sun had not yet set, it was now hidden behind abank of clouds which had been gathering during the afternoon. The air was still and oppressive and, never good lizar I o1n tl,nh and thus had the modification to see the down. train arrive and pass on before could reach the station. When got there the passengers by it had already dispersed As Wyatt did not expect me to meet him, of course he would not have waited for me, and 1 set off to over take him along the other foetpath, which led also across fields direct to the cottage But 1 could not make him out ahead of me, and on reaching the cottage 1 found that he had not arrived there. He must have got out at Mad deley, the next station before our own, and be coming up by the river, 1 made sure; and l wandered down along the bank in hopes of meeting him, till warned to return by the roll ing of distant thun Ter, and the large drGps of rain now beginning to fall

 AS approached the house it was almost dark the wood beyond it looked more dreary than ever. 1 almost wondered, looking at it now, that should have ever ventured to en- ter it :; and 1 looked uneaslly towards it, half expecting to see some mysterious form issuing from it's gloomy recesses But nothing appear ed this time, and hurried indoor, to find telegram on the table which had been brought from the village in my absence. It was from Wyatt. The governor had sent him into Es, sex on some business, and he should not be back Tn time to return that evening" but would come down by the early train in the morning to breakfast, and take whole holiday.

 The feeling of discomtorture produced at first by the news of this desertiOn, and that l was destined to spend the evening alone, was succeeded by sense of the absurdty, to say the least, of allowing myself to feel nervous as 1 heard the cheerful noise of Mrs. Bond and her niece engaged in preparing supper in the kitchen. The rattle of plates, and the chatter Of their voices, were enough to exercise any demon of timdity and low spirits and 1 was able, after a brief toilet, to ind complete dis traction from such foolish thoughts in the newspapers of the day. which Hannah, the girl, had brought from the village this evening. It was too hot, and 1 was too tired after my unWonted exercise, to eat much dinner but l enjoyed all the more the tea which shortly succeeded that meal, and of which, although warned by my doctor to abstain from that form Of refreshment at night, l drank even more freely than usual. Some rain fUH during din

 

 way; the rumbling of the thunder could still bc heard The night was still and oppressive; and the windows, although wide open, seemed to let Tn no air. Awhiles 1 read, putting off the task of the night from one half hour to an- other, hardly disturbed by the inmates of the kitchen taking their supper after mine, and talking, after the fashion of servants, as loudly as if they had been calling to each other from different rooms, instead of being seated at the same table. At another time the noise would have been offensive just now it was the re- verse of dsagreeable About half f-past ten o'clock Mrs. Bond came in to remove the tea things; and then, after fastening the drawing room windows and locking the hall ll-door, she looked III again to know if wanted anything more before she went to bed, and wishing me good night retired.

 1 was on the point of calling her back, to tell her to open the door of communication at the top of the stairs, but for very shame did not do so; l could not think of any excuse; to say anything about fire would have sounded ridi- culons. heard her make fast the door lead ing from the hall into the offices then there was certain amount of talking and shutting of doors and windows, followed by steps go- ing up the back staircase, and then the little house became quite still.

 Not until then, and felt absolutely alone, tCitoi U. hLeW IiOJ WHdt, dSdlUSL which had been struggling all day with more or less success, return in full force. Aboveall, while trying to reassure myself by setting down what thought had seen to disordered nerves, there came on my mind, with renewed force, the recollection of the fact that it was not alone who had to deal with the unac- countable. It could not be the state of my health which made me imagine only that I had heard Wyatt speak of the figure passing into the house from the garden. was sure he had told me of it. And although the thing had not surprised him, he did not know that the explanation of the appearance which he had suggested, failed altogether to explain it. No During bright daylight the notion of the super natural might be dismissed as fooishness but Tn my present solitude the possibility seemed real enough The very silence seemed horri- ble l was ready to fancy sounds all round me But nothing broke the silence. If only Wyatt had been here or even if the doors in the house had been left open, so that there might have been the sense of security from proximity of other living beings If only Mrs. Ir.,u T.