New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-26

l
Must put it back, sir, on the floor, be-
tween the bed and wali" she inquired, with
an ironical assumption of the humblest
Difference to my wishes. That's where
the girl found it when che was sweeping
the room. Anybody cal see tor them,
selves" pursued the 6ousrkeeper indignant.
| ~, that the poor gentleman has gone
away broken hearted. And there, in my
| opinion, ia the hussy who is the cause of it,"
| With these words she made me low
curtesy, and laid small Photographic por.
| trait on the desk ut which was sitting
looked at the photograph
In an Instant my heart was beating wild.
| ly-niy head turned giddy-the house
keeper, the furniture, the walls of the room,
all swayed and whiried around me.
| The portrait that had been found in nv
senior pupils bedroom was the portrait Of
| Jeromette.
| l had sent the housekeeper out of nv
study. | was alone, with the photograph
| OF the trenchwoman on my desk.
There could surely be little doubt about
the discovery that had burst upon me- The
man who had stolen his way into my house,
| driven by the terror OF a IL mptatlon that he
darned not reveal, and the man who had
| been my unknown rival in the bygone time,
| were one aud the same
| Recovering sell-possession enough to re
alize this plain truth, the differences that fol.
| lowed forced their way into nv mind as a
| matter of course. The unnamed person
| who was the OBSTACLE to my pupils pros
| poets in life, the unnamed person In whose
| company he WAS assailed by the temptations
| which made him tremble for himself stood
| revealed to me now as being, in all human
| probability, no other than Jeromette. Had
| she bound him in the letters of the marriage
which he lad himself proposed Had she
| discovered his place of refuge in my house!
And was the letter that had been delivered
to me of her wrtingl Assuming these
questions to be answered in the affirmative
what, in that case, was his cuisines in
LundonF 1 remeln bered what he had said
to me about his temptations, | recalled the
expression that had eros. ed his face when
he recognized the hand writing On the let
ter, and the conclusion that followed liter.
ally shook me to the soul Ordering my
horse to be saddled, / rode instantly to the
railway station.
Tue train by which he had travelled to
London had reached the terminus nearly an
hour since. The one usetul course that |
conld take. nv wav of nuiptinp the dreadful
mlsglvngs GROWING one after another on
my mind, was to telegraph to Jeromette at
the address at which l had last seen her.
sent the subjoined message, preparing
the reply.
If you are in any trouble, telegraph to
me. will be with you by the first train.
Answer, in any case"
There was nothing in the way of the i'm.
mediate dispatch of my message. Aud vet
the hours passed, and no answer was re-
ceived. BY the advice OF the clerk | sent
a second telegram to the London office, re.
questing an explanation. The reply came
back IN these terms:
"lmprovemsRts IN streets. Houses pulled
down. No tr&9e of person named in tele-
gram"
mounted my horse and rode back slowly
to the rectory.
The day of his return to me will bring
with it the darkest days of my life.' ;
II shall die young, and die miserably. |
Have you interest enough still left in me |
to wish to hear OF ill' "Yon shat |
hear OF it." Those words were in nv mem. |
DRY while | rode home IN the cioudless |
moonlight night They were 30 wildly |
present to me that | could hear again her |
pretty foreign accent, her quiet. clear tones |
as she spoke them. For the rest the emo |
tons OF that memorable day had worn me |
out. The answer from the telegraph office |
had struck me with strange and stony de- |
sire My mind was blank. had no |
thoughts. l had no tears
| was about half way on nv road home.
and l had just heard the clock of the vii. |
lage strike ten, when / became conscious,
little by little, of a chilly sensation slowly
creeping through and through me to the |
bones. The warm balmy air of summer
guy was sioan. ~ was tne month OF July.
In the month of july, was it possible that |
any living creature lin good health) conld
feel coldl Ii was not possible--and vet the
chilly sensation still crept through and |
through me TO the bones.
looked up. l looked all round me.
My horse was walking along an open
high-road. Neither trees nor waters were
near me. On either side the at fields
stretched away bright in the moonlight.
stopped my horse and looked round me
again.
Yes, saw it, With my own eyes 1 saw
it. pillar of white mist-between five
and six feet high, as we'll a. could Judge
was moving beside me at the edge OF the
road on my left hand When stopped the
white mist stopped. When l went on the
white mist went on. Ipushed my horse to
trot-tbe pillar of mist Yves with me.
urged him to q gallop-the pillar of mist
was with me. l stopped him again-the
pillar of mist stood still.
The white color Of it was the white color
Of the mist which had seen over the river
on the night when had gone to bid her
farewell. And the chill which had then
crept through me to the bones Was the chill
that was creeping through me now.
went on again slowly. The white mist
went on again slowlN-with the clear bright
night all round it.
/ was awed rather than frightened. There
was one moment, and one only, when the
fear came to me that my reason might be
Shaken. caught my self keeping time to
the slow tramp of the horses feet with the |
slow ut.erance of these words, repeated
over and over again: "Jeromette is dead,
Jeromette is dead" But my will was still
my own; ] was able to control myself, 10
impose silence on my own mutteripg lips
And l rode on quietly. And the pillar of
The mist went quietly with me.
My groom was waiting for my return at |
The rectOry gate. l poin ed to the mist,
passing through the gats with me.
DO you see anything there ;" said.
The man looked at me in astOnishment
entered the rectOry. The housekeeper
net me in the hall. l pointed to the mist
entering with me.
"Do you see anything at nv side 2"
asked.
The hOuseIeeper looked at me as the
groom had looked at me.
II am afraid you are not we'll, Sir" she
aid, Your color is all goue-you are
'hivering. Let me get you glass Of wine."
went into my study, on the ground floor,
Ind took the chair at my desk. The photo
,raph still lay where l had left it. The
,illar of mist hoated round the table, and
topped opposite to me, behind the photo.
yrsph.
The housekeeper brought up the wine l |
nut the glass to my lips, and set it down
gain. The chill of the mist was in the
vine. There was no taste, no revivng
prit in it. The presence of the house.
Keeper oppressed me. My dog had followed
Ter into the room. The presence OF the
LulmAI Onnraaaa1 mo I aaid To- ha |