rom the impervious masses of black clouds, that lay
against each other overhead. These, however, only added terror to
the depression which such a night and such a sky were calculated to
occasion.

"I trust," thought Hanlon, as he approached the stone, "that there will
be no disappointment, and that I won't have my journey on sich a
dark and dismal night for nothing. How this red ruffian can have any
authority over a girl like Sarah, is a puzzle that I can't make out."

It was just as these thoughts occurred to him that he arrived at the
Stone, where he stood anxiously waiting and listening, and repeating
his pater noster, as well as he could, for several minutes, but without
hearing or seeing any one.

"I might have known," thought he, "that the rascal could bring about
nothing of the kind, an' I am only a fool for heedin' him at all."

At this moment, however, he heard the noise of a light, quick footstep
approaching, and almost immediately afterwards Sarah joined him.

"Well, I am glad you are come," said he, "for God knows when I thought
of our last stand here, I was anything but comfortable."

"Why," replied Sarah, "what wor you afeard of? I hate a cowardly man,
an' you are cowardly."

"Not where mere flesh and blood is consarned," he replied; "I'm afeard
of neither man nor woman--but I wouldn't like to meet a ghost or spirit,
may the Lord presarve us!"

"Why, now? What harm could a ghost or spirit do you? Did you ever hear
that they laid hands on or killed any one?"

"No; but for all that, it's well known that several persons have died of
fright, in consequence."

"Ay, of cowardliness; but it wasn't the ghost killed them. Sure the
poor ghost only comes to get relief for itself--to have masses said; or,
maybe, to do justice to some one that is wronged in this world. There's
Jimmy Beatty, an' he lay three weeks of fright from seein' a ghost, an'
it turned out when all was known, that the ghost was nothing more or
less than Tom Martin's white-faced cow--ha! ha! ha!"

"At any rate, let us change the subject," said Hanlon; "you heard
yourself the last night we wor here, what I'll never forget."

"We heard some noise like a groan, an' that was all; but who could tell
what it was, or who cares either?"

"I, for one, do; but, dear Sarah, have you the box?"

"Why does your voice tremble that way for? Is it fear? bekaise if I
thought it was, I wouldn't scruple much to walk home with' out another
word, an' br