The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-07-15

with regrets for my past folly, and fears
for what might follow. But two weeks
passed by and L heard no word and
saw nothing of Breeze Rogers until
that chill October night, when my story
opens.
turned my face away, lest the light
of those dark eyes should bring back the
old delirium. For at that one glance L
felt the blood leap through my veins,
and strange glow shoot through my
heart. 1 thoroughly despised this man,
yet he had q power over me still. A
woman who has ever been held in n
mans arms, and felt his kisses upon her
get him that the sight of his face will
not sometimes move her. At length L
arose and moved away from the window.
A second later something struck the
glass with sharp click.
What was that p asked mamma.
"The wind hurled something against
the window pane," 1 answered. A mo-
ment later and it was repeated. "Why,
it sounds like something thrown against
the glass;" mamma said. "Tell Har-
wood to see what it is, Rose"
1 got up and went out of the room. 1
knew it was useless to resist Breeze
Rogers summons longer. 1 must go
a. d see what he wanted. threw dark
cloak over my shoulders and went out.
He heard the door open, and glided into
the shadows again.
"What do you want2" 1 asked, icily.
"Why are you here ? 1 told you never
to approach me again"
"Yes, but you were angry then. You
have had time to think more kindly of
me since, and l came to tell you that
Cora is dead. She died last night, and
with her dying lips she forgave me what
ever wrong l have done her. was with
her and caught her last breath. If she
could forgive me, surely you ought. l
know L did her great wrong, but L re-
pent of it, and she has forgiven me; will
not you do the same and come to me 2"
He took q step toward me, but 1 re-
treated. 81 have nothing to forgive" 4"
l answered coldly. "If she whom you
so wronged has forgiven you, well and
good. [ owe you no ill-will, but L do
not love or respect you now, and never
can."
"Rose!" he cried, "you are cruel !
Oh, come to me, and fly before it is too
late"
"Hush!' 1 said sternly. "All that
wild folly is past, and forever. L shall
be the wife of Rollin Weatherbee next
week at this time, and far from here.
The wife of the only man l ever loved.
That mad fancy 1 conceived for you
died as suddenly as it sprang to life, and
can never live again. Go away now and
leave me. Goodnight and goodbye. B"
1 sped back into the house, and locked
the door behind me, leaving him alone
in the darkness. 1 found mamma had
fallen to sleep in her chair by the
stove, and was relieved that 1 would
thus be spared answering any questions.
The wind blew colder and harsher
across the moorlands. A dreary rain be-
gan to fall, and the night settled down,
desolate and lonely. Merideth House
was oppressively quiet, and my heart
was full.of sad forebodings. What if
the dreadful autumnal storms should
come on Just after Rollin embarked for
Avondale What if his ship went down
in the waters of the lake, aud he never
came to me2 Would it not be n just
punishment for my wild folly? Had 1
not been untrue to him in thought, and
uluOSG DIOheu NY NO"o, uHu hSu WIN
another, and that other basehearted,
unprincipled villain Oh! L was
ashamed-ashamed and l hid my face
in my hands, praying to God to forgive
me, and send Rollin to me i'll safety.
The days that followed were damp and
chill, with mist and wet east winds. But
the dreaded storm did not come on.
Each night I went to rest with heart full
of anxious fear; each morning I arose,
thankful to find only wet winds and
somber skies. Thursday morning came
gray, cold, chilly, like the ones that pre-
ceded it. Thursday night the ship Cora
Bell was expected, and by that ship
Rollin Weatherbee would come to me.
was restless and uneasy all the long
day. No glimmer of sunshine lighted
the dull, gray skies. A damp mist fell,
and the cold east wind blew over the
moor. By night l was almost hysterical,
and my heart was like lead in my breast.
"A wan faced bride yell be, if ye dinna
brighten up Bit" Harwood said to me,
and did not wonder as L caught sight
of my dead white face in the mirror.
The evening came on dark and desc
late. No moon, no stars, only a gray
sky, varied here and there with dense
black clouds. | could not stay in the
house. 1t seemed like prison to me,
and seizing a cloak L threw the hood
over my head, the cape over my shoul-
ders, and walked down the avenue, and
leaning on the stone pillars of the gate,
looked out towards the lake. Suddenly
something caught my eye; it was a
bright light high up in the air. GA
lighthouse, of course" I said, mentally,
"but why have / never seen it before 2
That is not the lighthouse that directs
ships to Avondale landing, for the land
ing is exactly opposite Merideth House.
l have seen the light night after night
from my chamber window" l turned
my eyes in the direction of the landing.
1t was dark as pitch. But to the left,
full half mile, shone that brilliant
light. Suddenly thought struck me.
" My God, it is the lighthouse ON the
rocks !" / cried, and my heart seemed
to stand still. remembered that l had
been ont there once, in my boat. An
old fisherman, sitting on the rocks, and
dropping his line in the water, had an
swered my queries concerning the light
house. sit is where the red light is
hoisted of a very stormy night, he said.
A" Not often used, miss, for the beacon
at Avondale guides the ships safe to the
landing. But this is lighted sometimes
to show where the danger lies, if the
night is Ger dangerous.
His words all came back to me now,
with dreadful distinctness. The light
seemed to burn into my very eyeballs-
tba liOht that SbOna clanr and wbita