New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-12-14

,hildren at play.
Not they only. There was fourth figure
standing with them-a Spanish girl of slender
form. She had q serapa thrown over her
shoulders. aud was watching them with
slightly dropping head.
That must be the lady!' exclaimed Mrs.
Adds to herself with sudden conviction. How
young she looks quite girl
In her excitement Mrs. Adds stumbled over
a stone and dropped her paper of sugar.
STOPPING to pick it up, her eyes were drawn
from the lady for an instant, and when she
looked up she could not see her anywhere.
The children were playing on in the porch, as
before. In her haste to gain the house she lost
her breath.
where's the lady?' she inquired of her
children. "ln the parlorf"
The little ones looked around, as if searching
for the lady so as to answer the question.
"The lady is not here, mamma, " said Nancy.
But she was with you minute ago."
They seemed surprised. One and all declared
that the lady had not been there that evening
Minnie, the second child, said she had not
played as much as the others, and must have
seen her had she come. But Mrs. Adds had
tire evidence OF her own eyesght, and went to
look !; a vague feeling of something strange was
beginning TO dawn upon her.
The lady was not in the garden, back or
front, as might be seen at glance. Mrs
Adds went into the different rooms indoors,
ana she was not there. Where lay the mys-
terry? In what did it consist?
From that night conviction of something
Notwithstanding to be avoided and feared
sat upon her. Day by day it deepened, like
darkening cloud.
1t was extremely painful to acknowledge 10
herself that this curious and inexplicable thing
had greater power over her, 10 depressing her
heart and paralyzing her spirits, than the
severe sorrow that passed over her life, leaving
her alone In the world with its troubles
A vague fear of some i'll to Come haunted
her, and yet she had not the Courage to con-
fess the weakness and beg Mr. Evans to find
them another home. Whenever the children
named "the lady" she shuddered, and vet could
not reason clearly on the subject, or decide
sensibly what foundation she had for 'misgiving.
She became daily more oppressed by brooding
over this very uncertainty, and the shadowy
dread that haunted her.
One thing she observed: that the children
never now spoke of seeing the lady but in the
little red play-room Whenever she appeared
to them IF appear she did, and it was not all
deusion on their part) it was always there
The singular circumstance was that they had
no fear and whether they really believed that
they saw the lady, one of real flesh and blood.
Mrs. Adds did not know. She would not talk
to them about it,
Thus the time went on, and October came
in. One day she had been down in ST. Annis'
Valley, and was toiling back upward after her
long journey over the sandhills. CHANGING to
the house when she came in view of it, she saw
one of their good friends. Mr.. Brown, in the
porch with the children. He had Willy in his
arms, aad the two girls were jumping and talk
ing by his side.
There's mamma! y they cried. "Mammas
come back"
In that moment the strange and painful
doubts were lost sight of by Mrs. Adds; she
laughed and nodded in her turn, and quickened
her weary steps.
Suddenly her heart stood still as though it
were turned to stone. Passing lightly out at
the door behind the group already there came
the figure of the Spanish girl, and stood among
them so close that their garments seemed to
touch but no one noticed her or appeared to
mark her presence. She leaned forward anx-
iously, and shaded her face with her hand as
she watched, looking earnestly down toward
and beyond the hill. For an instant Mrs. Ad-
dis seemed to lose sight and sense; and when
she looked again the figure bad gone.
Was anyone with you here minute ago2''
she asked of Mr.. Brown.
There's no one here but me, Mrs. Adds; me
long walk has fatigued you
She said no more. 1t was on the tip of her
tongue to tell him all, but she did not. Perhaps
a dread of being secretly laughed at prevented
1T. How she dreaded the staying on in that
house on Russian Hill only herself knew
The rainy season commenced early; there
was great deal of it-quite food-so that
the children played indoors Mrs. Adds never
heard them talk of the lady now, and felt con.
WINGED she was not appearing to them. Only
twice had Mrs Adds beheld her; yet she
seemed to remember her face as clearly, every
feature of it, though she had known her for
years. And, before attempting to relate what
followed, hope must be expressed-as Mrs.
Adds expressed it-that she could not be
charged with insanity.
1t was the 10Th Of October; almost midnight.
and about fortnight after the walk to ST. An
mis- Valley. Mrs. Adds, very busy over some
sewing, and feeling sadly desolate, was at work
il her bedroom by the light of the lamp, the
three children abed and asleep around her.
She sat there for company. The wind sighed
drearily without, and the dull to!lng of the
fOg-bell on the beach sounded on each rising
gust. Almost imperceptibly at FIRST soft, |
low moan began to mngle with the bell end it |
caught Mrs. Adds ear. She looked off her |
work to listen, her very blood feeling suddenly |
chilled. lt came from the little room the |
children played in. She was convinced of that
rs she listened with hushed breath. Taking
he lamp, she moved to the door, i'm PEELED by
ear, impelled by that strange impulse that for
bids you to remain stationary in dread like
his. Opening the door of the red room she
OOked In, and saw-well, what wel-nigh
urned her BRAIN She stood In a sort of dream,
lot knowing whether she was asleep or awake.
The room seemed to be filled with furniture
urnlture that ii had not in reality n bed and
hairs, and mating on the floor. On the bed
ay the lady she had before seen, the Spanish
,rl her features distorted with what seemed
o be death struggle. A man whose face was
lot observable to Mrs. Acids, stood beside the
ed. The Spanish girl made frantic effort 20
prng up, as if to beat him off, and then sank
ack and moved no more. The man tore up
ne mating and some of the floor, and great
ole seemed suddenly to yawn there. Then
y the side OF the bed, appeared long box,
nd Mrs. Adds felt sure that it was not there
minute before. Into this the man pushed
he insensble girl, and lifted it into the great
ole.
This was all. Terrified nearly to death, the
oor woman lost her senses and FELL As she
expressed it, afterwards, cold, dull, awkward
lark seemed to stretch itself like black cur
Ain between her sight and the world.
The children found her lying there insensible,
nd help was called in. In vain her friends
rove to impress upon her that this strange
Gene she seemed to have witnessed was moth
~ but dream or q nightmare she replied
y asking whether the appearance of the
panish girl to her and her children beforehand
ad been dream. The night was succeeded i
y dangerous fever, and she lay for many {
avs in deliriuin