Year: 1870

and fantastic roots to wait and watch. Not very
long, however down the valley rode her lover,
and poor little Jessie was happy. This meeting
was followed by many another. Summer came
and went; and the " hollow ash" still the
! trysting-tree


Christmas was drawing near, when one night,
as they stood by the tree, he told her the time
had come when he must leave and travel into
different part of the country, where his regiment
then lay not alone, however HI had no mind
! to leave Jessie behind and Jessie, poor child,
! had no mind but his. SO it was arranged that
they should meet the next night, and that she
should go away with him.


The ground was already covered with snow
and great feathery flakes began to float down
again while they were speaking.
"lou'u not loose your way darling2' said
Jessie lover, MS he held her in his at part
! ing. " | cannot rest content at letting you go
alone"


"No, no, Hugh, you must not comei Joe may
be hone, and he watches me day and night. |
know every inch of the way"


So they parted and Jessie, holding her shawl
tightly over her head, ran down the path. Sud
denly the sound of II gun-shot came mutled
through the snow. Jessie started; the poachers
were at work again, she thought, and Joe would,
if home, be on the lookout so leaving the di-
rect path, she turned into another, which
brought her round to the back of the cottage,
and finding the door unlocked, and her mother
sitting fast asleep by the kitchen fire. she got
safely into her bedroom.


The appointed time came at last, and Jessie
LETT her home There were no tears then, but II
hot flush ON either check, and Wild diated
look in her eyes that told of motal grief if not
despair.


! More snow had fallen not footprint had
marked the smooth white pathway, anG all uu-
trodden was the ground beside the ash tree. 1t
was perfectly still night-not a movement in
the forest, not the sound Of life to be heard and
Jessie shuddcred as the rising moon threw the
great weird-looking shadows Of the leaAess trees
across the road she was watching so anNiously.
An hour, at least, passed, and still he did not
come. Strange fears and horrid suspicion began
! to cross the girls brain. Had he played her
false, and left her to her shame? Had some
! thing happened to him Had Joe met him She
! remembered her brothers looks that day, and IL
sckening dread fell upon her. She could not
rest after that, but walked up aud down with
quick, passionate step, trying to keep down the
agony at her heart. Then she thought heheard
II sound among the trees, and turning, peered
into the shadow below the fir trees. As she did
so, CLEAN of moonlight shot through the
branches and fell upon heap of snow, looking
as if it had piled itself over u log. There was
nothiug unusual in that; there were logs enough
in the forest and yet Jessie's eyes riyitcd them
selves upon the spot, and the teversh flush
faded out Of her face, as inch 10y inch, she crept
nearer She stopped over the mound, down
lower and lower, nearer the dark red stain which
marked the pure covering. With gasp, rather
than a cry, she fell upon her knees and swept the
snow away.


From the instant the moonbeam shadowed
forth the spot, she had known what she should
find there, and her brain had been Grazing Rs
she crept on. There he lay, the lover to whom
she had given her heart and soul, placid aud
beautiful, the long hair filed with snow, the
! lips parted with Il soft smile, and through tho
broad chest a gaping gun-shot wound.
|


"What you doing here2" said a harsh
voice, and Joe Clarke shook his sister roughly.
g DO you want to help me bury your fine loverY
Wen how he II come stealing the poor mans
children again"


Jessie did not stir so Joe lifted her up and
made her lean against the ash tree. There"
he said, ''stand there while finish my work or
stop, take off your shawl and make winding
sheet of it,


A geam came across the girls face She
sprang forward and tearing off her shawl,
spread it out and when Joe had laid the body
in it, she began arranging the soft folds, stop
ping every now and then, to kiss the marble-like
lips and whisper in the deaf ear


When Joe had the grave ready, she pushed
him away from the body with fierce cry, and
lifting it, tottered forward, laying it tendery in
the brown earth


4Fnl it with snow first" she whispered
hoarsely, beginning to push it.with both hands,
and Joe, who was just little frightened Of her,
! obeyed, all the more readily that the wind howl
ing far off in the valley, and the big snow-ilakcs
wheeling about, presaged coming tempest.
! But long before the grave was filled, the storm
was upon them, crashing through the trees,
shaking down the snow from the branches, aud
! binding the pathway either side.
| "Come home now, said Joe, taking Jessie by
! the shoulder, but this time gently, and without
looking her in the face "come. But before we
leave the place I'll tell you why I've made my
/ .IE ,,It
neck. 1t was because you were my sister-be-
cause was proud of you-because knew he
could not marry you, and that he would neither
! leave you nor make you an honest woman. |
was in the hollow ash last night, and heard
all settled, asd shot him before you well
out of sight; | shot him for your sake, and to
save you from shame"


Jessie stared with stony eyes, very terrible in
their struggle for reason. Suddenly she seemed
to understand him, and a crimson flush spread
over her face. Z" He taking me away to spare
you the shame" she said.


A horrible oath broke from Joes lips as, turn
| ing her round to the moonlight, he looked into
her face as he did so, his convulsed, and
throwing her violently from hk, he walked on
the tears rolling down his white cheeks.
Meekly Jessie followed, and when they reached
the house stole up to her bedroom. Joe went
into the kitchen and told his mother the story
from first to last far as he knew it, 1t was
difficult to say which trial was the hardest for
the poor heart-broken mother, the mad daughter
up stairs hiding her shame, or the son marked
with the brand of Cain


When it was know that Jessie Clark was i'll,
many a kindly message and gift came TO the cot
tage, aud many neigbbor would have come
and sat with the sick girl but to all the mother
brought the same answer-''Jessie could see no
one" Death came mercfully, and while the
country was ringing with the Disappearance of
the young Earl OF CarriSbroke, Jessie passed
away and hid her sorrow aud shame in the grave.


No clue was discovered to the murder, and
no suspicion attached to the murderer; but after
Jessie's death the widow Clarke and her sons
emlnratel to AmericA- anl somehow OF other