The mountain Democrat., 1865-11-11
PeytOn won his way slowly but surely

PeytOn won his way slowly but surely
The fair widow began unconsciously TO
regret the vow which had ascended to
heaven with the spirit Of her dead hus-
band. At length he spoke of love, and
she listened with awe to the oOtpouring Of
spirit which was too noble to be tritled
with, and too highly appreciated to to
given up without pang.
lie drew from her quivering lips the
history of her vow. and divested of every
feeling Of superstition himself he could
not conceive that few words uttered in
moment OF excited and agOnized feel.
ing should stand between him and his
hope of happiness. He did not under.
stand the impressible and Imaginative
temperament Of the being who listened
to his reasoning, willing, nay, anxious, to
be convinced against the evidence of her
own feelings.
Her parents agreed with the lover in
his view Of the case, and urged, on all
sides, her own heart traitor, Ellen yield.
ed to their wishes and betrothed herself
to Peytnn.
As the day appointed for her marriage
drew near, the words Of her vow appear.
ed to be ever ringing in her ears. With
restless and fearful spirit she saw the
hour approach which was to witness her
second espouSal
Preparations were made for a splendid
bridal. All the members Of her family
assembled beneath the paternal roof, and
every effort vas made to divert her mind
from dwelling on the phantasy that pos.
SesSed it.
The appointed evening arrived, and the
ceremony which made her the bride Of
another was performed. Several hours
passed in dance and song. 1t was near
midnight when Ellen found herself stand.
ing on the portico, in the bright moon.
light, with Peyton by her side. The gay
throng within were still dancing, and the
sound OF merry voices mingled with the
burst of music that swept by on the dewy
and fragrant air. Ellen started, as Pey-
ton spoke beside her, and for the first
time in several hours the recollection Of
her fatal VOW intruded on her mind.
What glorious nightr she remark.
COs uCVCI bhW tuC tuOOu bulhC Will
greater splendor.'
May it prove happy omen to Us, fair
Ellen replied Peyton, and as he spoke,
he turned to q white rose bush, which
bad wreathed itself around one of the
pillars Of the portico. and culled several
of its half.blown flowers.
While he was thus employed, Ellen was
gazing abstractedly on the fantastic sha-
dows made by the trees in the yard
Suddenly she graSped the railing for sup.
port, and looked with eyes fascinated with
terror on a white shade which seemed 10
rise from an open space on which the
moons radiance was poured without OBJ
struction from the surrounding Shrubbe-
ry. The shadows arose slowly, and grad
ually assumed the waving outline of a
human form wrapped in the garments Of
the tomb. 1t approached the spot on
which she stood, and the features Of Hen.
ry Sinclair, wearing look of sad re.
proach, were distinctly visible to her as
the shade gIided between herself and her
newly welded lord.
With q faint cry she would have fallen,
had not Peyton turned and Sprang for.
ward in time to receive her senseless form
in his arms.
Long, long. was it before she recovered
from her death-like swoon. She then re-
lated what she had seen, and chung to the
belief ir the reality Of the spectral visi
tation With such tenacity, that reasoning
with her was useless, and it failed to calm
her mind. Before another day had dawn.
ed she was raving in the delirium Of
brain fever, and in one week after her ill.,
omened marriage, she was laid beside him
whose spirit she believed had summoned
her to join him.