The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-07-14

of the present master of Gledhills.
The fatigues of the day and the solitude
to which L was condemned drove me to
bed at an early hour; but there was
something about the novelty of my po-
sition that precluded sleep for long
time after | had put out my light, and |
remember hearing some clock strike
twelve while / was still desperately
wide awake; but that is the last thing /
do remember, and suppose that must
have slid off to sleep few minutes
later, while still in the act of asscvera-
ting to myself that to sleep there was
for me an impossibility. Whether | had
slept for hours or for minutes only,
when l woke up in the weird land of
dreams, is point on which | can offer
no opinion. / awoke to that conscious
ness which is possessed by dreamcrs, and
which, in many cases, is quite as vivid
a. the consciousness of real life; but
throughout the strange, wild drama that
followed | was without any individu-
ality of my own; | had all the con-
sciousncss of a spectator without the re-
sponsbility of one. l was nothing; i
had no existence in my dream; | was
merely the witness Of certain imaginary
occurrences, which took place without
any reference to me, and which | was
powcrless to prevent or influence in the
slightest degree.
Before me was the drawing-room at
Glcdhills-I recognized it at once by the
portrait of the soldier over the fireplace
The walls, painted of a delicate sea-
green, were hung with numerous pic
lures and engravings in rich frames. a
thick Aubusson carpet covered the floor,
and in the huge fireplace a wood fire,
that had nearly burned itself down to
ashes, was slowly expiring. The furni-
ture was chintz-covered, and curtains of
chintz draped the three high narrow
windows. Standing in one corner, be-
tween the quaintly-carved legs of ma
hogany chiilonier, was tall Mandarin
jar, with an open-worll lid, from which
was eXhalcd Il faint indescribable per-
fumc, as of the bruised sweetness OF Il
hundred flowers; in the opposite cor
ncr stood Il harp hooks richly bound
were scattered about the room, which
was lighted by number of waX-can-
dies fixed in lustres over the mantle
piece.
Seated at little fancy table was a girl,
eighteen or twenty years old, making
believe to be busy with her embroidery,
but with mind evidently preoccupied
by some more important subject. She
had on a short-waisted white dress, after
the fashion of those days, from which
her long narrow skirts fell away in Sc
date folds, utterly guiltless of all mod
ern modes Of extension of circumfer-
ence. Her face was beautiful, and she
had the air of Il person quite conscious
of that fact; but underlying this charm
of regular features there was something
resolute and proud, that carried the
mind back, as by an instinct, to the por-
trait over the fireplace. She had loos-
ened the thick masses of her chestnut
hair, and they now fell low down over
her shoulders, confined only by a mar
row band of blue velvet. Round her
neck was thin chain of gold, from
which hung Il lOcket, which she drew
every now and then from the bosom of
eagcrness to her lips. The same impa-
tionce was visible in the way in which
she would put few quick stitches into
her embroidery, and then pause, with
the needle in her fingers, to listen in
tently, and SO lapse into a dreamy, alb
sent mood, out of which she would
wake up in n minute or two with start,
and begin to ply her needle again as
restlcssly as before.
That something for which she was 50
impatiently waiting came at last-a low,
clear, peculiar whistle, heard by INC
so distinctly through the midst of my
awole, that ! could altcrWard reproduce
it exactly. The young lady started tc
her feet the moment the signal fell on
her ear. Her eyes flashed with newer
radiance; her soft lips pouted into t
smile; while from her bosom upward 4
lovely flush spread swiftly, rs though
Eros had touched her that instant with
his torch, and already the celestial
flame We're coursing through her veins
\ brief minute she stood thus, like 4
lovely statue Of Expectancy; then she
hurried to one of the windows, and
drawing aside the long chintz curtain
she placed II lighted candle close TO tht
window rs an answering signal. Then
having withdrawn the candle and re-
placed the curtain, so that The window
, from the outside would seem quite dark
, again, she left the room, to return pres
emily With II ladder of thin rope, It
, which were affixed two hooks of steel
, Her next proceeding was to lock tht
three doors which opened into the draw
ing-room, and having thus secured her
: self from intrusion, She passed out OF
: sight behind one of the curtains; anl
then / heard the faint sound Of IL win
dow being cautiously lifted, and knew
as well us though the whole scene WA
. visible to me that she was fixing tht
= rope-ladder to the balcony by means OF
, its hooks, and that presently her love
would be with her.
= And so it fell out. A little While, anC
the curtain was lifted; the lady can
= back into the room; and following clos