Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-07-08
THE HALL0W EVE MYSTERY.
A LEGEND OF THE BLACK HILLS

4 LII dhLLUW Eve MYSTERY
A LEGEND OF THE BLACK HILLS
CHAPTERL
THE BERNERs OF THE BURNING HEARTS
"Their love was Ike the lava flood
That burns in Etns's breast of fame"
Near the end of q dark autumn-day, no
many years ago, young couple, returnin
from their bridal tour, arrived by steame
at the old city of Norfolk; and, taking
hack, drove directly to the best inn.
The gentleman registered himself an,
his party as Mr.. and Mrs. Lyon Berners
OF Black Hall, Virginia, and two servants
1--WE shall need private parlor an,
chamber communicating for our own use
and couple OF bedrooms for our servants,
said Mr. Berners, as he handed his hat ans
cane to the bowling waiter.
Certainly, sir. What would Won Hk,
for tea? asked the landlord.
"Oh, anything you please, so that it i
nice and neatly served" said Mr.. Berners
with q slightly impatient wave of his hanf
as If ne would have been rid of his obse
quious host
''Ah, ha! anything please 1t is cas-,
to see what ails him. He lives upon love
Just now; but lse'n care more about his bill
OF fare few weeks hence" chuckled Tho
landlord, as he left the public parlor to ex
ecute his guests orders.
The bridegroom was no sooner left alone
with his bride than he seated her in tht
easiest arm chair, and began with affection,
ate zeal to unite her bonnet strings and un.
clasp her mantle.
''You make my maid a useless an.
pendage, dear Lyon" said the little lady,
smiling up in his eyes, "You love me
so much. dear Lyon! You love me SO
much! Yet not too much either for oh
If you should ever cease to love me, OF
even If you were ever to love me less, II
: dare not think what / should do !'' she
muttered in long, deep, shuddering tone.
"Why, Sybil, my wife-you beautiful
mad creature You are true daughter of
your house! A Berners of the burning
heart! A Berners of whom it has been
said, that it is almost as fatal to be loved
as to be hated by"
Suddenly in the midst of their converse
they heard the sound of weeping-low.
deep, heart-broken weeping.
Both paused, looked az each other, and
listened.
The sound seemed to come from room
on the opposite side of the passage to their
own apartment.
"What is that?" inquired Sybil, look
ing up in her husbands face. -. =
1T seems to be some woman in distress, "
answered Lyon.
''Oh see what it is, dear, will your" en-
treated Sybil
She was herself so happy, that it was
really dreadful to be reminded lust then
that sorrow should exist In this world at
all.
But If she could have foreseen the woe
that was to come to herself, to her husband,
and to the object of her sympathy, she
would have held Lyon back, as with the
grip OF fate, from the mission on which she
now sent him.
For the weeper was beautiful woman
a deserted wife-named Rosa Blondelle.
who, although buta few days landed from
the vessel which had brought her from
Europe, bad been robbed of her Jewels
and money by her husband, and then left
to her fate in that Norfolk hotel.
Sybil was deeply moved BY this lady's
story, and insisted on taking Mrs. Blon-
dele home with her to Black Hall and
Mr. Berners gave his assent to her wishes
But before they got ready to set out on
their journey. Sybil bitterly repented of the
Mrs. Blondelle was SO en-
lovely that Mr.. Berners at once
began to yield to her charms; and Sybil,
for the first time, saw him pay the homage
Of admiration to other beauty than her
Dwn. e. STIFF
This kindled the fires of jealousy in her
heart, and by the time they reached Black
Hall, those fires had become famed into
IN inextinguishable flame
And no Berners had ever been known to
give an object ofjealousy.
Black Hall the abode of Mr.. and Mrs
8erners was a palatial old Virginia mansion,
ltuated in the heart of the Black Valley, q
few miles from Blackville, the country
town. 1t had been in Mrs. Berner's family
Tor generations, and was renowned for the
scenes of gayety and hospitality which had
beneath its roof.
Mrs. Berners, the last of her race, to
give vent to the emotions of her restless,
Jealous heart, resolved to reinaugurate the
festivities of the olden time, and for that
purpose announced mask ball for the en-
suing All-Hallov Eve, and at once set
about getting all things in readiness.
One day while she was absent at Black
vile, making purchases, Lyon and Rosa
became SO absorbed in one another, as to
become oblivious of the entry of Mrs
Winterose, the old housekeeper, who
found them sitting closely side by side,
her hand elapsed in his. On SYPHILIS re-
turn, the old housekeeper described this
scene to her, with many exaggerations.
The revelation seemed to fire.. Sybil into
ice.
"Oh, my hedrg my hedrt!" she moaned,
turning deathly pale. And then, after a
long silence, she bitterly added, Deceived!
Betrayed! Scorned! Laughed at! Well,
wellr she continued, nodding grimly;
''well, well, since deceit is the fashion of
the day, I too will be in the fashion; too
will wear mask of smile.l But behind
that mask, will watch !-Oh, how will
watch! Not at my fancy bali alone will I
play a part, but before it, and, perhaps,
after W None shall ever know how watch,
what see, until / descend with the fell
swocp of the eagle. And henceforth let
me remember that am a daughter of the
house of Berners, who never failed friend
DR. spared foe. And oh, let the spirit of
my fathers support me, for must ENDURE
until / can AvENcKi
And oh! could those triflers with sacred
ove-those wanderers on the brink of a
fearful abyss-have seen the look of her
lace then, they would have fed from each
other forever, rather than to have dared
'he desperation of her reused soul -
But they saw nothing, knew nothing,
nothingi -
And thus all the three drifted towards
he awful brink of ruin.
CHAPTER IL
THE FIRST RATAL HALLow EVE
It was All -Hallow Eve, night long an