Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-05-19

and up to within the last couple OF months
she corresponded regularly with her
friend who, although no longer a girl
was still unmarried, Notwithstanding the
ripeness and fascination of her beauty
In the letters that passed between them,
occasional men0bn was made of the I'M.
finished embroidery; when Alice always
jocularly renewed her pledge to finish the
moss rose, whether dead or alive. So
beautiful was the basket of flowers in
even its incomplete condition, it was the
practice of its fair and intellectual GUS
todia- to exhibit it, at times, to such OF
her friends as she deemed judges of such
things; while it was her custom every
New Years eve before retiring to rest, to
place the embroidery frame before her, on
which the canvas still lay stretched, for
the purpose of communing in spirit
with the loved one beneath whose fingers
it began first to glow.
In this way time stole steadily on, I'M
til the night of the 31st of December last,
when this frame was again brought from
its hiding place, and shown to a gentle
man and lady who happened to drop in
on its owner. After their departure, she
who had priced it so dearly placed it in a
small parlor adjoining her bed chamber,
where, after dwelling with fearful eyes
upon the happy scenes it awakened, she
suddenly formed the resolution of adding
the missing flower herself; and to this
end, as she was an accomplished embroid-
erer, she laid out all her colors on the
table, determined to commence the work
on the following morning. Full of this
rcc o1ya oh ~ Io,. L. 81
soon asleep.
How long she had remained in this
state of Inconsistencies she was unable
to say but when she again became aware
of her existence, she was both surprised
and alarmed to discover that the apart
ment in which the embroidery frame stood
was filed with pale, greenish light, and,
more inexplicable still, it was occupied
by some one who was humming an air
that was familiar to her As her senses
became more collected, her heart stood
still There could be no installing the
voice! 1t was that of Alice! and the
song was, "Robert tot que Jaime !"
Slowly but surely great fear overshad-
owed her, until she was totally paralyzed.
In vain she attempted to cry Quit She
could neither speak nor move, so COM
pletely was she overpowered /; and had not
a merciful Inconsistencies again taken
possession of her, she entertains the idea
that Der life would have been the forfeit.
1t was long after daylight before the
spell which had seized upon her was
broken; and when after a hasty toilet,
she appeared in the breakfast room, her
pale and agitated countenance bespoke
at once that she was i'll at ease. A foreign
letter in mourning envelope lay beside
her PLATED With trembling hand she
broke the seal. Alice c. was dead !
She fastened up stairs and sat down at
the table where, on the previous night,
she had arranged all her embroidery ma
terials. 1t appeared to her as though they
had been slightly disturbed. She glanced
towards the embroidery frame
The moss rose was added to the basket of
flowers.
1t has, without effect, been suggested
to this lady that she had herself, while in
some abnormal condition, finished the en-
Droidery, and that the arrival of the letter
was but strange coincidence. To all
such arguments she turns a deaf ear
iverring that she was perfectly conscious
If her position while she was listening to
The cavatina from Robert :" and that
were she to receive the wealth of India for
rose like the one in question,
'he should never be able to perform the
ask. In this way she shakes the incred-
llity of those who know her although
ome are not to be convinced that the
cry singular affair is incapable of
'eing explained on natural principles. |