New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-07

Sic waited in the passage while l hastil
armed myself with rubbers and umbrelI
. and then hurried me along. She led IL
through passage. up staircase, then tur,
l Ing and up again, until she placed her han
on the rafting knob of door, on whic
i were the words: mime. L'As,ra, Busine,
: and Healing Medium"
"lsn t there some mistake here" asked
1sr was young III the profession, and MOI
sensitive to possible association with quacl
cry, and to other violations Of the code {
3 ethics, than am now.
mo, sir" answered the girl, in voice {
rather coarse and metallic quality. .'This
where Mrs. Lunt lives. Her other name
!, NINE. L'Astra. Come right in"
LIZ was the same room, with but a Sigh
change IN appearance, while the odor of
stew OF some medicinal herbs was added (
the compound which had analysed on III
former visit. The s0fa-bed was in its be,
form, and on it lay Nine LAttra. evidentl
much nearer the spirit world than she eve
before suspected herself of being.
AS l raised my head froia brief es
animation of the sick woman to ask ques
ton Of the girl, who had thrown off be
cloak and was standing at the side of tn
couch, was conscious Of puZzling ren,in
lscence The face ] had certainly seen be
fore, yet | utterly failed to recall the cir
} cumstances. 1t was youthful and fresh
A"shSA wv AASSu anu IOSJ ~
refinement, in fact; the texture Of the ski
seemed healthy, but coarse; the expression
was that Of selfconsciOusness, with a ting
| OF bOdness, aGL in the manner OF dressing
the hair there was a somewhat unpleasant
suggestion OF frowsy display. The features
were in their shape NOT without beauty Of {
rather striking character, and this was wha
as1tated my memory.
As l locked became conscious that the
I feeble at .ha a
evidently with recognition in their gaze.
bent my head to hear what she was strug
| gilug to utter.
-know-her2' rolling her ewes
in the direction Of the girl.
at once it flashed through my mind
Here was the original of the spirit Lillian,
IN her permanently materalized form. as
seen without the accessories OF shadows and
howers. and probably pearl powder and
| chalk
"Don't-expose-her. did it all-fcr
her. She-wlil not--starve when I'm gone"
| gasped out the old woman. Lucy
| well, mother}'
But whatever the poor woman had to say
to her daughter was left unsaid Her
strength was exhausted by the short effort
to excite my sympathy for her helplessness.
| The maternal instinct was strong even to
the verge of death, and would have EN-
ployed the last breath i'll the service OF the
child.
When l returned to my office there was
Tom. Had he at this time put to me the
question regarding his sanity nv answer
would have been less confident than it had
been month before. His delusiou had
grown apace. He had indnlged in fancies
that were actually wild at times. One OF
tht Sc was, that since be could never possess
Lillian in this world, he would serve his own
happiness by getting himself in the spirit
world as quickly as possible. He would be-
come FESTIVE under opposition; ard when, as
1 met hl;n now, lie advanced with the state.
ment that lie had come to say good by,
wished me to take the key OF his room and
denver In the morning package would
ftfi Oh the table, as he was 10 take the night
train and would not be back for some Gays,
l thought the crisis had come. 1t required
a sharp awakening, or his mania mi ght i'll
deed push him On to suicide.
Have you pade goodby to Lillian and the
MADAME asked, with as close an imitation
OF pleasantly as L could summon up
'Lilan. Lillian" said Ten. with the |
strangest yearning in his voice aud eyes.
mo; madam has been too sick to give sit |
tings tcr a fortnight past. But hope to see
Lillian before return
when does your train leave!'
"Oh, it makes 20 difference-I mean. about |
nine O'Clock. l believe"
y
way with ne. have a patient to whom l
must return at once"
"Oh, yes" said Tom, YEARLY; "I'll walk
along with You"
Now, thought to.myself, for an expert.
Dent that will either kill or cure II Tom
would NOT yield his morbid fancy to reason,
he must TO startling tact.
'Here9 You're surely not going up here!"
eild he. rs turned into the doorway of the
passage leading to Nine. L'Astras apart.
!hents.
Yes replied. 1.-THE madame is nv
patient. Come mp with me. Ii is curious
ease, and know she won't object to my
bringing you in for a minute"
''lt makes no diff renee! 1t makes no
Inference now l heard Tom mutter as he
followed me along the dim passage
presumed upon my professional priv
ege Tor purpose OF my own. and entered
without knocking. Madame Law as before. |
ind tie tilal Lucy was engaged in minis
el1nE, with camphor and other such com.
non medlcaments, to the sick woman's
ancied comfort. She was tender enough
Ii her care. but outwardly she was even
ess attractive than when had seen her a
ew hours before. She had changed her 8
!"wn tor one of calico, which, without
'ciDg absolutely slstternly, had a leaning ,
II that direction. HeI hair, which she had g
worm loose, had become tangled and was | a
skew over her forehead. Hsr face looked t
eoder and c"arser than ever; and, but for t
hose large and brilliant eyes, / doubt if @
'"m would have recognized the Lillian Of 4
i fancy.
Perhaps tho eyes themselves would baye Y
een insufficient, had not startled look v
unlo INTO them as their glance fell uvon | Il
ON; but that he saw 1t ali. and took it all | a
D at once, was conscious a
III WAS, IN my opinion, an even chance t
neither Ills mania would burst out into |,
wac nj insanity on the spot or whether his
y seal strength would collapse, ana then il
robably run of fever to work off his IL
'oubls. But Tom neither yelled nor G
united. All the man i'll him rose up at b
nee and saved him, half crazrd tbouph he | Ii
40 hfeli. ibis is what he said, speaking | Ii
W in my ear IL
'Doht hurry yourself, Roger; but when IL
III get through with your patient YOU |!
'euh wall LOT me. want to speak with | le
at young womaD." fl
What was spoken at that interview Tom | d
'vtr told mo exactly. 1t was enough to h
COW, from the manner in which madam OF
nnned his praises at my subsequent visit. ia
at ne had behaved b, tn handsomely and to
s"reefly; and from Tom himself, that his e,
lnsiOn WAS over. re
n. NE. L'Astra, perhaps ought to say un to
rinnafeiy, paid tribute to Llcy's NURSING lii
d medical skill by recovering: and if The nc
irlfs that have gone before thus lost by of
e postronement Of what would doubtless ra
We been distinguished arrival, the ma hi
iaiized ghosts visiting this sphere endured tn
ihaps greater bereavement, for Lillian no
Yer reappeared. l think this must have ag
Il one OF the conditions imposed by Tom of
h,s silence on The subject; and whatever
~ have been Nine. L'Astra's amh,tion tow co
+ very substantial familiar spirit. il could Oh
rdiy have been that If which Tom shorty Co
ought me news, in the announcement Of an
marriage OF Lucy Lunt to the keeper of p