New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-03

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wide it's petals and expanded into full
blossom to meet the spray baptism No
portal eye ever looked upon sight more
charming; bat its beauty Was lost to the
shivering and terrified girl
The doorway had quite disappeared.
Sharp spray dashed against her dress.
The drops struck her face. She shrank,
and chung more tightly to the rock. A
prayer rose to her lips; and though the
tre,nulous light of the submerged arehy.
way strange shadow began to 60 and
come, to move and pause and move again.
Was it fish, or weed, or some mysterious
presence! Did it come accompanied by
life or death?
Meantime upon the rocks above dis
tracted group were collected. The party
had core gayly bacE from the "Heads."
DR.. Gray, ignorant landsman as he was;
had grown uneasy and hurried them
away. Arrived at the "Grotto, the full
| extent of the calamity was at once evil
dent. The boy had mistaken the tide
TOW for ebb-and the only hope was that
Esther, discovering her danger in time,
had taken refuge at tho cottage near by.
Thither they flew to search; but, as We
know, in vain.
The sobbing girls hung distractedly
over the clilaf, listening to the hollow
boom with which the waves swung into
cavern Notwithstanding to think of
the awful something which might at any
moment wash outward on the returning
billow. The gentlemen went for assist
ance, and brought couple OF stout fisher
men to the spot But what could any,
body do?
''lf the poor young woman has sense
enough to climb up the right hand corner
and set still, it won't hurt her none per-
haps," one of them said. '.Not more nor
two tides year gets up there"
All ! if only Esther could be told that
They could but trust powerlessly to her
steadiness of nerve and common sense.
''She's such wise thing" Helen sobbed
out. So they waited.
A rattle of wheels came from the road.
They all turned to look, and some one
said: sPerhaps it's DOCTOR" Though
what earthly use doctor could have been
would be hard to say.
A figure was coming rapidly up the
path-a young man. Nobody recognized
him, till DR.. Gray started forward with
the face of one who sees ghost.
paul! Good God! Is it possible?"
Eyes, DOCTOR" with . hssty hand
shake. "No other. don't wonder you
stare"
"But, in heavens name, how has it |
come about? Where have you been since |
we gave you up for lost ?"
cit is long story. You shall hear it
some day. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. my
where is my cousin? What
is the matter?"
There was dead silence At last, with
a groan, DR.. Gray spoke:
"Paul, my poor fellow, how can tell
you! Esther is below there.
"In the 'Grotto'?"
"In the 'Grotto.' Can anything be
done?"
The young man staggered. The glow
faded from his face, leaving him ashy
pale. For moment he stood irresolute,
then he reused himself, and his voice
though husky was firm:
cts frightful place; still there is no
absolute danger if she keeps her presence
of mind. stayed there over tide my
self once, just to see it. Is your boat at
homer" to one Of the fishermen.
"Yes, sir.
"Fetch it round, then, as quickly as
possible" Then to DR.. Gray: 81 shall
row out there opposite the entrance and
make dive for it. If come up inside,
it's all right, and I'll see that no harm
happens to Esther till the water falls, and
We can get her out"
"But-the riskr'
"There is the risk Of striking the arch
as rise-that is all. I'm good SWIM
mer, Doctor, as you know. think it can
be done. You can guess" with a sort of
pale smile, show have been counting on
his meeting; and to leave her alone and
and not 60 to her, IS just i'm
possible. I shall manage it-never fear"
The boat came. They saw it rowed out,
Paul taking the bearings carefully, shift
ing position once and yet again before he
was satisfied. Then he looked up with
bright, confident eyes and a nod, and
,lasped his hands over his head. A
'plash-he was gone, and the water closed
,ver him. i,
Within the cave Esther watched the
strange, moving phantoms which dark
med the entrance. The splash reached
without startling her, but in another Sec
md a flashing object whirled down and
inward, and rising, the waves revealed a
ace-a white face with wet hair. In the
,ale, unearthly glow it wore the aspect of
leath. It drew nearer; she covered her
yes with her hands. Was the sea giving
lp its dead, that here, in this fearful soil
ude, the vision of her drowned Paul con- ,
ronted her-or was she going mad?
Another second, and the hands were {
withdrawn. The peril, the excitement of &
he past hour, the strangeness and un- I
eality Of the spot, combined to kindle
7ithip her an unnatural exaltation of feel {
ng. Had she not scraved this? If they
net as spirits in this land of spirits, was r
he to be afraid of Paul or shrink from '
i'm? No, thousand times no! +
The face was close upon her. With h
apid strokes, it drew near-a form 4
was upon the rocks. With !
shrek she held out her arms, Cold I
ands clasped here-a voice ibid dead y
1en speak?) cried: "Queenie, Queenie" +
The old pet name! 1t was Paul's ghost, t
ut none the less Paul. 81 know you n
re Dead" she said, 'but I am not afraid il
f you, and felt unterrified, a strong arm
mold her. But the breast upon which q
or cheek rested was throbbing with such y
wing pulsations that, half aroused, she y =
egan to shudder in terribly blended F
ope and fear, and she shrank away from n
is touch. h
20 Paul are we both dead, or only
on? Is this the other world?''
"Why, darling" gently seating her on d
he rock, ''you are in dream. Wake up, b
,ve. Look at me, Esther. am not b
cad man, but your living Paul. Feel my
and? 1t is warm, you see. God has il
estored US to one another, and now, if !?
Lis mercy permits, we will never be !