Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-03-06
Graphic snotoh-Tbs Burnt Of the Por

the Shado,c in fhs House;
And thought does come back to her. She
hurriedly feels for something in her pocket,
and the. strong, quiyering, restless hands,
which now seem animated by an almost in
dependent life, presently bring forth a little
morocco case. They open it slowly, as with
a sense of some kind Of pleasure once more
that halfbea1tfful, half devilish face. The
case is ufelosed, and two cards are drawn
forth, Photographic portraits of a man and a
woman. 1t is needless to ask whose portraits
they are. Their present owner had begged
them in one Of her demonstrative moods of
affection for her cousin and his wife-Grace's
own dear, dear fiendl Aye, and she does
now value them more than ever. She
places one-theman's-upon the grass care
fully, and with a sort of wilful tenderness /;
she thin holds the other before her, and
gazes at it-longingly, clingingly, frenziedly
Till the holders excited eyes begin
to fancy they see the presentment shrink
from them as the original had shrunk on
that memorable day in the studio, when,
under cover of the personi6cation of the
ballad, for the benefit of the painter, she had
been able for a single ~instant-a precious
one-to let forth, before both husband and
wife, the real feelings that animated her.
And still she gszes upon the portrait of
Mrs. Dell with a reckless Abandonment of
herself to all the furious passions that possess
her, and which, as they mingle and concen-
trate, Change into one burning, irresistible
stream of the deadliest hate. The sight
of the portrait seems to break the long
spell of silence; and Grace murmurs to
herself, in tones now seeming to be as deep
almost as an organ voice in their rich pro-
fundity, and now so high, harsh, utterly un-
like their ordinary aute-like music, that
Grace would listen to them appalled,, were
she capable of playing the part of a calm
self observer.
$50; it was then the dream of an idiot
after all And it is she herself who came to
waken me, and l have not thanked her-but
l do thank herl Smile your last, fair one;
look round on the world and on the beauty
that bewitches you; sigh as you often do
sigh, ! will be merciful and not laugh the
while but quick have done with this leave
taking. There therel there !" and as abe
spake, each word seeming like a blow upon
the sward, she tore the photograph bit by
bit; and then hunted hungrily for the
largest pieces that she might again tear
them still retaining the whole in her hand.
And then rose, and seemed about to scatter
the fragments on high, that the breeze,
which had being growing for some time in
sound and power, might disperse them
whittier it pleased, if it only bore them from
her lcathing sight.
But ever guarded in her worst moments by
an instructive caution, she repressed the i'm
pulse, when only a few morsels had escaped;
and she sought for these with q strange pa
thence and pertinaoity, saying to herself the
while
rOAe bit might tell the tale" She soon
regained them and then, with a mail ivory
paper-cutter,s the only instrument she could
find, she tore up a tutt OF grass, and began
digging eagerly in the dank soil below.
When she had thrown out several handfuls
of earth, she paused, and began to drop the
bits OF card, one by one, from as high a
point as she found allowed them to fall &C.
c~urately into the cavity. While thus en-
gagged, he again muttered to herself
"Why does that priesty mummery come
into M thoughts nOw-'Ashes TO to ashes
Dust 10 dustl Well, she may, perhaps,
like II, and sleep more comfortably in con-
sequence!H And thus she dropped the
whole into the place she bad excavated: and
when she had finished she Looked around to
see that no piece had escaped her; and she
fetched some twigs, and fastened them across
the little white heap, So that no movement
of turf above should disturb them and then
she covered the tWigs with soil, and pressed
it down with her closed and jeweled hand,
harder and harder, while she gazed furtively
round TO be sure she was still alone. And
then she threw in more soil in q loose state
to receive the roofs of the tuft she had torn
away, and which she now replaced /; and
after that she brushed off with her handker-
chief the light particles of mold that chung
to the blades of grass, until they all looked
as fresh, green and unsnllied as the rest.
Then sat a moment, further removed, to
look al The turf, and to Judge if it appeared
different from the surrounding surface and
she di0 not feel quite satisfied until she had
rises, walked away, and returned to cast a
casual g'anee Chat was her idea) on the
spot. And then she smiled in self-canscious-
ness a low sinister smile it was and it said,
81 am myself once mOre-Grace Addersley.'i
And now the..paciHg to and fro recon-
menced, though in a less excited manner
than before: And the tones became more
even, though still there lurked a painful dis
a amid all their honey music:l
81 have failed-she has s~lcceeded-is suc-
ceeding still-meditates greater success.
Yetshe is very incoDsistent-pity no true
frieno tells her so! Why in ali this earthly
delight she Shss-ahd this immorta glory
she prepares tor-why does she weakly seek
TO win pity for her odd faneies? Why does
she thiEk, as she has more than once said,
she shall die earlyl These are not fitting
tools 10 play with, Mrs. Dell: believe me,
they are hot. Die earlyl what a strange
fancy TOT so young acIeature! Poor thingl
She lacks experience, she tells me. Il is so
hsrdi me says lot q Woman ia these cOnven-
tional days to realize what life is and what
it is capable Of Would she thank me 10
teach her, l wonder She paused, looked
round an every direction, then let her
thoughts return in silence 70 her. And she
was long immovable looking at that little
TUT and when at last She reused herself she
glanced about with a strange uneasiness. as
though reused With an idea that thOuokts
hemsstesS, uhSPokeH thoughts, might possibly
Se stGrd 6y some species Ofliviag things. Her
nesn eiept lot an instant as she fancied she
ca1gnttne rustic OF Invisible forms passing
and touching her. But she LAUGHED as she
ree0lleoted herself
AND then she took out her yatch-stared
a ineIeduoHsly at the hands. putt
to her ear and said :,
Elsh possiblel Well it is for the last
dmei no more self-iOrsetfulness nov ~ And
then, hsVibg no glass, She arranged her hair
win an elaborate eaFefuluess. recrO wing
herseli Vilb those fair, soft, light-hued plaits
as thOuRh sne were a queen, about to re-
ce.te, OF De presented 10, some mighty
POuGhuatei Shu she ielt her face all over with
ity Of attempting thus to discover how she
iookedi besides, she felt sufficiently within
her thai which told of the deadly Whiteoess
that must be covering her without; so she
resolved that no one should see her until she
nag regalned her color, quiet, aud elasticity,
IN her own room.
reeee pad come--sueh as il was. Once
49, "a isn Aele o do whatever her spirit
ofthe Walk and was advsoeias bslow tha
eedeIs she telt the blood had come back 10
her cheek Then ahs heard NJ Dell can ~
her from the lawn, but she aDpeared not 10
bear and got out Of bis sight a. speedily az
she could. she assembled the winding stairs
with a stealthy step such as she had never
before kBOWn and she lOOked 9th a kiad d
I~aseinafiOR on hs green tgfs bsh0sen the crack
efths stones a. ske passed for sdch sesmsd d
hkf ks one hVf sAs had 5Hst kf behind
size fl9-fs fIah beirG