The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-12-25

sre her face quite welt In only one thing was she
different from her counterpart In my brain-she
was ~ beautiful, al had fAneied she must be-
| She was tail aud straight, and elegant In form
| aud her face was ono OF those which change and
| vary with every shade Of feeling; bat only re-
deemed IRON piaiupess by pair OF deep set aud
beautifully shaped eyes, whose color, found, when
| she threw the paper aside, was that dark lovely
b.ue one scarcely ever sees, except In tho sky Of
| \ summer light. Just tho eyes had dreamed Of
all my lite-and OF, thore was not the slightest
chance than they would over look at me. as they
had doubtless looked at MIR Aruold, deceased, q
| thousand times. She was eriish widow--yet
| therd was sotaething 10 her manner which bs-
tgsyed the married womaD-an case and uplomb,
which rarely or never shows itself in young Girl
especially ii sue has bee2 reared carefully by q
| mothers hand.
might have stood 10 the Passage all night,
| critics,ag her, had she not entered IL herself,
suddenly, isor her movements were all as quick as
flashes Of light aud taking ,ne SO by surprise.
that an sure she would have seen me staring at
her, had she net lGekiiy for me, caught her foot
in the mat as she crossed the thu eshold. She
stumbled aud would have fallen, but sprang to
her assistance and caught her, and felt her heart
beating quickly against my arm. She painted
with the sudden start 1t had given her, but stood
up In second, aud ast glai cling at mo as stood
beside her in the dark passage, said quietly.
Thank you, Charles. might have hurt myself
very much, il you had not saved me. And by tho
! way, wish you would have that stupid thing
taken away. Ny uncle fell overit last night, and
suppose It will be my auofs turn next"
She ran highly up the stairs to her sleeping
| room, laughing 10 herself as she went She had
mistaken Ine for the waiter But did not care
| (though fancied there difference in
| our heights and air. since it had given me the
pleasure OF hearing my own nalIe and spoken by
her lips. l declare soemnly, to this day, that
| when Mrs. Cathcsrt my Wife, calls me Charles, IA
odd feeling comes over me, and See the hall Of
the Spread Eagle, and Mrs. Arnold runnIug up
the stairs, while stand in a state of maudIID ads
l Al. C.. g.
citation.
| went to the Opera that evening. | usually
| spent my evenings there, or at the theatre, be
| cause had no scqusiniauces in the city, and IL
i was dull sitting In my room alone. They played
| the Bohemian GIRL remember, and the teuor
| sung Mrs. Arnold song, Then you III remember
| me-" Aud the lights, aud the music aud the
| crowd seemed to pass away, aud leave the listening
| to her again. touchiog the piano softly, and hall
| singing, half hammIug the words, ii she trusted
| herself 20 utter them aloud, they would surrey
! bring tears with them thought of her constau,-
| ~ TIL The opera was over. and the house empty;
| thought uf her over my hot supper at Verys,
and Thought of her AS 1 wept home along ,he
| deserted streets. looked upat her window tc
| see the light there as entered the court yard
! IL was burning brightly enough, aud IL entered
the house, aud sat down in The Coffee room q few
n.onen;s with the landlord, who was,a great
| friend OF mine, in his way. Idid not talk to him,
| nor be 10 me-we were neither of us talking mel,
| and seldom had many words together. Bat he
| ftSEo1 psSt tue paper st0&uly, intent
! upon political news; aud held niue upside ,wn
before me, and felt with thrill of tashtG s4tis-
! faction, that i Wac longer indifferent 20 the
| advice Of Mr. Weller, seniur-"Samivei. Ssmivei!
| beware Of the yidders'" NJ; widow had changed
| mo In the twinkiug Of an eye and vas in love,
rs hopelessiy. Is I'M easonabiy, aud foolshly
| any sober man OF thirty could We'll be-
| must now proccet To STATE that Mrs. Arnold's
| room was On the second fioor just above No. 10,
| aud looking cIt upon Grace church street Itself.
| To it she went quietly on that eventful evening,
at the hour OF ten, Just at the time when sit
| ting In my box at the Opera thinking of her
Something made her wagefdl. She sat down at
| her toilet-tabie aud talked awhile to the house.
keeper, WHO had come Up with clean piiIow.cases,
| and asked many questions about the house and the
| family. HAw they broached the &c pic, ] q not
kuow-but after a time, they began TO think, aud
| TO speak about that strange phenomenon, called
| spiritual rappinGs." The Cock Lane ghost was
Brought upon the carpet, and various other sto-
| Ties toId, till Mrs. Arnold grew nervous, aud
| laughiugiy declared she would hear no mOre.--
| Then the nousekeeper babe her good night, and
| Sue locked her door. aud began to prepare Tor
| bed.
The room was large, rather dark, and iul o! cor.
ners aud recesses. The tight OF the TWO wax eau.
dies the toilet table only served to make these
| corners visible IN their shadowy gloom. The bed
was hi yh and hung about with daI crimson car
taius; the furniture OF the room dars too; AID
| the cushions OF the chairs and the Covers OF the
| tables red also. IL is c,ior which needs much
light to set il of TO advantage; IL lOoxed dismal
| enough! TO her just then. Al one enc oil the roJm
| DOR led into u Kidd of large closet, which was
unfurnishej, aud looked out into the court yard;
but .his door opened out into Mrs Aruold's room,
| and locked on that side. Sometimes linen was
| kept there; and the housekeeper had eyideuti,
been there that evening, tor the key was 10 the
| lick, and the door u little sjar. Mrs. Arnold
would have preferred it, but sue was too timid
to cross her TuUn ust then.
She addressed slowly, singing in low voice, the
song hau heard her cling that evening. AS she
bent down to uuiace her boot she happened
to cast her eyes towards the closet (she
had vision like an eagle) and to her surprise
aud terror, she saw 1t move diaticctly-only the
lower part of the door, for she had presence OF
mind enough rot TO start, and the bed couceaie ed
the upper part, as she was STOPPING. The legend
OF that woman VITO saw the great boot of a man
Under her bed yet had courage To stay in the room
all the evening, going on with her ordinary hou
hold duties within reach of the assass.n's kufe
TILL her husband Came, aud she was safe flashed
across her mind, aud taught her how TO act She
yawned laxuriously, Interrupted her singing one
moment. aud then went On with steady voice.
After sne had prepared for bed. she folded her
dressing gown aroCGd her, brushed her BAR be-
fore the glass. Ia that mirror she could see tbe
DIOR move how aud then, If her visitor was get-
ting Impatient; aud once il creaked. She started
naturally, and threw her slipper against the wall
as ii To friguten away the mice, aud resume her
occupation. When tuat was over ehe went TO her
jewsi~case, which stood upon the toilet table, and
turned Its bright contents on in heap tefore
ueE cut iSiU spray Oh diamonds against her
halr as II To try It's effect; she clasped and uucas.
ed her bracelet and toyed with her Rugs. Mean>
while the door cieaked again, and letting unset
diauon0 TALL To the ground, and stoopinatto pick
it ny, she saw with rapid glance, that buriy,
iii-looking man was peerng her from be hiud ii
curtains Of the bed. He started back, thinking
himself discovered; aud ia that moment of horrb
aDxleiy-that moment which, f.r aught she knew.
might be her lass-what did she do: She could
hear his breathing distinctly, sharpened rs all her
SENSES we're, aud almost felt the cJid steel il her
heart; and So she made herself mocking curtsey
IN the glass; and held the diamond spray above
her fore head.
..Dutchess of Nemours." she said, softly Sand
why uot: should look we'll with u corouet |
wish my husband was deaG"
she leaned her head upon her hand aud seemed
to think. A subdued lustling told her that the
r0bber was retreat!pg. The door swung softly to
gether--she saw it IA the glass--and her resou.
ton was taken.
Two diamond rings and diamond spray" she
said, counting the gems aloud, she put them
back in their case. "A ruby a.d an amathyst
bracelet, ruby ring and garnet. But where |
Is the garnet necklace, by the way How stupid OF
me to misay III And my husbands gift, too, |
wonder II have put IL ia MY trunk"
The trunk stood very the door of the closet |
She went and unlocked it, and tuRbied its con-
tents out upon the floor, bending over it with her |
light while that man was within two feet of hes. |
l wonder how she had the nerve IL do il. Indeed |
sne said afterwards that she knew he was bending
down too, and looking over her shoulder ut the |
trinkets as she turRsd them over with eteady |
hand, and that her greatest difficulty was to keep
from breaking out into h.sterical laughter, aud |
80 bet,ayiug ,uat she knew OF his presence
The bracelet WIS not there. She pushed the !,
thingsasde impatiently, shut down the trunk, |
and placed the candle tue lid. Then she stood |
up. With her tiDger on her lip, and her head bent
down.
~ here can the necklace be-"
She turned, as If to go by the closet, towards |
chest OF drawers that stood Ia the corner of the |
roots; made one step past it; wbiried suddenly;
and, pushing both hands upon the door with ali /
her might, locked and double locked it ia d second.
she heard terrific oath inside as the robOer threw
himself against IT, too late; and snatch,ng up her
candle sped out for help. She found me az L have
described, while was coming up the staircase,
aud she stood at the head of IT,
la three moments after she had spoken to me,