Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-10-10

charge. Perhaps she expected me tt
plead for pardon. God knows what pos
sessed me. [ answered only:
MAY not talk to a pretty woman be
cause hope to marry you some day?"
"You were firting-almost making love
to her," she replied.
"She is the sort of woman with whom
men fall in love-" [ said; irresistible ir
her manner, I've heard she makes con
qu SITS everywhere; I don't doubt it,"
Grace looked at me with stern face
white in the starlight as marble statue.
"Other women are always jealous Of
such women,'' I added.
"I am not jealous Of her, she said. 81
would not be like her for kingdom. She
is a terrible woman. But since you ad
mire her so you are free to tell her SC
after YOU have seen me to my door,"
"Grace!'' | said.
| sMiss Hunter, if you please, Mr.
Rutherford,' said she. eve have both
made little mistake, easily rectifed
that is all,'
I felt, as stood looking at her, that the
effect of the wine had drank was stronger
upon me than had thought, but I gave
no heed to the warning of my giddy head
and rapid pulse.
"Jus as you please" [ said. "I should
think a jealous woman would curse any
man's life. III go now. won't trouble
you longer. Good-by."
We were not at the door of her home
we were about half a block from it; but |
turned on my heel then and there, and
left her. | staggered a little as | walked,
and | was hot and angry. | made my
way home, and without undressing fell
upon myabed and dropped asleep.
In two hours awakened sober I sat up
and looked about me. The scenes Of the
evening recurred to me vividly. I saw how
blameWorthy had beer, and terrible grief
oppressed me. put my head down upon
my hands, and burst into bitter tears. [
had lost her, and with her all that made
life precious Then hope dawned upon
my soul. would write to her; tell her
how, unused to liquor as | was; the wine
had affected me.
Springlng to my feet I rushed to my
desk. drew from it pen and paper L
wrote letter overfowing with remorse
and tenderness. read it and re-read it.
Then leaving it upon the spot where it
was written, stood at the window wait
ing for the tardy dawn, Jealous of the
slow hours that kept my rnissive from my
| darling.
had put out my candle when I left
my desk, and the room should have been
dark but as I turned my head after a
long and anxiots reverie, I saw it was
full of pale radiance like that of d, moon
light. 1t startled me. Whence cid the
light cofnb? Had miracle occurred
had the moon risen again?
Suddenly, amid the silvery light ap-
peared still whittier radiance. It slowly
took FORM A female figure, in white
garments so bright that they dazzled the
eyes, stood bending over my letter.
| remained motionless-to speak or
stir was not in my power-and gazed on
the strange object with terrified Intensity.
The figure seemed to turn the pages of my
letter with its transparent hand heard
a gentle sigh; then the head turned to-
ward me, and | saw a face | knew-the
face that seemed the lovelist of all on
earth to me, endowed with a mysterious
divine beauty, for which no man could
find words-the glorifed face of sweet
Grace Hunter.
At the sight burst the bonds that held
me-bonds as tangible as though | could
have seen them-and rushed forward. |
strove to clasp my love, or her shadow, in
my arms. A shock such as one might ex-
berience from an electrical machine flash
ed through me, and fell powerless to the
floor
When 1 recovered, the day had dawned,
and under the blue morning sky the city
had awakened; but my day never dawned
again. My heart never awoke to life's
sweetness
TO end the story in q few words, Grace
Hunter never reached her home that
night, and never was heard of again.
The family imagined that she had re-
mained with her friends, and were not
anxious about her [ had left her within
the sight of her own door, and why she
did not reach it / shall never know. But
| did know that in some woful manner
she died that night, and that her parting
spirit paused in its flight to bid me long
farewell.
| have outlived my youth, and the sus-
picion that fell upon me and embittered
many years of my existence; but | shall
never outlive my love for Grace Hunter,
or my remorse for that nights wotul
work. shall never outlive the knowl-
edge that in the madness caused by wine
and an evil woman's enchantment, L was
the cause of my darling's death.