The Volume Of The Sacred Law.

like for ever—you are mistress of Peter Nundy and Peter Nundy ' s Settlement on Conway Creek . " After Miss Neville had astonished him with a couple of selections on the new piano he had sent in from Messrs . Pickering when he was purchasing in Boston , he wished the ladies a peaceful night

just as " Home , sweet Home " was terminating the evening's enjoyment . The old man stood in the corridor a moment to listen to the dear old song ; but it suddenly ceased , and he thought he heard a sob of pain coming from the room . He was not sure , however , so he went to bed , and presently Mrs . and Miss Neville crossed to

their room and retired also . Poor Mrs . " Neville ! " poor Gertrude ! Why did you cry as if your hearts would break this summer night ? Why did you kneel at your bedside so long , and pray so fervently ?

CHAPTER VII . 'There are no hells that chime among these hills . SUMMER and autumn had gone for another year , winter was about , and another Christmas Eve had come in the fulfilment of

time . Long miles away over land and sea two ladies had for weeks awaited the return of their brother , but he never came , and the " ancestral feast " at Culverhouse Court was this year likely to be held but in imagination only . Letters had reached them from time to time from the United States , hut they gave no address and little

news , only that the writer was travelling through the country , and he could not say when he would return . At Conway Creek the festive season was a time for rare old jinks . The associations which make the

occasion so interesting in the eld country were missing , but the want was made up by the heartiness with which everybody gave themselves up to enjoyment . There were

presents for the chilelren and bottles of " toddy "for the men . Rolls of cloth and linen were given to the wives and daughters , and money prizes were arranged for the victors

with the gun , the skate , or in running . Every one in the settlement was invited to dinner at the house of Peter Nundy , the " kiddies " first , then their mothers and the men ,

HILL NORTON'S COTTAGE .

the goods had been barged up the creek , and , when they were unpacked , she had set to work carrying out her little scheme for making her place look more like a certain cottage in the olel country , an image of which was always before her . She had not forgotten the gardens there , and presently , when the season came round , she was going to cultivate another , which should be as

much like it as she could remember . It was nothing but a dream all this , as was the peaceful , happy life at Chertsey , but no one could deny her dreaming if she chose ; although thai life she knew coulel never come again . After breakfast this particular morning she had tripped away to

Bill Norton ' s cottage , about the third of a mile down stream . Bill Norton ' s wife was ill , and Gertrude made a daily visit , carrying various little delicacies with her . She found the poor woman weaker than she had ever seen her , and she feared death was not far off . She sat with her for some time , telling her of the bright

things in a future world , to which Mrs . Norton listened with attention . "I had a dream about you , Miss Gertrude , last night—such a funny dream it was . " "A dream about me ? " and Gertrude laughed .

" Yes , miss ! I dreamt you were in a grand house—oh ! such a grand house—and you were such a beautiful lady ; but you were not happy , anel was running away from a man who was running after

you . You rushed along the bank of a river and crossed a bridge ; but it was only a little bridge , not nearly so big as the bridges up City , and when you looked back you saw the man who had been

trying to catch you fall down . I saw you go up to him , but he was dead . " " That was a funny dream , wasn ' t it ?"

" Yes , miss , it was ; and it was funny that I knew the face of the man . " " Yes ! Who was he ? " " I don ' t know , miss ; but I know

I have seen the portrait in your parlor up at the house . " Oh ! how the mind went back , back to a year ago , and a feverish

perspiration came upon her brow as she stared at the poor sick woman lying upon the bed . Hurriedly she tore a locket from her bosom , and asked Mrs . Norton if that was the portrait of the man she saw . " " Yes , miss , that ' s him . " But poor Gertrude stayed to hear no

more . She wished her patient a hurried good-bye , and started for home as quickly as she could . " Mother ! Mother ! " she cried , as she entered the house . " Bill Norton ' s wife , whom I have been to see , has had a dream of Richard and me . She saw him fall down and die . " How the tears came

welling up into her beautiful eye : ;! "Why should she dream such things and tell me of them , and on this day , too , of all others V " Mrs . Oakhurst soothed her as best she could , and when her eyes were dry went with her to watch the fellows skating down by the landing-stage .

The evening set in earlier than usual , for dark clouds were coursing through the heavens , and the stockmen looked up above every few minutes to test the aspect for to-morrow's festivities . It looked like snow . Bill Norton bad come in from the hills , about which he had

been riding since daybreak . He was engaged in hacking up the frozen snow and ice before his door with a " pick , " and did not notice the approach of a couple of strangers on foot . Now strangers at Conway Creek were a rarity ; but he merely looked up , and renewed his work .

and as there was plenty of everything , the stomachs of the Western stockmen were likely to be satisfied . It was Christmas Eve , and the preparations for the morrow bad been completed . It had snowed about a week previous , but a hard frost had set in immediately after , and the whole country was frozen over . Mrs . Oakhurst and Gertrude had found a haven of rest at

Conway Creek . Without making any special efforts they had ingratiated themselves in the heart of the whole Settlement . The children loved them , and never were so happy as when they were about the house doing something for Miss Gertrude . The women brought their little domestic troubles to them for advice and help . And the

men—well , the men had set up for themselves a new image round which they worshipped , and judging from the looks of the bachelors among them , Gertrude had at no time been short of a man to marry her had she wished . As time had gone by they had told Mr . Nundy more of their affairs , and he , like a good , honest fellow , bad sought

to keep their minds this side of the Atlantic . He knew now that the ladies' name was not Neville , but a name mattered but little out West . So he always called them Neville , and so did the people who came to the place . The interior of the house has changed magically under the hands

of Gertrude anel her mother , and the place bore the marks of womankind in every corner . Once Gertrude had gone into Boston with Mr . Nundy , and they made such a number of purchases that