The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-03-10

bOlHlDu IpEOy DeUedlI illc SOU,
Six months passed. Alice Bently did not
die as she stood by the coffin of the man she
loved so dearly, but as the days and weeks
passed on she faded like frail plant torn
from the soil which maturod it,and the ply
sician said that an entire change of scene, at
once, might save her, but nothing else conld.
SO European tour was planned. was a
member. On the Sd of October we sailed
for Liverpool We had scarcely left the
wharf when | discovered that among the
passengers was Doctor Trent. | recoied
with positive terror as my eyes fell upon his
face. Must | be brought for two weeks in
constant intercourse with this man, whom |
detested? For moment thought of leav-
ing the boat at Sandy Hook and returning
to New York in the pilot boat, but / dis
missed the idea, for l knew l could give no
satisfactory explanation to my friends for
such an act. endeavored to persuade my
| self that | was wrong in feeling as did to-
ward the man who had never harmed me by
word or decd that | was morbidly sensitive
upon this subject but all my efforts were in
vain / still felt toward Doctor Trent as to-
ward poisonous reptile. despsed dreaded
loathed him.
But he soon became very generally liked
by the passengers. My friends soon learned
that he was an acquaintance of mine, and
each insisted on an introduction which |
gave with a reluctance | strove in vain to
conceal. During the voyage Doctor Trent
spent the greater portion of his time in Alice
Bentley's company. 1t gave me the keenest
pain to see them together-she whom I low
ed as one far above me, and he upon whom
| looked with loathing But what was my
horror upon learning that this old man,
Doctor Trent, had asked Alice Bcntley's
hand in marriage, and that she Lad promised
him an answer in three months | refused
to believe this at first. | could not compre-
hend how this girl, pure as an angel, could,
| for Il moment, listen to the addresses of this
| creature, Trent; how she, upon whose lips
my friends kisses had been pressed, could
fail to spurn this man with contempt. But
as time passed on | saw that she was COM
pletely in his power, that he was drawing
her to him nearer, nearer, day by day, by
means of a dreadful fascination, magnet
ism which she was evidently unable to re-
sist her will being completely subservient
| to his.
Doctor Trent travelled with us through
Europe. He was constantly at Miss Bent
| ley's side, and she never rcpulsed him. |
knew that Alice did not love him, but be-
lieved she would marry him. She marry
him o! the thought was torture to me
| avoided Doctor Trent as much as possi-
BILE; | seldom spoke with him. But one day
he met me in cafe in Paris, and seating
himself by my side, said abruptly:
"That was terrible death of my old pu-
pill, Leroy, was it not, Frank Remington"
The question was so strangely and sudden
what to say. Finally murmured an aflir-
NATIVE response.
Fixing his eyes upon my face with a
strange earnestness Doctor Trent continued; {;
"Do you remember the oath which Dorm
ton Leroy uttered that night, few hours
before he died?"
I did not reply, l could not speak with
this mans fiery gaze upon my face. He
read my answer in my eyes, and went on
81 can recall his exact words they were
these: IfI die before you, will, if | still
exist as a spirit, return to you and tell
you of the existence after death and if, in
this future state, | am forbidden to fulfill my
promise, swear to resign my right to eXis-
tence in the spirit land, and to remain on
earth, a wanderer forever" These words,
as Doctor Trent uttered them, seemed to
burn into my very soul. | strove to speak,
but could not.
"Ah ~ Trent exclaimed, seizing my hand
in his own, which was so cold that it chilled
me through, 'It is not safe for man thus to
trhe with 4 power of whose might the hu-
man mind can have no conception. Frank
Remington, where, in all the universe, do
you think Dornton Leroy is now? ?"
My face must have shown the horror felt
of this man and at the fearful thoughts he
suggested; for he paused suddenly and said
with laugh, "But my talk does not suit
you. Well, well, let us dismiss the subject
By the way, you will be at Madame -'s
ball tomorrow night, will you not?"
replied in the affirmative, and as soon as
possible left the man.
The next night | was at Madame -,
ball.
? The company was about dispensing wher
, Trent advanced to the centre of the room
holding Alice Bentley by the hand and sale
in loud voice:
"Friends, congratulate me; Miss Bcntle,
has consented to make me the happiest 0
men by becoming my wife"
He had scarcely spoken the last wore
when the girl uttered a terrible Shrek anC
fell fainting to the floor, When, few min
utes later, she regained consciousness, sh
cried
"Where is he? Oh, where is he?"
1 They asked her whom she meant
y "Dornton - Dornton Leroy" she said
"As Doctor Trent finished speaking, Lero
y appeared before me, and gazing fixcdly int
my eyes with an expression Of intense an
j guish, seized my wrist in his hand, Did yo
5 not see him"
Doctor Trent burst into a shrek of vii
a laughter which thrilled me with horror.
I was the same that had echoed through m
u room on the morning Of Dornton Leroy
! death.
A moment later the man was protuse i
Al
II apologies, attrbuting his sudden and inaI
l. prOpriate outburst to nervous excitement
II "But, ladies and gentlemen" he eXclain
i ed, taking Alice Bentey's hand, "look her
is not this remarkable phenomenon :"
n Upon the girls wrist were distinctly Wis
@ BILE the marks of human fingers, as il son
&c one had grasped it very tightly,
J. One morning two months later | cnterC
Y, lirtle English chapel in Florence for Il