The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-09-04

niue. J. u6RfQ OF ner, DuG u loarQ
Of her as being another's-or as soon
to be ssanother's. i Yet this, toe, /
knew -Sby the same uneRring signs as
those have already mentioned-was
destined never to come TO- pass.
Why or how I knew this, I could not
tell you then, nor can 1 tell you now.
It is enough that I had the know
ledge, without being able to account
for the manner in whichI had gain
ca it.
= At last, I heard that the day was
fixed on which she was to pass alto
gether away from me. They talked
of her Boon as to become as rich and
greet as she was beautiful; they talk
ed, Of her as future mistress Of houses
and lands, of wealth incalculable..
Yes, in my presence did they talk of
all is-actually before me-before
me, who knew that; none Of these
things would be. Often as J. heard
them, laughed to myself; often I
wondered how they could be SO
blind. But 7 said nothing. I left
them to discover after the event that
what L had said to myself was true.
And so months and days rolled on :;
and at last it was the day but one
before that which was to be her
bridal. We were miles away from
each other; but something told me
that on the night before the wedding
morn, I should see her. To that we'd
ding had been invited; but I said
i'll health would not let me attend. I
waited to discover whittier and how
l should be led to her; for 1 felt
assured that nothing would prevent
it.
I was right. On the early morning
of the next day, departed to visit
her-for the last time. I had to
travel q long distance frst-more
than 200 miles. Long watching and
sleepless nights caused me to slumber
in the train as I journeyed toward
her. And as I journeyed I dreamed
dream. It was q simple dream,
and easy to he remembered. Some
form-half angel, half devil-seemed
to descend before me, and display to
my eyes cloth of pure white-white
as the driven snow-but dyed here
and there with crimson spots. I
woke with q start, and pondering
what / had seen, was at loss to
know what it meant. Fool, and slow
of understanding. But knew after
wards. The train stopped, and I
alighted at the station. 1t was the
dusk of a glorious summer evening.
The air was heavy with perfume; but
for some reason or other, as scented
the breeze, the very perfume terrified
me. L had some miles to walk be-
fore I could reach the house in which
she was; and some little difficulty in
finding the path, which was strange
to me; but I reached it at last, nearly
an hour before midnight. It was
one of those old country which houses
are now growing scarcer and scarcer
every year in England-low, long
and rambling. Outside it was cover
ed with jasmine and roses and ivy.
No lights were to be seen down
stairs, save in that portion of the
mansion which I knew must be allot-
ted to the servants, who were busted
about the coming marriage festival
on the morrow. But in all the bed
rooms the lamps were yet burning.
Round the house I wander stealthily
and silently-treading on the grass,
lest my feet should disturb the gravel
and raise an alarm; keeping in the
shade of trees and shrubs, whence
[ could observe everything around
without myself being seen. o, how
carefully I walked. At sudden
turn, [ was met by dog, chained to
his kennel. who began barking
furiously at me. But I was not
afraid; ! crept cunningly around, got
behind him, and then, at q moment
when the brute was not looking, I
stretched out my hand toward his
throat, clutched it tight-so tight
and in u minute the only creature
that could have disturbed me, was
dead.
AS I looked at his body lying still
quivering and painting upon the
earth, there rose strange feeling
within me-a feeling that I cannot
and do not attempt to explain. I
knew afterward what it meant, and L
will tell you presently. o, it is a
glorious thing to feel that, mortal
though one is, one can hold in ones
hand the keys of life and death-to
know that one has but to say to one
self the word and do the deed, and
then in O moment another life will