The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-31

swear felt the shadow on me then, and
with IL u strange, cold sensation. rs of an
icy drnughU; went on n few yards, and
then paused, as though he, il it were n
man, had suddenly caught sight of the OBJ
iect he was pursuing.
Quito Involuntary | stepped forward.
gazing eagerly to see II too; and, to my
great relief, cav, al the distance of about
twenty yards from me. n young lady.
The path I was following had been
trendiug inward for some time. Itreached
the brow Of long ridge mt u little dis
tancc. whore the slender. scauty -leavcd
bOughs of II tall birch tree fcathercd down
TO near the palugs, in II sort of natural
arch. beyond winch you could see n space
Of colt gray blue sky. Beneath this arch
she stood, her head turned. looking back
over her shoulder ut me. She had on n
canary-colO ed gown, with n WHITE boomi-
ness on the edges OF II. as though IL
were made of velvet, and cut, in
the quaint uld-inshuncd style which we
rarely sec nowadays except in pictures,
square-shaptd acrO,s the bosom. The
sleeves were puticd, and slashcd in some
dai kor color. above the elbow: and The
neck was hidden 10y ~ ruilling or k"fchicf
OF lace. standing there she looked rather
above the middle height IN women; and
the exquisite shape OF her head and limbs.
the later rather expressed than hidden by
the straight, Clinging folds of her "Own;
the O1 mcr uncovered. save for "a wreath
of soft, shining black hair, curling low on
the tOIVncuu ana down her neck, would
have attracted thc eve of any man, had ne
an ARTISTS .oui hChind ii or not. In her
left huhd Size nrld something like a IUnth-
Crn strap, cooled up; ANA, rs she turned
her mead, caught the broken. QuiV,ring
CLEAN OF what looked like "a cluster OF dit-
m0uds. PENDANT from her throat and cans.
Her face Will nOtattcinpt to describe. IL
was simply that of the most lovely woman
have c. cr set ,C en-.
have sand tAht she was looking back AT
me; but ns l gHH 'd at her, SAW, with
return of the same strange feeling | nave
before noticed, that her eyes rested, not
on me-, Int on something 10 my right. and
in The same moment felt that size. too,
WIS hstCnirg TO the shadow. Nay, more;
she was looking az #.
Nlmo.t before could realize MI this. the
loN ely. listening expression Of her face
changed To one or mingled fear and an
noNauce. Struggling with strong di~iastc-
ful pride. She hUng back her mead with
an impatient gesture. aud, turning alb
ruptlN round. disappeared over the ridge.
In the same breath the rustlrng sound
began aealu. gllded from me UP the h.l,
AMI disappeared too.
Isupposc must have stood where was
for II minute or SO, before pursuing my
onward WAY, IN the hOpo Of seeing some
thing more OF the lovely lady OF the park.
/ Was struggling wiih my own insane folly
IN having allowed myself TO connect her.
cy"u for a second with the i1istling which
had Disturbed my morbid nervousness; Gnd
in having become possessed with the ldea
Tint ID WAS she. aud no other. whom this
creeping shadow was following: and that
She knew ~ rs well aS | did put the
iauciful notion from me with AN effort,
ANA WAS trudging slowly on. when "A sud
OriL sharp, waiting cry rose n ON the
OTHER side oi the ridges. womau's cry.
SO plaiutiNp. 50 shrn with deadly
terror. that, giasping NV stick tighter.
| tore up the path and gained the
spot whore The girl had stool before an
other minute could have elapsed The
echoes OF tie cry were still trembling ON
th' air as stood there; and looked down
Tor tne cause of It. fully expecting to see
that IA" enl had ,nhei fallcu, or had necn
ntia' kcd by some animal which had
alaru. ed her.
To my intense as'onishment ther, WAS
no one whatever an sight!
1ne path sioped downward from nv feet
ana - eicned ont s;rl Cht and uuhioken.
Win the high paling aLd Hat common on
one side and the lihc OF trees on the other
just at the bottom TWO or three rabbits
hat come uut. and were fcediug ~ quietly
AT the cage 0t the grass Us though nothing
had passed that way within AN hour.
They threw hack their carr, cooked up
tLcr LITTLE white tails. and We're of Ike
slot when shouted out
Where are yout Are Vou hurt but
there Nls no other rcspous, no other ricu
OF my one hearing me, and my voice died
away VA echoes against th" silent woods.
Even the lu>thng sound had ceased. aud
with il the chilly, nervous feeling 1 had
experienced. As / went on indeed, |
began to ask my-elf whether | had not
tancied the cry. | felt IA II | had been IN
a dream. OF which The only real thing was
the girl had seen. Probably she wa one
Of Lord MAIiocs'> daughters. There might
be Il fancy ball that night ut the Abbey,
and she had dressed early. auu come OUT
fora stroll IN the park. uuiil disturbed by
the lutrll. tou uf "a stranger Ike myself.
The cry Of cry thorc Ind been had come
fiom the Diner side of the ridge. and from
lIo treat distance: and ~ The trees
were nowhere so thick that | could
not see through them for several
hundred yards. b. was eyIdslt that She had
ucltucr been burt hor frightened 80 Sc
| rlous!,' rs tu Dee p.eVcutcd from running
very swiftly Out oi -,.ht.
IMtutuu. therefore, without m.Irdtla, 4:
and ia anotucr minute or two came ON a
palh keeper, lodge. at a turn M the path
Nth "A woman sittIug outside it pSellug
/ potutoes iutoa wooden tub
She stoop,d to look nj me IA came up
/ and uusw cred my query rs 10 the nearest
1 viiuge bv bnigt.rg .nilingly To snudrv
! columns n smoke rl.iug above the edge Of
! The common nlIttir distance. and telling
/ me tnnt that WI. Ditcnlrv. Yes. il belong
/ ed. like the Abbey, TO Lord Marioes. Mar
! rird? CA, certainly: butn Young man with
/ no daughters. ui.d IN, wife not 10 say hand