re
thankful for her own sake, that her pilgrimage was ended, and that she
had gone to join the babes who were so dear to her mother's heart.

Not finding sufficient boards to close up the entrance securely, the
ladies went to the further end of the place to get some which they saw
there. The pile was very high, and as soon as they took hold of one,
several other boards fell in broken pieces at their feet, revealing the
ribs of an old Norwegian ship, inside of which lay the skeleton of a man
which had been there so long, that it began to crumble to ashes the
moment it was exposed to the air. They turned to leave the ship when
another and much larger fall of boards exposed the skeleton of a horse.
They paused a moment and looked round; they saw that Louisita was not in
error when she had told them that the Norsemen were at one time on the
island, for there was every evidence of the mound being the tomb of a
Viking. Among the bones of the horse lay the remains of a bridle and
saddle of leather and wood, the mountings of which were in bronze and
silver. Near that of the man lay some ring-armor, a shield-buckle, two
stones of a hand-mill for grinding corn, bits for bridles, stirrups,
some gold finger rings and a fibula of the same metal. The ladies passed
quietly out of the tomb, and built up the entrance as well as they could
with stones and earth, across which they drew the vines and brambles
that grew among the spruces close by, so that at the end of the
following summer there was not any trace left of an entrance ever having
been there.

* * * * *

Mrs. Carleton had missed Miss Vyvyan for a longer period of time than
usual one day, and in going in search of her to a part of the castle
which they rarely went into, she found her engaged in making a little
gift to surprise Cora with, and singing in a low tone the following
song:--

WHY?

Oh weary years why come and go
With endless sorrow rife;
And hope's dead dreams why come ye back
To mock my empty life?

Oh destiny, oh bitter fate,
Oh burning tears that start,
Why must the hearts that love the most
Forever dwell apart?

Mrs. Carleton entered the room so gently that Miss Vyvyan was not aware
of her presence until the former was close beside her.

"You look sad, dear Anna; what can I do to cheer you?"

"This is a sad anniversary for me," replied Miss Vyvyan; "but I did not
intend you to know i