Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-05-24

fore heard the sweet declaration from
her lips that was beloved.
Might after night we wandered be-
meath the cold moonlight, now through
the fragrant orange groves laden with
their delicious golden fruit now by the
sea beach listening to the dreamy MUIR
mur of the waves that flashed and spark
led like molten silver on the shore. Her
voice, as have said, was glorious one,
and, accompanied by the guitar, she sung
the strange old Spanish ballads with
passionate tenderness
'Often, however, I noticed strange
melancholy would overcome her, and in
the midst of song she would suddenly
pause and with avertcd face hurry away,
not to reappear for hours. I attributed
these attacks to sorrowing remembrance
of her mother, who had not been dead
long, and, assured that time would prove
a cure for them, never mentioned it.
Oh, God! had but guessed the true
cause said the Doctor, rising from his
chair andwiping his forehead on which
cold perspiration had gathered; "had l
but known the cause, what suffering could
have been avertedr' As he uttered these
words the clock struck II with hollow
sonorous strokes,
The sound struck chill to my heart;
81 anced at my watch; the clock was
five minutes slow; had set it back that
much.
Ny companion crossed and recrossed
the room, and then reseatcd himself and
continued:
had now been several months on the
island, and eagerly looked forward to
the time when Virginia should be mine.
Don Roderick's consent to our union had
been obtained, and it only remained for
me to receive letters from home.
"One afternOOn-ah, how we'll I re-
member it!-Virginia it and were togeth-
er on the long piazza in a hammock
while read aloud from Tennyson's Lotus
Eaters:
"'We have had enough of action, and of mo-
ton We,
Rolrd to starboard, rolrd to larboard, when
the surge was setting Free"
Suddenly, with strange cry, Virginia
sprang to her feet and hurried down the
graveled path that led to the garden.
at first did not follow, as these strange
moods were not uncommon; but, over
come with an irresistible feeling, at
length arose and followed her footsteps"
The Doctor paused and gasped for breath;
large drops of perspiration stood upon his
forehead, and his face worked cOnVulsiye-
| ly. "She had entered the orange-grove
on the south side of the house, and hither
followed her. Oh, Heaven!" and the
Doctors voice broke into a groan, so ter
rible in its agony that l started to my
feet and advanced toward him. He mo-
toned me back, however, and, after drink
| ing glass ofwater, resumed. GAS en-
tered the grove l heard Virginia's voice
singing low, strange song, which I had
never heard before. Silently advanced,
and when quite near I paused, and lean
ing forward, observed her motions. Great
God! coiled in her lap lay Shiny,
hideous snake, whose flat head undulated
to and fro, keeping time to the
song! Virginia's hand-that white,
beautiful hand had so often pressed to
my lips -stroked the horrid creature and
patted its great loathsomc head as a
mother would caress child. The sight
was too much; with a terrible cry,
sprang forward, and, as 1 did so, the
snake, uncoiling itself with lightning
like motion, buried its poisonous fangs in
Virginia's right hand and glidcd away.
The cry had alarmed the household, and
they were quickly on the spot; but too
late. Virg ginia, my only love, was dying
as bent over her. The last words she
uttered were these:
You will come when wish it?'
That" said the Doctor, is my story.
AS / afterward ascertained, Virginia had
been under the care of native nurse, an
old woman, who from some cause enter
tanned terrible hatred against her par
cnts. l suppose by some devilish art she
had cast spell over the girl, and the
mysterious influence lasted. Certain it
is that Virginia, pure, beutiful Virginia,
was the victim Of snake-charm, as it is
called in those islands. Unable to resist
the influence these creatures exerted over
her, she came, as it were, to their cali.
Had l not made my presence known the
snake undoubtly would never have
harmed her. This is the end. Crazed
with grief, l fled from the island and
wandered for years in foreign lands, re-
turning at last to commence the practice
Of medicine in this city. Three years
ago, as l sat in this room, the spirit of
Virginia appeared before me. 1t uttered
these words: BE ready to come at my
CALI Again, last week the same thing
occurred. In an inexpressibly mournful
voice the vision said: BE ready to come
at the stroke of 12 Monday night I am
ready said the Doctor, rising from his
chair, "and in your hands l leave my
affairs" He paused.
Iglanccd at the clock; it indicated five
minutes of 12.
"Doctor, how did you become the pos
SCISSOR of such singular clock?" asked.
ut was Virginia's," replied DR.. Var
grave in a broken voice; she gave it to
me the last day of her life"
"Well, it is wrong, Doctor said 1 in a
cheerful tone, drawing my watch from
my pocket and holding it up to him
! "You see it is already 12 by the right
time, while your clock indicates four
minutes of the hour. You will not die
tonight at 12, certainly"
We were both standing close to the
mantel, and the Doctors hand rested neal
the base of the clock.
"Ah, my friend" replied my compan
ion with mournful smile, "you know
not what you say; the clock has kept per
1eCt umc 1Or years"
AS he uttered these words. the frs
stroke of the IL, like the deep toll of ,
funeral bell, sounded through the room
as the echo died away, I, George Homer
physician, saw with my own eyes, tn
golden serpents unc0il their glitterinl
, length from around the cursed clock, an(
with simultaneous movement bur,
/ <1,nss
hand, where years before, at the sam,
spot, Virginia had been bitten.
My companion fell heavily to the foo,
and at the same moment shadowy form
that cf beautiful woman, f0ated int
the room and hovered an instant over him
The last stroke of the twelve died away il
a silvery echo, and as the sound ceases
the clock flew into thousand fragments
l bent over the body of DR.. Vargrav
and called him by name-he was quit