Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-02-02
The Cedar Closet.

Ten years ago / was living will
my only brother in one of thu
quaint, ivy-grown, red-gabled rec
tories which are picturesquely scat
tered over the fair breadth of Eng.
land. We were orphans, Archi'
bald and /; and ! had been the
busy, happy mistress of his pretty
home only one year after leaving
school, when Robert Draye asked
me to be his wife. Robert and
Archie were old friends, and my
new home, Draye Court, was only
separate from the parsonage by an
old gray wall, low, iron-stndded
door, which admitted us to the old
park which had belonged. to the
d ayes for centuries. Robert was
the lord OF the manor, and 1t was
he who had given Archie the living
of Draye in the Void.
/. was the night before my we'd
ding day, and our pretty home was
crowded with wedding guests. we
were all gathered in the old-fast-
ioned drawing room after dinner.
When Robert left us, late in the
evening, / walked with him as usu-
al to the little gate, for what he
called our last parting. We ling
cred a while under the great wal
nut tree, through the somber bran
ches of which the moon poured its
soft pure light. With his last good
night kiss on my lips, and my heart
full of love which warmed and glo-
rified the whole world for me, / did
not care to go back to share in the
fun and frolic of the drawing room,
but went softly up stairs to my own
room. / say "my own room,' but
I was to occupy 1t tonight as q
bed room for the first time. 1t was
a pleasant south room, wainscoted
in richly carved cedar, which gave
the atmosphere spicy fragrance.
I had chosen it for my morning
room on my arrival home; there
had read, sung and painted, and
spent long, sunny hours while Ar
chic was busy in his study. l had
ordered q bed arranged there, as !
preferred being alone to sharing my
own larger bed room with two of
my bridesmaids. 1t looked bright
and cosy as ! came in, and
my favorite low chair was before
the fire, whose rosy light glared
and flickered on the glossy dark
walls which gave the room is name,
"The Cedar Closet" My maid was
bury, preparing my toilet table; |
sent her away, and sat down to wait
for my brother, who knew would
come to bid me goodnight. He
came we had our last fireside talk
in my girlhood home. When he
left me there was an incursion of al
my bridesmaids for . dressing
gown gossip.
When alone at last Laid down.
Peace, deep and perfect, still SEEM
ed to flow in on me with the moon
beams which filed the room, sbim%
mering on the folds IofI ipy) bridal
dress, which lay ready for the morn
ing. / am thus minute in descrih-
Ing my last waking moments, that
it may be ,obderstood what follow
ed was not the creation oil NOR
bid fancy. U~0n ~wTr
I do, notkpow bow long- Ihad
been asleep, when was suddenly,
as it we're, wrenched back to CON
chs moon had set, the
room was quite dark; ! could just
distinguish the glimmer Of cloud
ed, starlcss sky through the win
dow. / could not see or hear any
thing ususual, bntinot the less was
conscious of an pnwonted baleful
prenence near |; AM esssribable
10, -or cramped the beatings Of nv
nesrt, with iesosy Instant, the cer''
tainty grew that my room was shar-
I'd by some evil being. !. ! could not