Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1860-02-01
EBENsBURG, PA. WEDNESDAY, pERRUiRY /, 1860.
i feel that it must be So

| L feel that it must be so.
Edward walked the floor for moment IN
silence, wringing bis hands.
| Hear me once more Edward. Come to
ne when year has passed, perhaps some
| changes in my fathers views may have taken
place. said Ellen.
SO shall it be- he answered. Il swear, if
living or dead, will visit you. May heaven
record my oath =
1t is enough T shall expect you
Zone year from this night you may
expect me- though l break from the en-
brece of death itself to perform my solemn
promise
At that moment the door was thrown
violently --open-E.len uttered piercing
cry and tainted, for It was her father that
came.
1t was now dark night A storm of
snow was falling, and the wind howling fierce
ly.
.Begone, sir, and never darken my door
again with your shadow, cried the father of
Ellen, at the same time dealing him heavy
blow upon the face.
The young man recoiled under the cruel
rebuff. and his face crimsoned with iDdigna-
ton He raised bis hand to strike the old
man, but suppressed cry from Ellen instant
ly arrested his purpose
One year from DOW nd the grave can
not hold me- said Edward, turniu once more
to Ellen, who bad partially revived. Re-
member, Ellen
With these words the young man walked
out into the cold January storm. casting one
reproachful, indignant glance upon the brutal
aggressor.
A year passed, and Ellen during tLa, in-
terval heard nothing Of Edward D. He
had suddenly disappeared, aud no one knew
the secret of his absence. Whether he had
gone to visit foreign countries. whether he
had sojourned in his owD, whether the grave
had swallowed him up, ore could tell
As for Ellen, she still continued aithfui and
hopeful She felt confident that ne would
come according to his promise. During the
year had elapsed, she had refused many eli
gible offers, and her father had failed to shake
her coustancy
The anniversary fthe January night came.
The storm fell faster. and the wind howled
more savagely than year ago. The wood
was piled high upon The hearth, and all was
warm and comfortable within. Ellen sat pre-
cisely where she reader first saw her. She
was looking into the street where she had
seen Edward approaching at the time of their
meeting.
Hour after hour passed and he came no.
The family had retired, and she was the sole
watcher in the house.
He cannot come ou such dreadful night
as this, thought Ellen. No human being
would be so imprudeu: as to leave the hresIde
to brave such freezing Storm
1t was la vain that she said to herself, Il
I ba
fasciated, chaiped to the spot by some strange
and mysterious influence.
The clock struck ten-eleven. and still the
fair watcher sat by the window, recalling full
oft the words of her lover
a year from this night. aud [ will visi, |
you, living or dead, aud the grave como;
hold me
1t grew colder and colder The wind raw
ed mere fuFiously, and the icy sieet drove a. \
gainst the window paues in rattling showers !
Suddenly the wind was hushed. and the storm
paused iu its career. 1t was quarter before |
twelve. The street in front of the dwelling
was lighted up until the individual snow
fakes were visible. All at once, following
the strange illumination, reflected directly in- |
to the middle of the street, was the shadow of t
the terrier dog-close upon the shadow came
the terrier. upon hard run. with a is tongue |
hanging from bis mouth, as if spent with cx-
ertion. In an instant after the terrier made |
his appearance, came the most wonderful of !
ala dark looking horseman, mounted upon
a large black steed. with dilated nostrils, dis
tented jaws, and streaming sides. He seem
ed to tread upon the air. There was no hea-
~ tfamp-no vibration of the earth-no
tracts iD the snow to tell that the phantom
horseman had passed.
The darkness closed in agaiu-the wind
howled, and the snow burst forth again with
redoub bled fury.
The ensuing night found the sad watcher
at the wlndow, waiting for the re appearance
of the phenomenon. She did not wait in
vain. Again came the same supernal light
again came the shadow of the terrier, aud
then the terrier. and then dashed madly
b. the phantom rider upon his pautom steed
-pausing not moment in his wild career
turning not his head to the right nor the left
casting no furtive glance towards the awe
stricken behoder.
On went the solemn spectre, and the dark
ness shut in again-but there was no tract
upon the new fallen snow, and no sign that
living man had ridden there.
Alas for Ellen. She knew that her low
er was no more, and that from the world of
dead he had redeemed his promise. |,
The story goes, that she and others watch.
ed night after night-and night after night
came the mysterious rider.
And thus he came for many years, at
quarter before midnight. in fair weather or
IN fonl-in rain, snow, storm, darkness and
moonlight
The changes of seasons. and the changes of {
and incidental inclemencies,
wrought no change in him
Ellen's father always grew pale when the {