Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-05-19
THE PHANTOM BRIDE



vel and mauiiiis, which she had assumed foT
t1e occasion wifh all The grace of a daughter
ot Andslusia. Her companion. noble Scotch
Earl ot some two or three and twenty, srrayed
as warrior OF Mary Stuart, in Scotch plaid
and Highland bonnet and feather. had been
pursuing TIE fair unknown ali me evening with
proteatations Of love and eternal fdelitv His
answer was prompt and unbesitating-
Yes, swear it. IL ] die I " % dream Of
yol 10 the sepuiesfr, and a thrill of ioy will
welcome you 4 yoar foot but press the grass
over my hesd.o
:. And if I should disF'' inquired the young
girl, IN a sad tone.
Il you should die, VIII be a. faithful 10
Iou oead as living n you should be hermit
ted 20 visit ne, I viii kiss your cold hand with
ae much love as at this moment p and he
pressed 10 bis lips the little white hand Of the
besutifui Spanisrd.
All, wei I permit you then 70 love ne
We shall see il you sill be constant. Fare
well we shall meet again.o
=" But where 2-When2-ismandsd the Earl,
sRxiouslY.
4" cannot teli-oerbsrs hprs-eIrev-bura-
but you win see me7
And, with gesture which forbade bin to
follow hers she disappeared in the crowd.
Two years passed away, during which Earl
Ralph Morton sought Fainiy a. Marley, at
Versailles, In every pace Of resort, For bis
beautiful unknown He was Scoichman By
blr,bs and ike many OF bis countrrmen, had
entered The service Of The king of Frs.l BOT
a sour fe did not comport very WsH Fiih bis
slender fortune, and be became, long,
deeply involved in debt.
''fou must iind some rich heiress said bis
sympstaiZIng fTieads; it was the psuai re-
source OF embarrassed gentry ~ that asv
But the earl hs2 not forgotten tds tssgiteh ~
Andalusian, aud was In no mood for the saarch.
Re Was spared the trouble, however Hisun-
Gle, Who was the archbishop cf an Assvrian
eitydes-roysd By the Romans, Informed bin one
day that Il was tine fer him TO marry, and that
be bad foune wife for him.
ls she richf' inquired Ralph. 81 do not
ask if she is pretty Is an The sane to me.''
every rich and very -rst-v."
The sarl thOught Of tis CnkGoWn and sighed;
then thought OF bis CREDITORS ard consented
Tue uncle arranged everything, and when 81
was sct.is5 be gave zoe nephew bis bsnedic-
tion AMI TIE hundred pistoles and sent bin OF
e Burgundyi to pay Bic rssPseis 70 Matsmoi-
selle de- Roche Noire, whom be was to marry
ia q fortnight.
A giooly journey Of several days duration
brought hin At length % foe ancient feudal
naaor-bouss Of Roche Noire, situated in the
heart of forest, On a los.r rock from which
il derived its name. H. Was expected TIE
ground door o. the manson vac open, and an
aged servant met hin at the threshold. and
conducted BIN TO large bail, st the extremity
of which sat IN old m1n and a young girl.
The Former Wa0m be OWNED at once to be
toe baron o. Roche Noire, rose a. his entrance,
and sai1ting him in ths somsWbat foruaI fash
Jon Of the dsy, presented him to bis daughter
Hsrmi1as- The later bad lie 81 iuz.-aas
baautF oi the aox1i iagsH-h hss uufolded under
a sudthsr57 7sdl. sfe was pale, with fair hair,
aad eyes Of the deep blue Of an italian sky
Her figure was rich but graceful, ber hands ex-
quisitsiY shaped and transparent as slabaster.
So much the earl saw as be bent before biz be-
tr5the6, and In spi. e Of bis pT5fesssd Ind Ger
eHce, be inwsrdly eoRgrstuistad kimselfo on bis
good fortune.
rae earl and baron exchanged the usual re- .
ciprocsl compliments and inquiries Ralph
was accustomed 20 society, and understood
vel ths art Of msking himself agreeable; the
baron, In spite Of bis seventy years, bad not
forgotten to be a cOurtisr, and Hsrminne bad
the simple grace and dignity, the m0desty With
cut pEgderv, Of a young girl Of high birth, re-
Egiously educated, but without rigdity. Tae
conversation soon became animated and spark
ling, while Ralph Nstchsd Herminne, and nov
and then whispered to himself, "Sle is charm
ing Blessings on my uncle fer finding ne a
wife a. oacs 80 pretty and 50 rich"
when supper was announced be offered his
hand 70 The young girl who accepted it with
diHing room It was a lofty apartment,
furnished in the massive style Of Louis XIV,
and upon the walls were suspended ancient
family portraits. As Ralph'ssFe glanced over
these, II was attracted by one whose freshness
formed q striking contrast C the smoky can
vases devoted to the defunct barons Of Roche
Noire. u represented q rouag girl Of daz-
ziing. tut foreign, beauty, such az oniy Is
found under southern skies. A more brilliant
daughter of Spain never danced the b0lero n
TIE perfamsd gardens Of the Alhambra. The
ewes Of Ralph were fixed immovablV upon the
canvas; the fret glance told that it was the
long lost unknown Of tie fancy BAH.
q Cone. my dear Earl, - Esid the Baron, alet
us be seated"
Ralrt started and obsysd. then turned his
eyeH frcm tbe portrait 10 Hsrminne. In con-
trast With thar glowing beauty she appeared
70 hin utterly iusipid- He made some remark
about the picture. The Baron did not reply,
but cloud passed over bis face, and Hermnne
turned pale AID sat silent with downcast eyes.
A cbiiI seemel 70 be throWn over these three
persons, Just now talking 30 joyousiv. Brief
feuzr Es were made occasionally, in a con-
strained force, and the supper ended almost in
silence. At iis close the Earl made TIE
fatigue q Die journey an excuse Tor retiring
ssriV. As the servant was conducting bin %
bis spsrlmsnt they passed again through the
dining bali.
whose portrait is this ?'' be asked, point
iug to the portrait Of tie lady.
Theservsnt hssits-s6-
@speak p said ,bz~srl impeTiouslv.
"Ilsstbe 7ortra.t q Msdemoisells Falmsn."
said the Oh mar, --nbling.
rand who E O.
.rTss elder SISTER of MadsuoissTs Her
mime"
"Bat she is dressed 60 Spanish cosiume.7
ssYes: Der mother was Spanish lady.o
"And FulDsa, where is she now 80
nsse IS dsadF7 said the old man. ssIeunlv
sshe lies At The left Of the altar in tas chapel
o. tie csstlen
Fatigue bad 10 power Hat night 70 bring
slesp 10 Halph's eyelids. 7 was in vain tbat
h, sEtfnguishri the candles, and hurried bis
head andrr le blankets; the image % Fglnsn
stin pursued hin. Nos, g was Fulnen rafi-
ant with beautvi as she Eas represented in the
uicture. and a. be had seen heT az TIE fancy
hsf; again, lt was FuimPn pale and cold, ex-
trsded 10 her cofin, under The pavement of the
chanel. Then be remembered bic oath % love
her As well dead as living, aad cold sweat
bsthed bis brow. At that Esoment light at
The opposite extremity % the spsrmsnt at
tracted bis attention; Geor, whose existence
te had not suspected, turned noiselsEsiF on It's
hinges. tbe candies religatec Themselves spon
tspeousIv. and a fg1re, draFs3 in winding
sheet. entegsd The room. and approached bis
bed. It advanced slow tfe most AGATE ear
eould have detected no sound Of footsteps.
Brave ss be was, the earl trsubled at the sp-
partition. When the figure was within few
feet Of tie bed tbe winding sheet was thrown
back, and revealed yoHng girl dressed in
Spanish costume.
Fulrnsnis p be murmursd, athe picture has
deseended fIom lis frame ~
Il was indeed Fulmen, jnss rs she was paint
"a, save that the lips were pale, tbe eyes
mournfui, the whole expression unspeskably
aFflnsn r' repeated the earl, win tons
Of tsrrbr in which was mingled = sort Of
otis ~ abs said. seDs you rsmsnbsr
vour oath2 They have told you that an
dead.1
ne tss,s Of Ralsh chaltsred, but tae voice
was 80 pure, se mriodious, thst i aided him 70
shske of TIE topper which vas creeping over
no. you sss]]not dead b, ezelai4sd wilh
~ have been Head year" rspllsil Fuimsn,
sadly. Tbsrsstt,ed me IN ihs egsi'sL You
,sla ss2 81 with rsfsSrs
IS IS ,s,rp against he salils eyes iron fbis
|. ...,,s are changed. sBd > sSpsrrsieai asaaty
.,olvss, Hsa ez es'tsfs.i bsvs yl.e, ssps.5 s,''n
-. - 1919 q Il etRcs- =. '-..'. -.
= q 81 slsclon. To bin 81 ~. ~
: ttas past y llsiest in opshs vrsp an opera
...,i'. is sa II Ssrksr shadows ~ deaa, a
ses d and mailed warri y sv.s ~, 9,rs - -
81 ~ .ssn % staad in erPseta'ss; wien he
Z ,.ab teinst raised and ianeiaTe was quite
s.-I.s.l srr5r blight as ~ trusted IN
4 esaag.ae % and ehsngin
ID honrs watehing shs ire
rc1ts, f8iib ihs aniFsfss
@ ne eharaetsrs that
6h sas stage q tes ,
d