The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-09-02
A STORY lam INCLINED TO BELIEVE.

leaving O servant to make arrangements
tor their lodging, linked arms and
strolled up the road toward tae banks OF
the Lima.
A lady, with seryant following her a
| little distance, passed the travellers on
the bridge of the Lima. She dropped
her veil and went by in silence. But
the Freyherr felt the arm of his friend
| tremble within mis- own.
edo you know her, thenw asked Won
Leisten.
"By the thrill in my veins we have
met BEFORE" said Clay; ''but whether
this involuntary sensation was pleas
urable or painful, have not yet de-
decided. There are none care to meet
none who can be here" He added the
| last few words after moments pause,
and sadly.
They walked on iu silence to the base
of the mountain, busy each with such
o0l0ring as the moonlight threw on their
thoughts, but neither of them was
happy.
1t was two o'clock that night. The
moon lay broad upon the southern bal
comics of the hotel, ana every easement
was open to its luminous and fragrant
| stiffness. Clay and the Freyherr Won
Leisten, each in his apartment, were
awake, unwilling to lose the luxury OF
The night. And there was one other
under that roof, waking, with her eyes
liked on the moon.
| AS Clay leaned his head on his hand,
and looked outward to the sky, his
heart began to be troubled. There was
u point in the path of the moons rays
where his spirit turned back. There
was an influence abroad in the dissolv-
ing moonlight around him which resist
lessly awakened the past-the sealed
but unforgotten past. He could not
single out the emotion. He knew not
| whether it was fear or hope-pain or
pleasure. He called, through the open
window, to Won Leisten.
The Freyherr, like himself, and like all
who have outlived the effervescence of
life, WAS enamoted Of the night. A mo-
rneny OF uniathomable moonlight was
aearer to him than hours disencnanted
with the sun. He, too, had been looking
Ioutwa ard and upw ard, but With no trouble
at his heart.
"lhe night is inconoeivably sweet" he
said, as he. entered, ''and your voice
called in my thought ana sense from the
i lintoxlcation OF aTeyel. WHAT would you,
my iriendr
II am restless, Won Lefsten! There is
some one near US whose glances cross
mine on the moonlight, ana agltate and
perplex me. Yet there is but one ON
learth deep enough in the life. blood of
my being TO move me thus, even were
she here. And sAe is not here!'
HIS voice trembled and sottened, and
| the last word was scarce audible on his
closing lips, for the Ffeyherr had passed
his hands over him while he spoke, and
he had fallen into the TRANCE Of the spirit
world.
Intn hnI
| from the active passions of lie together,
and had met and mingled at that moment
uf void and thirst wien each supplied
the want Of the other. The Freyherr
| was German noble, OF q character pas
sionateiy poetic, and OF singular acquire
ment IN the mystic fields Of knowledge.
Zoo wealthy 100 need labor, aud too
proud to submit his thoughts or his at
| tainments to the criticism or judgment
oil the world, he laylshed on his own life,
and on those linked to him in friendship,
the strange powers he had acquired, and
The pfodigal overflow ofhis daily Thought
and feeling. Clay was his superior, per.
haps, in genius, and necessity had driv-
. en- uiln to develop the type Of his inner
soul, and leave It's impress on the time;
! but he was inferior to Won Leisten in The
lpower of will, and he lay in his control
i like child in lis mothers. Four years
they had passed togetner--much Of it In
tbe secluded castle of Won Leisten
fbusied with the occult studies TO which
fine Ffeyherr was secretly deyoted-bul
| travelling down to Italy to meet the lux.
urious summer, and dividing their lives
Between the enjoyment of nature and
the ideal world they -had unlocked. Won
Lelsten had lust, by death, the human
ALTAR on which has heart could alone
| nf lnu Nlnxr bnd
lf,ung aside in An hour OF intoxicated
nassion that one pure affection in whict
his happiness was sealed-and both were
desolate.
The Freyherr released the entrancet
t spirit of his friend, and babe him follow
back tire fays of tAe moon to the soufct
Of his agitation.
Hips.
In an apartrrientfo With the silver
|, iistef OF the night. reelfned, i'll an inyH
fia's ehair, propped with pillows, a wo
man Of singular though most fragile
beauty Books and music lay stfeWl
around, and "a lamp, slbdaed TO the tone
, Of the MaU0nlight by All orb OF alabaster
! burAed beside her. she lay bathing hel
}, b,ue eyes in the round chaliee OF Thu
, moon. A profusion OF brown rfhgletI
n iea over The white dress that efvei0pet
| her, and her oval cheek lay supported
on The palm OF her hand, and her Drigh
red lips were parted. Tne pure yet pas
I'll sionate spell OF that soit night possessed
y ner.
Il Over'her leaned the disembedied spiri
of Klan who had once loved her--pfayinl
. TO God that his soul might he so purlfe'
/ | us 10 mlHgle tinstarthHgly. pulsiye
Ily, in haliOwe harmony with hers. A NJ
, pl lesently he felt the coming OF angel
, toward him, breathing into the deepes
ulysses Ot his existence a fearful ant
: purifying sadness. And with q tremb
, ling aspiration of grateful humility to III
Maker, he stopped to her forehead, ant
: with his impalpable lips impressed. .upol
. | its snowy tablet d Kiss.
n 1t seemed to Eve Gore thought D
. the past that brought the brood sudden
, lIy to her cheek. She started from he
reclining position, and, removing the oh
: spuring shade from her lamp, arose AM
. crossed her hands upon her wrists AM
Z l;pacaa thoushtiully to and fro. Her lip
!. murmured ihariiculately. But til
!. Thought, painfully though it came
4 changed unaccountably to melanchd
.|ly sweetness, and, subduing her lam
again, she resumed her steadiast gaz
4 lupon the moon.
Ernest knelt beside her, and with hi