The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-05-06


few rapid steps brought him to her side
'Why, Marie he said, you are as pale
as one of Horace Walpole's ghosts-bah
it is the ghastly moonlight" a
He drew the curtains together and l
saw the co.or come back to her face as he
bore her away. But knew it had gone
from mine. l knew there was an unearth.
ly pallor on my face, as sat there with
my back to the moonlight and still the
| musicians played ont was Weber's
waltz, and it seemed as if the walters
| would never tire !. my brain reeled, and
circled. and quivered, and still the waltz
ers waitzed-then Marie and her husband
fioated by, the merriest among them all. ~
Am the victim of dream? / said
Did Marie Percival stand by my side a
| moment ago, reading the Inscription upon
her own tomb F.? was that true or is this
true? for at that moment it did not seem
to me that both could be true. j ust as /
was losing the power to solve this or any
| other question, the waltz ended and sup
per followed. Shortly after the party
broke up, and Marie kissed me good night,
without making any aliusion to the sin
gular episode which had made such
/ painful impression On my mind.
Marie kissed me ''good night" said,
but it was in reality good bye, for as they
were to leave by FIVE O'Clock the next
morning. did not expect to see her again
until her return. This would be in about
four weeks, and had promised to re-
main with her parents until that time.
| But fate decided otherwise. A few lines
tr,O " 10 hrnt haT inf Il tIo L..
had just decided TO carry out long cher
ished wish, which was to go with his
wife TO Europe. 1t was their desire that
l should accompany them. As we were
| to start in less than a week, l was obliged
| to hurry home.
| 1 left few lines for Marie, stating that
would write to her as soon as possible,
! and let her know where to address a let
| ter to me.
! II is not my purpose TO speak of my
! life in Europe-where we went or what
we saw-only this: My brother could
never understand my dislike to visiting
the tombs of the dead.
81 do not like rummaging in grave
| yards" l would say to him. So, too,
with all moonlight nights so beautiful to
| him, but which were, and always will be,
| CHASTITY horror to me.
| | wrote frequently to Marie and her
mother, but my brother mad no fixed plan,
and as we were constantly on the move,
it was impossible for me to receive any
replies
We remained abroad until the follow
ing April, little more than year. The
! do oft ol I
hr. Linden's. / cannot exactly tell what
my fe-lngs were as the cars neared the
old town. Certainly was not as calm
turbing vision. But if any one had asked
| me if | believed III the possibility of its
truth, should have answered. ''No."
1t was four O'Clock when / arrived at
the end of my journey. A few minutes
walk brought me to the house. rang
the bell, which W as answered by an old
woman whom l had frequently seen dur
ing my previous visits
"Come in,'' she said ''Mr. and Mrs
Linden are in Europe; you did not know
it, perhaps"
81 have just returned from Europe my
/ self"
l could not ask about Marie but /
arose and went to the, window, the one
that looked out upon the churchyard, and
l saw-yes, reader, saw the third mon
ument. In ten minutes [ stood before it.
With brain too paraIyzed to admit of
surprise, or any other feeling, l read
''Sacred to the Memory of Mario Percival
who died February 9Th, 18--, aged nine
teen years and eleven months''
don't know how long it was before !
was aroused by the old woman from the
stuper into which had fallen. Becom-
ing alarmed at my long stay, she had
come out to find me. From her learn
ed all l shall ever know I will tell it in
as few words as possible
On that day Marie, with ber husband,
and two or three other young friends, had
gone out on the bay, as was their custom
when the weather was fine. i gathered,
from what the woman said, that the day
had been unusually calm, but that sud-
den squall had thrown the boat against a
low reef of Shiny, weed covered rocks,
which ran out into the water. 1t did not
upset the boat, bat Mrs. Percival was
thrown out. The accident happened on
the seaward side of the rocks, and though
Mr. Percival was good swimmer, and
remained in the water until he was drag
geo out by one of the party, yet Mrs. Per
ciVal was not found until some hours af-
terward.
have only to add, that Mr.. Linden,
who was an Englishman, took his wife to
Europe, hoping that in change of scene
she might recover from the shock. But
she died shortly afterward, and was bur-
led there. Mr. Linden has never returned
to this country.
Of Mr. George Percival know aoth-
ing. Whether he married again, OF
whether he is still mourning for his Iost