The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-03-18
FHE FREMONT JOURNAL


ed, my ladyg the youth inquired.
Yes she gasped, clutching the
oox and its contents to her bosom
as II to hide it even from the ewes
OF her attendant 'Quickl Let me
gop
Not yet, my LADY, Roland inter
posed. you cannot mean thisY
And why potY
You have come a hundred miles
without food
'WellY
The night is bitter cold, the snow
| is falling
what thenf What is the night to
me?
As she spoke, the wrapper which
had evnelOped her slid to the ground.
Then there stood revealed a figure
Of majestic bearing, tall and grand
" imposing. The face also, hither.
to partially hidden, was disclosed in
all its strange and WOndrOus beauty
"a face on which it was impossible
TO gaze without admiration, and.
equally SO, without a shudder. It
was the face Of a statue, white and
cold; but lit up with great eyes like
those Of beast Of prey, cavernous,
flaming, and inexpressibly restless.
Without further word, the strange
being strobe over the fallen leopard
skin towards an inner room, dimlv
lit and partially visible through a
half-opened door. Roland paused a
moment: then followed her.
what is her sin? what is her mvs-
terry? he half muttered. WHY is
her life a burden to her through
this horrible dread!-dread of what?
Never. still, never safe; frightened at
a look, scared at a whisper, forever
flying, hiding, suffering torture on
torture. What has she done? Great
heaven, what has she done?
Thinking rather than speaking to
this effect, Roland entered the din
ing-room. There the lady was al
ready busy in making a hasty toilet
of strange nature. At this Roland
assisted, and without improprietv.
for In spite Of name and masculine
attire, the attendant was a woman
purchase slave, bought by the fu-
gitive and retained by her as a com.
panion chiefly because, from a SINH
larity in height, frame, and general
expression, it was possible by the
aid Of dress for the one to pass for
the other, so that in case Of danger
a ready deception might be praetic-
ed on watehful enemies, and a means
Of escape secured. The perfection
of this arrangement was displayed on
this occasion; for when the LADY,
presently emerged from an inner
room, enveloped in the travelling
cloak, it was emposible to recognize
her. The arts of the toilet had en-
abled her to simulate the slaves dead
olive complexion and crisped hair
Of sable blackness. Even the ering-
ing, seryile manner was efectuallv
assumed.
Ny pistolr she said as she came
forth.
Yes, my lady: but
The pistol, the pistolr was the
impatient demand.
With a sigh the slave went to tba
inner room, and returning presented
her mistress with a weapon Of ORR
ental manufacture, the handle enrich
ed with gold and gems. ThrustiDg
this beneath her cloak the woman
approached the door. Her slave an
ticipated her wishes and unlocked
it. This was a moment of weak
ness, indeeision, terror it might be;
and then with & groan OF agony, she
went forth. Assuming what air Of
uneOncern was possible to her, tie
fugitive stole along the corndop, des-
eended the staircase, and passed out
into the bleak, desolate night.
The snow was falling, and freez-
ing as it fell. The wind swept in
bleak gusts across the fields. Not
a sound broke the stiffness of the
night, and even theWomen's footsteps
did not betray her They fell noise
fessly, and the fresh snow obliterated
them as she Went-fying, flying in
terror froW her invisible foes.
III.
A December sun, like a red moon
in the murky heavens, strove to
give light and warmth, and strove
in vain. The aspect of the morn
ing chilled Armand Geichen to the
heart as he looked out upon it from
the window of a house in the shad-
ow of st. Hugh-the-Less; yet when
he turned from the window. and
surveyed the room in which he
found himself, there was little to
cheer or exhilarate.
1t was a poor, mean room, with q
scanty fire burning in its huge CRATE
The walls were bare, and the furn-
iture bare and insufficient. It was a
place to hide in. Perhaps that had
abeen its attraction to the fair womaD
with the golden hair in a tangled
mass about her white face, who Iay
sleeping on the rug before the fire.
That was Eyaline, and this was
her apartment.
The people Of the house knew
Armand as visiting their strange
lodger, and had admitted him an
hour ago. He had founo Evaline
sleeping as she then slept, and had
not the heart to wake her.
"Poor wretch" ne muttered, gaz-
inc at her from a distance. "She
may be innocent and happy in her
sleep; will not bring her back to
guilt and misery"
Unconeiously he uttered the words
aloud; they struck on the sleeper's
ear Perhaps the tone of that voice
thrilled to her heart. With a long
sigh she tuned, raised her he1vy
evelids, and looked up into Arm
lnd's face. A cry of Joy escaped
her: she rose and went toward him.
Only a step or two; then she stop
ped. Something in his eyes, some
thing in his manner, startled and
confounded her. The dawning smile
died out of her face, the halGraised
hands dropped to her side.
-What-what-" she faltered,
trying to speak, in vain.
What am ] doing here, YOU
would ask?' said Armand coldly,