Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-09-29
THE EVENING STAR.
THE PHANTOM BRIDE /;
mr. TheTeSt of Love.

Spanish veil and mantilia, which she had as
summed for the occasion, with all the grace Of
daughter OF Andalu>ia. Her companion,
noble Scotch Earl of some two thr-. and
twenty, arTayed as n warrior OF Mary St'arts,
IN Scotch plaid and Highland bonnet and
leather, had been purs uins the fair unknown
all the evening with the prote> stations Of love
and eternal fdelity. llI> answer Was prompt
AND OnhIsitatRg:
"Yes, I swear il. Il die j will dream Of
you The sFpEi, hrC, and thrill OF Joy VIII
welcome you If your foot but press the grass
cy"r my head
And il should die = inquired the young
girl, in 3 lad lone.
Won dead aS living: II YOU should BE- p"rini'i'd
70 visI; mr., I viii kiss your cold hand WIN a.
much love rs at This fnoTncnt, ana Il" ii's.,'u
AZ his b;,s the little white hand of the ee3uiiui
..Ah, we'll, L permit you than to love me-.
We she'll So if y-u will b. ccfistant Fare
we'll; We shall meet again
"But where ?-wh-n - demanGsd the Eefl
anxiou>ly.
II cannot tell. Perhaps here y,.rllaps else
whrre-but YOU will SIRE me-
And. with = gesture which forbade him 10
follow her, she disappeared IN the crowd.
Two years passed away. during which Earl
Ralph Morton sought Tainiy at Marry: at Yer
saill-s, i'm every place of public resort for his
beautiful unknown. He WAS a Scotchman by
birth, and, like many of his countryme had
entered the service of the king OF France. But
q court life did not co!nport very well wiki his
slender fortune, and he becaElc ere long, deep
ly involved in debt.
"You must lind some rich heiress,n said his
sympafhlzing friends; IL was the usual resource
OF embarrassed gentlemen of that day. Bnt
the Earl had moi forgotten the be~itching An
fGaluSian, and lie was in 40 mood for the search.
He was spared the trouble, however. His ui.-
Gle, who was the Archbishop Of Ass yrian
city destroyed by the Romans, informed him
one day that X was time for him 10 marry. and
that ne had found a wife for him.
"Is she rich r. inquired Ralph 81 do not
ask If she is prCt;y-it l. all the same 10 me-
Every rich and very pretty" -.
The Earl thought of his unknown and sigh
Ell: then thought of his creditors and consented.
Tie uncle arranged every thing, and when all
was seTtlcd he gave the nephew his bPnPiic-
tion and two hundred pistoles, and sent him Off
TO Burgundy. 10 pay his respects 10 Mademois
ellie dc Roche N0lre, whom he was 10 marry in
fortnight.
ID. A gloomy Journey of several days duration
brought him a. length 10 the ancient feudal
manor house Of Rache Ncire, situated in the
heart OF q forest. on u lofty rock from which ID
derived lis name. he was expected. The
ground door Of the mansion was open, and an
aged servant met him at the threshold, and
conducted him TO q large hail, q; the extremity
OF which sat an old man and q young girl. The
former, whom ie OWNED ut To be size
Baron OF Roche NOlrC, rose at his entrance.
and, Saiuting him in the somewhat formal
fashion OF the day, presented him 10 his daugh-
ter HerTninne- The latter had the voiuptuous
beauty of the Hover which has uniol,ied under
Il sCurh' RI sun. She pale with fair hair.
and eyes OF the deep blue OF Italian sky.
Her figure was rich but graceful, her hands py-
quisitely shaped and transparent as alah;lSter
Sc much the Earl saw a he bent before his be-
troihed, al.d iii spite OF his protested indiitrr-
snce, he inwaTdly congratulated himself OH his
good fortune.
The Earl and Baron exchanged the USUAL
reciprocal compliments and inquiries. Ralph
was accustomed To society. and understood
well the art OF making himself agrveable The
Baron- spite OF his seventy winters. had NOT
forgotten to be "a cOurtiPT and IIeTtHnHC had
the simple grace and dignity. the lnOde>ty
without prndcr: q! = young girl of high biriI,
reEElCu>iy educated. hut without firlClfy. The
conversation soon became animated and spark
ling, while Ralph watched Herminnr, and
now and then whispered 10 himself, .:She is
charming! EitsSii"s on my uncle Tor iindin~
wife al once = pretty and so rich
When supper was announced he offered his
hand 10 the Young EiTi, who accepted il with
blush, while the Baron led The way 10 the tiiI-
inS-IooIl. II was Il lofty apartment furnished
i'll III" massive style of Louis XIV. and upon
Ire walls We're "a pended ancient family por-
drafts. A. Ralphs eye glanced Over these IL
was attract"d ny one whose FRESHNESS, formed
as;rIkInS contrast 10 !lir smoky canvaScs de-
voted 10 The dciUIct BaronS OF Roche Ncire
II represented Young girl OF dlxZing. but
foreign, hrInts- such rs - only fo:lnd under
Southern Skif-. y more brilliant daughter of
Spain never danced te J.Icro in the pcrft,Iaed
gardens Vi the Alh2mbra. Tn. eyes OF Ralph
were fixed nnnIOyably upon Iii' canvas: the
JTst glance told that i was his hong lost rtu-
knol.n Ct the fancy bah.
Come, my dear Eari,; said iIiy Baron ..let
Us I;r seated
Ralph started and obeyed, then turi.ad has
eyes from III" portrait 10 HCrIninIl". III con-
tr't>t WIN That glowing beauty >h. appeared
hlm utterly lnSinid. He made >O!f,- remark
about ;tlr picture. The H;'roH did HOT reply.
hut a cloud passed over his face. and Her
MINNIE turned Pale. and sal silent. with down
cast eyes. 4 chill seemed tn li' thrown over
those three persons. just now talking 80 ioyous-
ly. EEicf remarks were mate occasionally.
III q constrained force. and The supper ended
almost III silence. At iJS close the i,arl made
a t,1rf ~
ing early. A. lire servant was conducting him
20 IN apartment they passed again through the
GInins-haii
Whose portrait is This - he asked uoiuting
10 Th. portrait OF The Lady.
The servant hcsiIatcd.
'tSpeakr' said the Earl iInppriou>IY
.'lt l. the portrait OF Mademoi>cIIt FuImen."
said tEr old maB- trembling.
land who i she p
The elder sister of NIad~moisrlle Her.
miBne.''
"But she is dressed in Spanish costume"
ayes; her mother was 4 Spani>h lady"
land ulnen, where il >he row ~
80 he n dead" said the old man, solrmnIy
"She llrs al the fnft Of the altar in the chapel
Fatigue had no power that night 10 bring
sleep 10 Ralph's eyelids. ltwas in vain thar
he eXIinguised the candles and buried his head
under the blankets; the image of Fulmen radi-
AMI win beauty, as she was represented in the
picture. and as he had seen her NJ The fancy
ball; again, II was Fulnen pale and cold. px
tended lii her coffin under the pa VeIflent of th,.
chapel. Then he remembered his oath to lo ye
heI as Wen DEAD "a living, and a cold sweat
baihed his brow. At that moment a light an the
opposite extremity ef the apartment attracted
ms attention: n door, whose existence he had NOT
suspecied' turned noiseiesSiy Oh its hinges, the
candies reiightcd themselves sponta neous,y
and figure draped in a winding sheet entered
the room. and approach his bed I, I'D vunced
SLOWLY; TIE iaosI acute ear could Ia We detected
no sound OF footsteps. Brave a. he was tn.
Earl trrmblrd ~ thc ap;,;;ritiou When n
hgUre was within few feet OF lh.. bed H..
winding sheet was thrown back, and revealed
Young gIri dressed IN Spanish costume
- ulment he ntrmurcd. the picturc has
Descended from it, frame"
IL Was indeed Fulmen, just n she was paint
20, save that The lips were pale, fha ewes mourn
Iul- inc Who'll" expression unspeakably sad
"f hlmen :. repeated the Earl. with Il tone of
HrEoT III which was mingled 4 sort OF feyerish
joy.
Ut l. l. she said. - Do YOU remember vour
eah Ih"y have told you that am tlrad:'
The teeth OF Ralph chartered. hut the VOICE
was so pure SO mrlodiouS. that aided him IN
hin io wv