Year: 1873

to avoid.


Could she have seen him in his hours of
solitude, she would have pitied him.


Could she have read the secret of his heart,
pity would have been swallowed up in horror
and detestation of his crime; in shuddering
horror, in impotent despair, at the prospect of
her own fate, stalking like dread phantom,
coming ever nearer to clasp her in its embrace.


Stanley, wearing as he did smiling face
and careless ease of manner in the presence OF
his household and beneath the gaze of the
world, had hours of anguish, all the more
terrible for its helplessness. When alone, he
would oft-times appear to be struggling with
some invisible fend while in the contest the
impress of his powerful internal agitation
would appear in his pallid face, trembling
limbs, and the cold dew that stood in great
drops upon his brow.


Claude, after lying for sometime without
moving, at length turned toward his aunt,
and, in low tone, said


"Aunt Lucy, is any one here but you?"


mo, my love. Are you better now?" she
asked, tenderly laying her hand on his fore
head.


eyes, 1 am pretty we'll now, only l feel a
little weak. What was the matter, aunt
Lucy-did 1 faint, or what?'


eyes, it was a sort of faint" replied Lucy,
unwilling to reveal to him the true nature Of
the attack "Did you ever faint before,
Claude?"


"No, I don't think so; 1 don't remember if
I did. But" he raised his head and looked
apprehensively around eff you are sure no.
body will hear me, want to tell you what it
was that made it happen"


"You had better not talk about it, dear
boy" said his aunt, fearing that any repeti-
tion of the excitement might have an inju-
rious effect. "Some other time you can tell
me-"


"No, might not have chance-you know
I am hardly ever with you alone now. Please
let mel"


"Well, then, you must speak very quietly,
and not get nervous" said his aunt, who was,
in truth, anxious to hear his version of the
matter, and uncertain whether she would
again have an opportunity of holding as un-
restrained conversation with him as at pres
ent.


81 won't get nervous But want to tell
you that I did really see what I told you I
did; it was no fancy" said Claude, twining
his fingers tightly around hers, though he
spoke in composed tone.


"People sometimes really think they see
things, when they do not especially if they
have vivid imag ination, which yours is"
said Lucy.


eyes, but couldn't fancy this, because I
was not thinking at all about such things,
and saw it all of sudden before me. I
will tell you how twas. I went to play ball
in the corridor, because Mrs. Ford said I
would break the windows in the rooms, and
uncle did not want me to 60 OUT and had
been playing awhile, and running from one
end to the other, when all at once, when l
was near Mrs. Ford's room, heard sort of
groan, or queer sound of some sort, which
frightened me, and stopped playing. I
stood up and looked around, and as turned
my head there was tall man with horrible
face, as black as ink, and terrible glaring
eyes, staring at me and as I looked I heard
the groan again. just remember screaming
out as loud as I could, and then 1 suppose 1
must have tainted right away, for don't re-
collect anything more until woke up on the
sofa here, and found you looking at me.
Now, aunt Lucy, I couldn't have imagined all
that, could II 1 saw the man as plainly as
1 see you, every bit; he had on sort Of
cloak, reaching nearly to the floor, and his
face was worse looking than anything I have
ever seen. declare" said Claude, sinking
his voice to whisper, eff it had been the
devil, he would not have been more terrible
looking"


"It must have been one of the servants,
playing trick to terrify you" said Lucy.
"You know, my love, that there are no such
things as supernatural appearances, so that it
could only have been some one dressed up to
look hideous. Probably no one intended to
alarm you; but it was a most culpable thing
to do. I am sure, if your uncle could find
out about it, he would punish, who ever has
done it very severely"


II don't know any of the servants who
would play me such trick" said Claude,
doubtingly. "There are only Andrew and
Charles about the house, and Charles is a
boy this was great tall man. And none Of
the other negroes would come into the house
for that, you know. They are always good
and polite to me, too; I never do anything
spiteful to any of them, so why should they
to me?"


ri cannot explain the matter to you, dear
child" said Lucy. II shall do my best to
find out the truth of it; but even if dom
succeed, shall never believe but that it was
some wicked device to frighten you. Don't
think about it any more; you will only wor-
ry yourself needlessly, and 1 don't think it
will happen again.


"Don't your" said the boy in relieved
tone. "Well, I hope it won't; for indeed,
aunt Lucy, in spite of all you have said, I
think if 1 was to see that dreadful man,
should just faint away again. One thing is
certain, I shan't play ball in the corridor
any more"


CHAPTER TX.