The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-01-12
Tcosr1suEp FROM FIRST PAGE.

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though know well enough, in spite of
my not being all artist, that the bloom
of varnish was quite another sort of
thing.
The Pioneer sailed. We received
or, rather, Lettie received-two letters
from George, which he had taken the
opportunity of sending by homeward-
bound whalers. In the second he said
it was hardly likely he should have an
opportunity ofsending another, as they
were sailing into high latitudes-into
the solitary sea, to which none but
expedition ships ever penetrated.
They were all in high spirits, he said,
for they had encountered very little
ice, and hoped to find clear water far
ther north than usual. Moreover, he
added, Grieve had held sinecure SO
far, for there had not been q single
case of illness on board.
Then came long silence, and year
crept away very slowly for poor Lettie.
Once we heard of the expedition from
the papers. They were reported as
pushing on, aud progressing favorably,
by a wandering tribe of Esquimaux,
with whom the Captain of a Russian
vessel fell in. They had laid the ship
up for the winter, and we're taking the
boats on sledges, and believed they had
met with traces of the lost crews, that
seemed to show they were on the right
track.
The Winter passed again, and Spring
came. 1t was a balmy Spring, such
as we get occasionally, even in this
changeable and uncertain climate of
ours.
One evening we were sitting in the
dinning room, with the window open
for the room was SO oppressively warm
that we were glad of the breath of the
cool evening breeze.
Lettie was working. Poor child,
though she never murmured, she was
evidently pining at Georges long alb
scene. Harry was leaning out of the
window, studying the evening effect
on the fruit blossom, which was won
dertully early and plentiful, the sea-
son was so mild. was setting at the
table, near the lamp, reading the paper.
Suddenly there swept into the room
chill. 1t was not Il gust of cold wind
for the curtain, by the open window,
did not swerve in the least But the
deathly cold pervaded the room-came
and was gone in an instant. Lettie
shuddered, as did, with the intense
icy feeling.
She looked up. "How curiously cold
it has got all in minute" she said.
ave arc having taste of poor
Georges Polar weather." l said, with
u smile.
At the same moment instinctively
glanced toward his portrait. What
saw struck me dumb. A rush of blood
at fever heat dispelled the numbing in
fluence of the chill breath that had
seemed to freeze me.
/ have said that the lamp was light
ed; but it was only that I might read
with comfort, for the violet twilight
was still so full of sunset that the room
was not dark. But as looked at the
picture saw it had undergone a
strange change. saw it as plainly as
possible. 1t was no delusion, coined
for the eye by the brain.
l saw, in the place of Georges head,
q grinning skull !! l stared at it hard,
but it was no trick of fancy. 1 could
see the hollow orbits, the cleaning
teeth, the feshless cheek bones-it was
the head Of death7
Without saying word, rose from
my chair, and walked straight up to
the painting. AS drew nearer, sort
of mist seemed to pass before it; and
rs / stood close to it, 1 saw only the
face of George. The spectral skull had
vanished.
"Poor George!" l said, unconsciously
Lettie looked up. The tone of my
voice had alarmed her, the expression
of my face did not reassure her.
''What do you meant Have you
heard anything9 Oh, Robert, in mer-
ey tell mel"
She got up, and came over to me,
and laying her hands on my arm,
looked up into my face; imploringly.
"No, my dear; how should 1 hear
Only could not help thinking of the
privation and discomfort he must have
gone through. was reminded of it by
the cold"
"Cold!" said Harry, !who had left the
window by this time. "Cold! what on
earth are you talking about ? Cold,
such an evening as this! You must
have had touch Of the ague, l should
think"
"Both Lettie and l felt it bitterly
cold minute or two ago. Did not
you feel it?"
"Not a bit; and as / was three parts
out of the window, l ought to have
felt it, if any one did"
1t was curious, but that strange chill
had been felt only in the room. 1t was
not the night wind, but some super
natural breath connected with the
dread apparition | had seen. 1t was,