Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-12-25
0 the child
It is dying, dead
It's gone.
CHAPTER ".
THE FATAL BOOUET,

CHAPTER ".
THE FATAL BoQUET.
Bring flowers to crown the cup and Lutte
Bring flo .ers the bride is near;
| Bring flowers to soothe the captlves CELL
| Bring flowers to streW the bier
Mss Landon.
I could not rest that night. tossed
heavily about On my pillow. 1 got up and
sat near the window, looking out on the
on"i"ous moon. A light mist hung before
it as veil. I covered in my chair I was
not afraid. The hooting evil alarmed me
not, nor the bats that fitted about, and
crept. and futtered in the ivy. looked
down into the garden. I trembled as an
aspen leaf. l did not fear. What did [
see? Was it the returned necromancer
with his scowl and spells ? No. Some
thing was in the distance. It's eyes are on
me. Cowardicc is not my portion. I was
no dreamer. This was not dream. I
saw something. It was on my favorite
walk 1t was starding by Violet's parterre
I strained my sight to define the outline.
[ did not believe in ghosts or babbling
COLLINS. The image was becoming more
distinct. It stopped, and picked few
flowers and tied them in bunch together.
It looks like little child, little girl.
What It is Violet herself I must, [
thought, be dreaming. This was all fan
tasy. But no. There she was, and look
ing up at me. [ walked out What could
she be doing out there at that hour when
[ knew her to be in her cot sleeping ? Was
i a presentment When Z reached the
garden the vision was gone. Nothing was
there. There it was again, my little niece.
do not stand. [ return. She follows.
1t is her shade. I go back to my room. [
endeavor to close my eyes. There now.
See At my window the shadow came. 1t
tapped
| I feel my shows sla cken'd with the fright,
And cold sweat thrills down all DER my limbs,
AS If l were diseolVing iato water"
l must be in a stupor This cannot but
be an idle dream. I went to my desk. I
would collect my thoughts. I placed both
hands to my brow. covered my face. I
moved uneasily in my chair. What could
that have been? Not my sweet Violet
0 no, not she. 1t was impossible Yet
there was her angelic countenance. She
was pale What was the matter Dead?
0 God, no, not dead. I awoke The
cheering rays of a bright sun streamed on
me through the window. Thought of the
vision in my sleep, and I laughed at the
vagaries of my troubled mind. Soon, and
[ saw that it was all an idle fancy. For
there at the breakfast table was my sweet
devoted Violet. She had nice boquet for
me, and one for her father. She had been
already out in the dewy morn gathering
them, and bright dew drops were still gilt
tering aud trembling on their leaves. Her
silvery laugh as she handed me mine
showed me the fallacy of my restless night.
nevertheless looked upon her sadly. She
ran to De Kimberly and, smelling the
bunch of hOwerets, presented them with
h.o,, H. FL NJ.
slightly sneezed. She was SO cherry red,
more beautiful than had ever beheld her.
We had all apparently forgotten the ad- |
venture of the night previous. None of us
cared to recur to tho presence of Kinglake
in the house. Madam de Kimberly could |
not bear his name mentioned in her pres
ence. Why, [ could never learn. Proba-
bly, because she had no faith in his charms
But why did he avoid her Why did he
dash out of the house the moment he was
aware of her presence? Here was a mys-
terry had to ravel. How could it be done?
Seek Kinglake? Where ? Find out from
him How The matter was not SO fea-
sible. Still there was never knot that
could not be united, and never sock that
could not be unraveled. I was determined |
to find out the retreat of Kinglake to
beard the lion in his den. He lived some
where, hermit like, in the neighborhood,
report said, in cave known as the
" Bloody Rock" Here he boarded his ill
gotten gain. He was darkness in the day.
At night he was an evil light. His Golfers I
were full of gold and precious gems. [
would discover his retreat. would watch
him. l would learn the reason of his dis
like for Madam de Kimberly This would
be the best medicine for my mind my
brain would not be atease till the discovery
was made. This wild man or wizard man,
or fend, must be made to disgorge his
knowledge, whether that knowledge lead
to good or evil. I would not start imme-
diately. I would not make inquiries of
De Kimberly and Mary. That would be
suspicious. I would abide my time, and
leave the rest to the guidance of God