THE WEIRD SISTERS.

A ROMANCE,

By RICHARD DOWLING,

AUTHOR OF "TUBMTSTKBTT OF KttLARD."

CHAPTER XII,

THE SHADOW ON THE TOWHI} OF SILKNCB. After giving way to the feelings which had overwhelmed him in the passage, and which had almost betrayed him at the bed side, Grey, by a great ellbtt, collected him self and walked soberly and deliberately uatil he found tho grand staircase of the Castle. This he.do3conded, and when he reached tne bottom hastily sought the court-yard, and from the court-yard the grouuds. "1 thought it would have killed me in that. room. I wish it had," he whispsred to himsßlf, as he passed aimlessly over the short dry grass. " No, no, no, no, so! I must uot think of it. 1 must think of something eUe." He was now beyond the range of tho Castle windows, in a little fern-clad hollow above a mtiiature cove. " VVho said I was a coward! he de manded, iv a loud harsh voice, looking fiercely round on tho cool silver river that linpeil soft whispers at his feet and mads low melodious oonisurd of its rippling surge, tilling tho ear with memories of the far-ofl seu. ' Who said I was a coward? Ho ro pcated the question to tho grave o«ks stand ing above him, motionless and voicoless ugaiiiHt the opal oceau of the unclouded sky. "No coward. I never quailed, I never wined, I held up my head as fearlessly an any undaunted soldier kneeling upon his coffin facing tho tiring-party. I was not afraid ot anything. I only thought I shmild dio thuro and then. I am sorry I did not,,die." Hu roomed to imagine,himself in a dock, uu.i tin; huge oaks the grave and grey jury empanelled to try him, and the sweet low voica of the river tho indictment that nover (■-eased to Bound. " I own I quailed when I heard his first words from the threshold, but that was when he accused me of what I have done." lie bad once more dropped hia voice to a cautious whiter, !' Wnii would not, being a thief, quake at bet.itf called a thief for the first time by tho man he had stolen from, and in the presence of her for whom the vast savings of a lifetime had been laid by! No man could have helped quailing at that. . Hut when tna old man showed his conlidenco iv mo unbroken, when he swore me to take cue of h'T property and of bis child, when he kissed, Oh, God ! when he kissed my hand, did I quail 1 No. I stood it like a man. That was tho vulgar cud of the coarse oiiji-ctive tragedy. That was the pouon-bowl, tho dagger-thrust. That was the breaking of the last bone on the wheel. lam liem since then. But that was only the bell for the curtain to go up on the other tragedy, tho subjective play. lam enrolied .unong the immortals. I play the chisi part iv a tragico-farco by the Angel of Night. 1 play tho leading part. The stage is iv the nether depth. I play to au audience of everlasting Outcasts. !i'hu audience are assembled, the curtain is up. I forgut mv cue, aud the prompter is asleep. Whac am Ito say ? What am Ito do, com rade .huias ?" "Mr Grey, 1 havo boon looking for you, sir. You ara warned at the Castle, please, sir?" ■ ; Mr Uroy turned round and sawl- just above him, ou tho edge of the little hollow, Sir Al xaudor's old servant, Michael. " au, ah, ah, ah, ah, Michael, is it yo'i 1" Air tirey laughed and asked. " Yes, sir," answered Michael promptly, aa though he were accustomed to finding his identity doubted. "Iwaa rehearsing a purt I am going to t :ke iv au umateur play, Michael, just to got the memory of poor Sir Alexander out of my mind. Well, am I wanted at the Castle T" " Yes. please, sir; and you will please to come at once. Mrs Grant wants to see you. Toe doctors have been, and lam afraid tuerc is bad news about Sir Alexan der." " I hope not, Michael. I shall rnn. You can tuko your timo." And with thtse words the banker started oil'ai a quick pace. Ho iouud (Mrs Grant Bobbing violently, aud for a while quite unable to command her voice. At length, atter a few reassuring aud eucouragiug words irom the banker, she spoke through her sobs. "On, Mr Grey I Ob, my poor darling Maud I Oh, Mr Grey, what are we to do ?' "It will be kindoat and wisest," said ha in a conciliatory voice, "if we all try to keep as calm as we can under the circum stances. Michael told me the doctors had been here, and that the news is bad ; but I dv not kuow yet wbat the nowa is " "On, my poor cuild-l Mr lirey, you can't t«ll how i feel. I, who have been with her now more than six years, until 1 hare grown to look upon hor as v daughter. Oil, Mr Grey, this is dreadful I" •'Theie is nothing the matter with Miss Midnurat, I trust. She Is quite well ?" " yulto well." " In health, I mo»n ?" " Ob, yes. But think of her thrown out of lur tether's place without a home or a ie lative, and bo young and so simple." " but, Mra viraat, Miss Midharst is enor mously rich, and cau make a moit baud some home anywhere she pleases." " Hut think of an upstart younger son ot a wholo lot of no-good younger *oub turning my darling out iuto tho cold, bleak, cheer less world, turning her out of tho housa of her forefathers, this prand old place. I n.ivcr knew how grand it was or how I had grown to love it until now." The poor woman, iv her great sympathy for Maud, could not dissociate the ideas of leiving tho home-tree and poverty. Wliou her huabind died, and tae iusuiblc horao triie uuder which soldiers had slung their hammocks hud to be abandoned, thero wore narrow ways, aud tbe ftioadles-i world that wait on narrow ways, to bo encountered and endured. In "her anxious sympathy she thought tho heiress ot a rich baronet would have the same hard ship ami privation to encounter as tho widow of a pcuuiiess paptain in a marching regi ment. The bunker placed hn hand iirinly, though lightly, on the shouldor of Mrs Granr, ana said, in au impressive voice : " Wo are all, I am sure, vory sorry Sir Alexandor is so ill; but we must not add to our grief for him the fear that Miss Midharst will be unprovided for. 'i'hero will be few richer heiresses, and she and her fortune shall be well taken care of. I wish yon would be kind enough to tell me what the doctors said about Sir Alexander." "Oil, Mr Grey, I hope you will excuse me. I am so fearfully toubled and ex cited. I know what trouule is myself, f havo had my own sad experience " "And the docrors said, Mrs Grant?' 1 interrupted the banker gently.

"Oh, Mi- Grey, 1 hope yoo will forgave me. They are in the • banqueting ro'ota, and said they would be glad to see you there." ' ; "lhank you; I will go to thorn in stantly. Dear Mrs Grant, do try and keep up your spirits, for Miss Midharst's «ake." With these words he lett, and walked quickly in the direction of the great room. as he did so, the liver passenger steam boat Kodwell went past on tho outer or northern side, in front of the great archway leading to the court-yard of tha Island Castle. Mr Grey approached the dreary state dining-room, add bavins; entered found the three doctors seated by the open narrow windows, and looking out upon the silent peaceful eccne beneath, He approached them quietly, gravely. _ Dr. Hardy rose to receivo him. The doctor aud the banker bowed to one an other ; then Mr Grey bowed to the other two doctors, and they returned his saluta tinn with respectful inclinations of the head and in sileuco. The bankor broke th« silence : "Mrs Grant inform* me that you wish to fca me, and 1 understand that you desire to communicate something very important concerning the hoalth of Sir Alexander. I trust nothing; very serious is to be told." For a moment the three doctors stqod admiring Grey, arid no one of them an swered him. There was such a soothing and reassuring air of capable responsibility about him at that innt»nt, they could not withhold their respect, and it was displayed ill silence. At last Dr. Hardy fouad his voice : "We are Informed that you, Mr Grey, had an interview with Sir Alexander Mld hurst this ovenrag. Am wo correctly in formed that during the interview Sir Alexander's head was quite clear aud hie mind quite free from delusion ?" " Quito clear, and q.iite free from delu sion," answered tho bunker, as carefully as though ho wore aworn, and the life ufa fellow-being hung on his words. " In thatintcrviow rliil he seem to appre hend any disastrous ending to his illness ?" ask-d pr, iltuily, with weight and im preesiveness, "1 cannot go so far as to say that,'' answered Grey, with tho most ciroum stantial conscientiousness; "but from the naturo of what occurred, I am convinced ho rcgirded what he said as of the veiy highest importanpe." " You arc aware that he has mada his will ?" "lam." "Did what occurred between you and him this evening bear in any way upon his will? Observe, wo do not want you to trouble yourself with detail; but what we want to know is this : Are you satisfied in your own miml that Hit Alexander has arranged his worldly affiirs as fully as you, being a man of tho worl i, could dosire V" Dr, Hardy put tins question with all tho gravity he couul import into his manner. Throughout the int^viow the banker could in no way satisfy himself as to wbat Dr. Hardy was driving at, He, therefore, framed his answers so that they niicjht be the least discursive aud moat easy of corroboration. Hut the prcseut ques tion disturbed him greatly. Was ail that had hitherto been on this day but the prelude to the springing ot an awful mine under his feet '! Did the thr.>o nr n now in front know what ho know? W'Tc they a kind of lay inquisition—a Rpecies of iufernal council of three—the advocate, judge, arid jury des tined to cnu»etlie leivi >o overtake the gold? But he.had ulready t'ndurod a worse ordeal that evening, and lia was not to be cowed by tlits. Ho answeted in the same self-' collected tone as before : ■'So fiir as 1 know of Sir Alexander's affairs, they arc in perfect order; and in the interview which 1 had with him this even ins;, 1 think I'am jrtstifiiid in assuming be added by word Af mouth, and in the presence ot Mi«s Midharst and Mrs Grant, such matters as raiiv not be embodied in his will, or such additions to what may bo in his will as Im desire« to make." ■ The three doctors looked significantly 1 at one another, and Grey awaited wi'h pertur bation of mind, although he preserved an Indifferent'exterior, the next move in this titrarigely shifting dram*. The doctors then nodded to one another that they had agreed to some course under stood between them, and Dr. Hardy said, in a tone ot relief: •' You are fully in possession, we know, of the business position of Sir Alexander's affairs. The medical p-sition is this : A development of svmptbtn* has occurred since you saw the patient; his mind has puuk iuto ompUte darkness, from which, jn the natural course, of the disease, it never emerges between this and death " " This is moat sud," i itcrrupted Grey. " Jiut," said Dr. Hardy, taking note of tho interruption with the emphasis on tho conjunction, "an opentton which might accelerate death would in all likelihood give the patient a few minutes of conscious ness to-night. If to-ni^ht passes without the operation it would he useless to-morrow. The question, theu, in : *r« you of opinion there is auy nee I to run the risk of that operation in thu hope of getting some final instruction for the disprwal of the worldly affairs of Sir Alexander Midharst ?" " That U a very grave question indeed." "A vary gra'e question. Observe, it counts of two part*. 1. Tho business portion. 2. The medical portion, You are not expected to auswe! both responsibly. You are responsible for the business portion ; wo for tli» medical. The portion o( fie question yu hay" to answer is this : Do you know of any business rea<on for restoring to consciousness at some risk Sir Alexiuulcr Midlmret ?" ." I do not." " Then we may so. Wi can do no more. Gond evening, Mr Oi-ov; you have been most admirably careful and conscientious in tui-i matter.'' Tho doctors bow. dad withdrew. OiiM more Grey found himself alone. He could nut remain in-doore. He felt opprc%sod, suffocated, He. hastened into the oourt-yard. Raving gained the grounds he titrnod his face to the e:»st, aud walked slowly onward with liis luiids clasped be hind him and his uhiu sunk upon his bn-ist. ■■-.»' ' ilow that brief iutnrview with thn doctors hud altorcl lha whole aspect of bis allairs, lie thought. In that terrible scene at tho bedside, he hut sworn to take charge ot Miss Midharst's fortuno ; a light responsibility that was iioav. In that eamo interview he bad sworn to takecaro of Miss Mid bars t; a grave re ponaibility that was now. And yot last night he had been tliiukius; ot thu mos' intimate and re«pon sible form of guardianship for her. Ho had boeu thinking if he w.'-ra a widower he might marry Miss MidharsfJ and so cover nn the great scandal. [£ he married her now, hu should bo in the host position to keep his oath to the old man, Lust night he had bean affrighted by tho notion of bein; left a widower, lest it might entor Sit Alexander's mind a second man should be associated with him in tho guardianship of a great heiress. All tbis had almost miraculously changed to meet his position. Tho old man was likely to live same time, bat never again to

possess his' senses; never again to have 'sufficient recollection to make any change in that will in which bis, Grey's, fortune and fate were wholly wound up. That was a tremendous relief. ,'- He was becoming calmer. The memory of that scene by the bedside was gradually growing less troublesome, less insistent, less oppressive. He breathed more freely if it was for nothing else but the knowledge the repetition of such a scene had become nnuwsible. ■ . '■ . His thoughts ran on : Sir Alexander might live day?, weeka, months, and then after his death he, Grey, would have a whole year. Yas, a whole year ! Of course he bad no shadow of hope of replacing the money; out then, in, say a year and three or four months, something might happen. Hemi«htbefroe. ;;•* ' ■^■^ The burden might be lifted ou his shoulders and he might be free, who could say but- , He had turned round aid was looking "By Jove," he exclaimed," I havu mi-sed tho boat I There she goes past tbe tail of the Island.'1 ■ The Kodwell had ]u«t got round the end of the Island, and was stoaining weat in the broad tivsr, full in the light of tho setting Tho air was still. Now and then the lonely notes of a lamenting thrush enriched the silence. Jn the whole vast arc of the heavens from the violet-purple brooding east to tho full crimson activity of tha splendid west; not a cloud broke tbe chromatic scale. There was something liorce and warlike and fine in the sun; something wasted and desolate and forlorn in tho desorted realms of the east. It Hociuud as though the sun, that general of Time, were colebratiog in tho west his triumph over another day; while the eastern fields of the empyrean lay broken In hope abandoned, fit region for the roign of dusky night, for ghosts of noble hopes, and Hitting phantoms of human joy?. The northern plains of the heavens were pale jrrey blue. To the south tho sky was green. Overhead a pulse of liquid pink seemed breaking through the fair soft blue, like the pink that steals into a mother's blue eyos when she hears her baby praised and stoops to kisa it, thinking "Their praises are sweet, but they are only drops of sweetness falling into the ocean of my love." Although Grey knew there was no chance of his overtaking tbe boat, he now walked west, keeping on the high ground of the island. Ho passed the Oastlo; still the boat waa in view. The sight of it distractod hia thoughts, and aoy distraction was better than the jubject matter thrust npon his attention by his mind. From the tail of Warfinger Island to the bend of the river which woisld completely conceal the steamer was about two miles. The sun now lay level with the horizon. Against the blaring orb the boat steamed on. *The edge of the sun had already touched the low horizon when Grey paused at tbe top of the high ground and looked west. "I shall drive from the Ferry to Seacliff- It is only nix miles by tho road, and I can be there before the boat, " i'hero go my wife and five thousand pounds of-ot the money I laid my hands on in an accursed hour. How htrange it is. that a fow minutes ago when I thought of my position I never thought of that 1 What a whimsical thing chance is ! There arOi Miss Midbarst's five thousand pounds help ing to carry niy wife from Daneford to Sea elm; and here am I, who owe a hundred times that sum, and with no way out of the thing except I should chance to be at liberty, to marry within a few months. " Ah, well, let me try and think of some thing that's probable. , Trying to equare tho circle is an elegant and harmless and profit able way of spending one's time; it pays much better than trying to see tbe way out of my mess. Possibly in a short time I may go mad. That would be a capital way. out of it, particulary it my madness took the form of going over that bedside ecene for ever. Bah I lam giddy already. 1 must thiuk of something ehe. Let me go back. That drive to Seacliff will freshen me. Anyway I ought to do very well satisfied with the substantial events of this even inc." - . v He turned around and began slowly re tracing his steps. As he did so, he raised his eyes to the Castle, i , Already the walls of the pile were steeped in the shadows of night. But the Witch's Tower—tho Tower of Silence—had just caught the fierce gleam of light from the river. He paused, looked up, and.thought: " How simple the people were long ago J They had no,idea of cause aud effect; They saw that this tower blazed red after all the rest of the building was laid in shadow. But the poor idiots never thought of the light on the river. I can hardly believe it. An evening like this, when thero wasn't a clond in tho heavens, some one must havo noticed that the light on tho tower first appeared when the sup caught the river and remained steady until tho suu had gone down altogether. It is in credible that people were ever such fools." He ftopped. "I will wait until it fades," he thought, by way of honouring his scorn tor tbe past. Presently and quickly the red glow faded fiom the tower. "Now," he cried, •' the sun is sot, and no witchcraft can rekindle that glow for four and-twenty—- What t The light again! Am I mad already ?" Once more, beyond all doubt, the blood rod glare burnt on the summit of the Tower of Sflence. Grey turned quickly round, and looked in surprise and horror west. He shaded hi* eyes with his hands. He rushed for ward a few pices, shaded his eyes again and looked. He swaog himself into the branches of a tree, climbed up, aud having reached the highest branches that would sustain his weight, glared into the west, into the track of crimson firo that shot the red shaft at the Tower, Then he descended heavily, drowsily, as though half asleep, \ , Wheu on the ground he threw himself on his face, and muttered in a thick voice : " What is this ? What is this ? I have not been thinking marcler, have I ? I have not boon thinking wife murder ? Have I No. no, no, Grey! Not so bid as that," Then a sudden cbauge passed over him. He became inspired with superhuman energy and strength. He sprang tphis feet, and winding his arms wildly about his head rushed towards ttie Castle, shouting: " Help! help!"

CHAPTER XIII.

ON BOARD THE STE4JIBHJP EODWKLL,' Thk passenger steamboat Hodwoll left Dancford on that evening of the 17th of August, 1866, at the usual time, with an averago numbor of passengers for the season and her ordinary crew. She was a saloon boat, and licensed to carry three hundred and fifty pisßengera between Daucford and Swicliil", As a matter ot fact, she never, except on very rare occasions, had more than half that number on board. Her crew, all told, were fifteen ;■ and on the evening of the 17th of August,'

1866, she carried about one hundred aud twenty passengers. fl' The saloon-deck was abaft; the paddle boxes, and after-deck-passengers had access to the aaloou and bridge as well an the after-deck; the fore-<icck passenxers were: confined'to the',- Sore-deck and the fore-cabin, the latter being a dull, cheerless, dreary place, whprono one ey»r. thought o.t. going, unless in bad weather;" Smoking was allowed oil the fore-deck to the second-cites pasaeugers, but not in the fore-cabin. On neither the saloon-deck, nor in the saloon> Itself, was smoking per mitted ; but all smoking Duneford declared that, in the whole world, there could ba found no place or circumstances under, which a cigar might bo tasted with' tech i plenteous peace and enjoyment aa upon the j bridgd of tha Hod well while she steamed I down the broufl, placid WeusUde of a fine summer's eventajf. l ' 9tf'; ",'"' Although Dabeford was not a strait- Uced cjty, there was • a good deal of solid propriety in the character of its people. Judged by criminal statistics, it was lather worsn thaa the average city of its jalze; but if a little prodigal in ita crimes, it w.i» dis creet and prudent in ita sins. '.If it cheaU d, it cheated in a legitimate andbiwiness-like manner. If it got drunk,1 it did not brawl. Whatever wicked thing it did, it kept under the rose. So that It enjoyed tee double advantage of being highly estimated for its virtue, without allowing iteelf the unpleasant deprirations which the pursuit of virtue requires. .As regard* smoking* Daneford observed one rule in tho year 1866; and of that rule a single breach could not be proved against a single resident of tbe city. 'I he rule was thai no man shuuld, while walking through, the streets of Dane'ord in company with a lady, give tho death-blow to chivalry and light a cigar. ,- .- . ■. ' The mere fact that oa tbe bridge of the Rod well smoking i was allowed, secured it against the remotest chance of female in cursion. -The most respectable maiden 1-idies, who had ceased to be giddy with youth, made it a practice to look as little as possible at. that bridge, and, if they could, to sit with their backs to it. Just forward of the bridge, on tbe main deck, were the steward's pantry and the cook's galley. The passage between the forward house on deck and the pat)die boxes being very narrow, the view from tho fore to the after deck was so much in terrupted as practically to be cat off, ■ ■ Under the bridge, amidships, were the engines; aft of the engines, the engine room and stoke-hole, all in one ; and farsher aft still, the furnaces and boilers. ' All first-class lady passengers, whether escorted by men or alone, confined them- Helves to the after-deck and the saloon. The defect which had been discovered in the boiler had not become a matter of general knowledge No one -in either Daneford or Heacliff knew anything about it, except a few persona connected with the steamer and the company's office. There was no railway from the city to the little town, but an omnibus and a coach went daily in' and out, the distance between the tWO places being, by rood, not half the distance by water. The road was no longer a rival of the river as a highway between the two places; but if public faith got cool ■in the river way, people might1 fall buck upfjn the road,' which of Old had -enjoyed the' monopoly; Nothing could more.effectually shake public faith in 'the Water-way' than a "suspicion that weakness or defect existed iv the steamer. Therefore the fact that'tbe boilers of the- Kddwell exhibited unfavour able symptoms had been kept a profound secret, and- on tbe" 17th of August no pas senger on board the boat had the shadow cf a suspicion anything was wrong, ' : Steadily the steamboat held her course down the Weeslade that lovely August evening. ' " •'•''■ a mau with a fiddle at the bow struck up a lively air, aud in a few minutes gdmo of the younger and-fiayei* of the forward pas sengers stood up and began to dance. , , The men smokfnc; on the bridge drew near the rail, and looked down witti smiles of quiet.cordiality nppn the dancers., vi ].<■ , Then a: man with a large, white hat, blackened ' face, .huge white shirt collar, blue-and-white calico coat, red waistcoat, and check-linen trousers, approiched the tiddler; and having. whimpered to the fiddler, the Litter brought the danee-musie to a stop, and the nigger minstrel steppc-d out into the open space just quitted by the dancers, aud gang a. pathetic sob'g, ~,,'■ IU . .■.■••.' ... .--,,: ici This won great applause, and caused some of the women to weep. ... .' Then tho fiddler changed the tune into one of sly and artful purport; and the nigger, assuming an attitude and a manner of audacious drollery, sang a eong of such comical force that all the forward passen gers, greeted the.end of each verse with ro»H of laughter, forgetttnp, in their own enjoyment, to applaud the singer: a form of commendation doing much more homage' to the performer than all t the cool and calculating approval;, that accepts and adopts the dry formula of hand smiting | hand as a mark of satisfaction. .So successful was this , sow; that .some .of the critical loungers on the bridge turned to the others and said, " Hot half so bad,", in a tone indicating the possession of responsible critical discernment and' chivalric honourin, thei interests of truth, , ' Among the men on the bridge was a merchant of Daneford, accompanied by a ' nephew, a young lad from the country who had come on a first visitjto the City ; to him the merchant was indicating'the various ob jects of interest they passed on the way down. • ' ... ■ "This,", said , the • merchant* "is-the Foundry. -Although it is called the Foundry, it is in reality, as you see, a dockyard for. building iron steamers. -■ i The list one launched was 2,500 tons register. \ -'That is the Cove, and there bathing is. allowed all day long. The water is not clear, and the1 bottom is' very .mtid'dj? ;!'brtt id the hot weather city-fdlk of the; lower order are-:not nice' in pucM . matters. .We haven't any clear streams of mill-porldS' such as you have io the.country. it 5". That, is, the Glaahoiise i ovejr, there, and this, part, of th e river .is, ,Qalled,(^la,s-,, house Reach.'"' ; " P^rth^r; down you sco a windmill, on a headland] that headland is called Wind mill Head, and that large white house in t^e glen there is Windmill Hall, the resi dence of Colonel Wood Waitlaud, who dis tinguished himself in the : Crimean War. A Cossack thrust at, Maitland's colonel, who was wounded and propped up against a dead trooper's dead horse. Captain Wood Maitland (he was only a captain then) lifted the Cossack's lance with an up. cut. The Cossack wheeled, thrust at the captain; the lanes caught the captain in tbe left forearm, and the shaft being wounded by the up sword cut, broke off two feet from, the head, and stuck in the cap tain's forearm. Tho captain was borne down, Tho Cossack wheeled again and drew. Captain Maitland had lost his sword in the fall. The Cossack rode up, brandishing his sword and making again for .the woun ded colonel, who lay helpless against the belly of the dead horse. Captain Mait land was now unarmed and wounded. A few paces in advance of the captain was a large fragment of a shell; he rose, picked thia up, and at the moment the Cossaik was within a few yards of the wounded

colonel, i threw" the .-ipicisef^S^" f! shell with all; his .force, laaj ftlie I the ;.horse on; -the *liead *«fck' 1 the horse to awevve aud the rider fiK^K ' cut. As the Cdasack sjvept hJHitnm Maitland pulled the lance-head $S%'■ fore-arii), and thrust ittbroaeh tfis of the Cossack, who rode on a Ufcfll ' then tumbled out of his syddJe. tT% was only one of a dozen or TKiPi - thi.g, Maitland dd. ™*r»iji!. i "That snug little cottage 6n j ■ slope on the o'her shore is whet., aj;1« Sholl, the richest merchant in ?>™*i(| lives. He is a Quaker, arid!mlUir e'' Jt|li ive hundred a yeur have fiaT, r*l^ But this one U the mist beautifnli ?**%, the neighbourhood. ■ J fftyji" ''If you look ri«Lt ahead no* w see the Island. It's n*m e j. ftffiWJl On the top of the hill i D th.f-rWte. the Castla Sir Alexander fiS there. He has a fide?proDmS^Si more thaa twenty thousand CT ,M he w a misar, aiidsaves u p ninat • too, takes pare o£. a )i'";, Wtk' mp Uey i,",^ %&&# baa a deserted, lonely look* "I»M* western tower. r^lJSfiM wa, haunted by the ghosKS'2,** l le l ami'y wWch owned it'h^*1 MidharstscameiDtb the prbc&? T «* a tower on the Umoi X^J you bave read or • heard of t?d^***li Eaßt-China, I think O r mavhl?l^^ been i'-owwa,-,^ Jg, >>P W turn up, and no one h»? 5 boB¥"«« accomitfot the tßmhtMi v ßn ab!« to ' the, '.Weeslade Jbfi"'*''*** morrow,. ■ .; t T; „: c «TO;nt» ''(jfiv : "In that little wtti "«„ n i'"'"'; Cove, three boya^S-f ttfefttrart A boat tupßizeS i,^gP none of the three were all drowned. Tq 11."™1! M fiiey "That large.yelW.hMM v «f3.!^ ':' the^ip otlandig th^r^Pol: Istelahore'e. • H B is this fiL%■£■« and a violent BidieU. i.^SJrrSJ'.^V perty hereabout, and farmß tt^ffil" 0" acres himßelf. >! , ;™* . w°:.^f4 l! ia the pleasantest-ti ffl « ■ j this season., #„,-& y Q w<Us& ■» you will see «s: p M t(y, *. vI ™* W : to: oa the vrhple:^ olAhe *wjf f 8 Doa't the pastuie iwd MteK' with the hills hdtot&rtSiSWt ' the throato^th«riVerrWar?fSss'i with its hill, and on thetip oiWw^ fid Castle standing out sham SJ g |ky, with the Tower of tffcfi, g|^f ' >' By-the-way, iv a niomenl y M »i|!.... why people got a Stop*rsttlWS& about that tower, s Right, in mi/Jvi^ the Gastle, and we atei ß teeri^Slc the snn. We couldnbt be teSt see the witeh'a fire daodebatli^ me^n sun is just dipping. Now Wat* ttokly There I IHd^y.ousee thut! "T&(to ™- the top of the towe« ' ThatW»S Z people callthe witch's fire, Ttfrfj »i 5. again,' now. • * -never* ia% it hA v ~ never. Look again, • The boat is tVV the, track of the sub, ?andfhe wash o? :fi» paddlea makes the light'-flicltefPl |S saw:—".' • I . ■'■• : <>;'vir .-Jicf « :: ~ At that instant he 'ceised'to spait-ior ever. An iron bar ■.struck himoCll throat, severing tho hiad,from"tbfcttf aod killing also a .ffijiii-.w|;;> sto^ilSwi him,' '"' i . L **'»■' ■ ■ ■■■"■' r-"-'■''•■"' ' ' t'^^^iE-Jjl , The after end of the bridge WH.i&gb. ward, and all upon it, the livinsjui^V dead, were shot down upon tha ffl^m^P ; Coal and planks and Wredk offla'^offl and bodies of : those who had jHSil|fc ' aftec-deck and in the saloon, UUcilnnnid a moment in a dense cloud Jitjjiiß'kaji water, hung.a moment snsptnM^^ whilp a dull groaning sonnd/aoreadteitt' from the steamer. ThenjaUj.desiStStJ, »gain, falling upon the.rnlned baatiiufcl the placid water, with ttadiaitdhiasol For a second all was still. ; Then a dull groan.from those fonri' Then screams and yells' when if.wfspUio the shell of ttie boat Could'not flawjiot^ than a few seconds. '"' About fifty people.were still alin^ The wreck made a drive ißtert'Tlj water washed over the fore-dect, tsi, strikini; the forward bulwark; 1»M fie steamer ou an even keel for '4;-"ftSfft i space. i i] ■ -■ >!j • ■ : •' H Then the watflr rushed aft ohoe m« f and in'a stern-jb6ard the\ stern mlffit-r water, the boat;felt bver tbffflHß swung half-way 'bacK again| ; TflJHt: heeled steadily over and went dpiOa| The boilerajfihe Bod well bad>M3^»rf.. the Steamer "Rod well Kad gone d^W» any one wli,o; still ■survived ha^/l^wß jump overboard^' ,'. ,] -M : ; .-.i (To be-Continuedl)^sm Lord Frederick CavemlU, T:HK Bradford tCeaietery ■■■ Comp^Rf just Completed, on behalf of 'the $&■'•'■s of the Duke of Devonshire on.i^Jc'tn Abbey estates, p. memorial cross rfW Lord Frederick Cavendish. :The(»-i:J shaft are very richly carved will •'-' curious iiterlacingf'-patterns'. >: Runic remain?, On the pedestall])' followiog inscription In Itunic text:-' To the Beldved Jfomory of ■ l, Lotd-ITiietteriokCharte"»:Cav«Bq(Ww| Son of William,.7th Duke 6£ De««iamK and of Blanche GSeorgina, his id9| i ■ Born November 30,1835 ~, ; He went out as GWaf Secretary- WWjffi| " Full of lore to that country, <« •' Full of hope for her future, . ■]■} " Full of capacity to rendor her serylKv ,j • •Vnd was murderert in the-PhffinixParfcflßßllti, Within. 12' hours of his arrtvUiwS " The Lord grant thee thy heart's deslwlfe And fulfil fill thy mina'." The text of the inscription :was >&MB upon by;^ady ?. G^yendish, the<wwOT| the deceased nobleman,,and Lady;Bge|ll his sister, while the liaes quoted '^iH ufeed by liir Gladstone in commnm(!aM| the 6orrowful news of the aatssinatiowK the House of Commons-on the_Mon«H after its occurrence. The,cross is <oM erected on its .permanent site at *™>H| Abbey, the place selects beingiSt th««M| of the Abbey burial ground! in arominm spot beneath the shades of one <rf.the«M mficeat eycamor* trees for which, ther**»■

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, JUNE 23, IBBS.

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