across the sky in the last remnants of the fading light of sunset.

As night was approaching and he was several miles from South Salem he hastened his footsteps and dispelled the occurrence from his mind.

On another of these journeyings he had observed what was the outlines of the figure of a woman gowned in some sombre material, but supposed it some village matron gathering some medicinal herbs to lay up against the ills of winter. When after several occurrences were brought sharply to his memory, and while pondering on them, he suddenly came upon two females several miles from home on the crest of the mountain.

"Bedad," thought Barney, "it's lonesome they must be in this wild place coming on the night. I'll just spake a word by the way of no harm, it's lost they may be, I dunno," suiting the action to the word and hastening his footsteps, tipped his cap:

"It's a fine evening we're having, would ye be after giving an ould man the pleasure of doing anything for yes," gallantly put our Celtic friend.

The coldness of the response in a muffled negative somewhat chilled the ardor of Barney's gallantry, and he inwardly thought: "Bedad, they can hould their tongue, it will not be worn out for use of talking," and with an effort:

"Be ye living about here?" inquired Barney, and with hardly a perceptible inclination of the head they made it evident they wished to terminate the interview, and at the same time hurried in the opposite direction.

"Surely," thought Barney, "strangers they

must be; there is not wan I don't know in ten miles, be it man, woman or child," as Barney hastened homeward pondering deeply within himself. There was something, an air radically different about them; from what accustom had surrounded the villagers. At first, he could not tell why, but the more he dwelt on it, he came to the conclusion that there was a quaint reserve, amounting to shyness, about the younger of the two, in the sudden drawing away from his gaze as if to escape observation. The other was evidently a companion or servant from the plainness of her attire and the solicitude with which she regarded the other, as if from a long habit of subservience, her face being in shadow, he was unable to note her face, but it was dark, as were her hands, as they remained within the deeper shadows of her garments and the uncertain rays of twilight. What impressed him about the younger woman was a deep melancholy amounting to sadness and profound dejection of spirit, which clung about the movements and figure of her whole being. Combining these events with similar experiences of other neighbors were subjects of speculation among the townsfolk whenever they were gathered together and was causing the unstable mental equilibrium in which the community was plunged. No one as yet could give any solution of the mystery. Barney sharing the same doubts and fears of his neighbors wrapped the occurrences which he had witnessed into the hazy working of the supernatural in which, although he was a firm believer, could not fathom its intricacies; upon

inquiry of those of his neighbors which were likely to be familiar with the location of the cairn upon Long Pond Mountain-they one and all disclaimed any knowledge of it. The thought at once entered the mind of Barney that the dwellers of the cave were the two women he had often seen in the vicinity, witches or fairies, if you will, as it was incredible that two lonely women would seek a habitation at this lonely spot, whose lonely vigils and solitude would only be disturbed by the wild denizens of the field and woods, and the ravens and eagles and birds of the air. It became Barney's firm resolution that, at the first opportunity, he would solve the mystery surrounding the cave, if it were at all possible. That there was a connection between the two mysteries in his mind was beyond doubt, but to escape the ridicule of his neighbors, he was determined to keep his own counsel, whatever was the outcome of his discovery. Circumstances did not permit him to put into execution his resolve until many months had elapsed and winter had followed autumn, and winter had given way to spring, and the latter being quite well advanced so that nature was given to duties of germination and growing in all her activity, accelerated by warm sunshine of a well advanced season.

I'

CHAPTER XXII.

Barney Endeavors to Solve a Mystery

"The act was small, its issue great,

A watch fire on the hill,

It shed its radiance far adown,
And cheers the valley still."

-Anonymous.

T was, therefore, some months before Barney McCarrol put his resolution into execution by trying to follow out the solution of the mystery of South Salem. One fine morning in early spring he sallied forth with gun and rod to the lakes. His object was to fish in the waters of Lake Rippowam and if, perchance, game was sighted he would be doubly happy. He had started before daybreak and reached the lakes before the sun had made its appearance, it was, therefore, not many hours high when he had hooked some fine trout and bass, more than sufficient for his wants. He climbed the steep side of the mountain beyond in the vicinity of the cave. As if to tempt his marksmanship a couple of hares darted across his path into the bushes; they soon paid the penalty of their rashness. Tying them together he slung them over his arm.

As he came close by the cave, he saw there had been an effort at cultivation, sods had been rudely upturned and Indian maize and potatoes had appeared above the ground. This fact dispelled the illusion of spirits from his mind, as he never knew them to be in need of potatoes and corn. A thought crossed his mind which he generously

adopted. Selecting a couple of the nicest fish and one of the hares he put aside the door and left them within the cave thinking: "It will not go amiss for the poor creatures to have some fresh food." He carefully replaced the door and with an inward satisfaction that he had done a good deed wandered home.

Sarah's companion had been an observer of this act of generosity from behind the cover of a secluded spot but a short distance away. Her heart went out to the donor of this little act of kindness on the part of Barney. It was all the more acceptable from the fact of its having been so unostentatiously bestowed. She had them well under way in the process of cooking before the return of her mistress from one of her solitary rambles. She related the circumstance to her, and a wan smile momentarily lighted her eyes. She was silently sensitive and appreciative. This one little act did more to remove the barriers of reserve than any one event since she came to the mountains, as subsequent events shall tell. It awakened within her a slight desire to come out of the fastnesses of her reserve and bestow upon the silent giver a little ripple of responsiveness from the placidity of the indifference of her accustomed ways.

Sarah and Agathy had taken up the pursuit of agriculture to a limited degree, more to fill in the monotonous moments of inactivity, than anything else, also it gave a quiet balm to their feelings to watch from day to day nature's efforts from the germinating seed to the unfolding leaf