Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-03-06

mentary. I am pleased to crafty yo
all. If you will permit me, will shak
bands with you, just as if were goin,
away, as shall go in spirit" Then
without smile, though with pleasan
words, he babe the company goodbye.
"Shall you want anything more? p
asked Mr.. Nelson.
Nothing. nothing. I do no trick
yet do want something Don't disturb
me for half an hour Perhaps I hat
better add, don't be frightened"
Stepping into the dining-room, b,
softly set the chairs back against th,
wall, save one which he placed in tn,
closet, stood for second under tn,
chandelier, and regarded with a sac
look the little gathering In the adjoining
room; then, turning down all the light.
so that but a pin-head of blue. flame sal
upon each gas jet, he passed into thu
closet and closed the door. The othel
lights bad been extinguished, and the
people were buried in a twilight ir
which each person seemed shadow cu1
out of gloom. The silence of death fol
lowed. No one spoke. The ticking o
watches sounded loudly, Clothing
squeaked and ratified as the wearel
6reathed. Deswick could hear his heart
beat like drum strokes far away. Fif-
teen minutes passed. Suspense ipten-
sified the waiting. There was terror in
this social solitude. The blue beads up
on the gas jets quivered with vagrant
whirls of air, and the chains, of the
chandeliers threw shadows in fantastic
tracery upon the ceiling Tine tread Of
the servants far away sounded like muf.
fed thunder. A stray pedestrian with
out began to whistle 90 he passed, and
the notes pierced the ear like the shrek
of fife. The ladies put their hands to
their faces as if to smother hysterical
shrieks; the men put their hands in
their p6ekeIs. All Shared igedly, scarce.
ly daring to wink, into that little room
where light and shadow were blended
and divorced, and strained their eyes to
see the tardy spirit. Thay did not look
at one another, save as some sudden
sound startled them.
Five minutes more of this painful sus
pense, and Deswick, nearer the open
doorway than the rest, gave utteranee
to soft "whist." The door of the clos
ct was turning slowly, softly. almost i'm.
perceptibly on its hinges. The vertical
bar of darkness thus created widened
WITHOUT Q show of mation, and then
|
| for second, but which fioated into the
room end became the figure of girl
slender in shape, willowy in motion
clothed in robes Of white her head and
| face hidden in drapery of white; hel
hands, small and dainty in their shape.
fulness, hanging listlessly at her side.-
A faint mufmnr escaped the lipa of ev-
cry one at this astounding vision. The
ladies were too frightened to do more
than that. The girl, apparently deaf to
the feeble alarm, turned her head and
surveyed, Il rst the dimly- lighted, emnty
room in which she stood and then the
dark apartments where were clustered
the startled guests. Then, uncertainty
in dazed way, as if awakening from a
sleep, she raised her right hand and
pushed away the veil from her eyes and
| forehead. AT this movement, Utswick
trembling with excitement, rose to his
feet and stepped towards her, and upon
him, and him only, her eyes rested in
that brief outlook No enc else saw
them or felt their spell tn a second
the covering was drawn oyer her face
aud she stood motioniess.
MY God, what eyes y moaned Des.
wick, sinking back into his chair, but
never leaving her with his looks, 'the
Saddest eyes that ever woman had y
speaking as If to himself
''Is she handsome?" whispered Miss
| Eskell, leaaing across Mrs. Penton's
lap o., :,
don't know. A glimpse tells no story.
Her eyes are like twin angels of sorrow.
They alarm me. No earthly woman
ever looked at me in that way. What
oil y ;t Oh
AS if in answer, the figure glided to-
touched his hand with hers and moved
away. Deswick shivered.
ut is very cold," he said, rubbing his
hand as if to warm it, every cold. 1t
pricked me like an ieicle. All, it is real
1t has a touch of fate-ny fate"
Then the heavy bass Of Mr.. Nelson,
somewhat subdued in tone, asked: us
this girl known to any of us!'
No one knew her, because no one,
save Deswick, had seen her face. She
was standing by the window now, her
face toward the street. No one spoke
The silence of expectation prevailed
an almost breathless waiting for new
wonders. They came. A heavy fall
was heard in the closet, and all 81 rang
to their feet. The women, true to ma
ture, screamed. peswick, quick as a
flash, had his hand upon the door of the
room when the figure shot by him, turn
ed and waved him back and entered the
closet. In breath she was back again,
beating her face with her hands, but
without uttering sound. Her wild but
noiseless agony was pitiful. She sank
upon her knees and hid her face in her
hands, persOnificatiOn of dumb woe,
rejecting the proffered consolation of the
ladies who stood around her. Mean
while, Deswick, hesitating for second
between the girl and the mystery of the
closet, dashed into the latter and iinme-
diately returned dragging the limp and
lifeless form of Mr.. Tricatrac. His face
was ghostly in its color; his eyes were
half open; his chin dropped upon his
breast.
"He is Dead" cried Deswick. "Do
you hear me? the man is dead;;n and
lights. Then he began chafing the 9TH
All in vain! The doctor who came
within five minutes pronounced Mr..
Tricatrac dead, and no one could dispute
the verdict.
at is clear case of heart disease"
said the doctor, aggravated and brought
to climax by great mental excite
ment. Holding a seance, eh ? That
would kill man of his build. He ought
to have known better than subject him
self to such terrible strain upon mind
and body. And about this grip
This girl! True! She had been al
most forgotten in the turmoil of the
minutes. Whose girl? Whence came
| the mysterious creature? Child Of
what parents? A spirit? The master
will that had summoned her was quiet.
ed forever. The power which hac
evoked her from mystery and the
power which might return her had beeI
broken by death. There was no decep
ton in the matter. The dead was upor
the floor. The closet had been empty
He had carried no one with him. A
halfscore of credulous, keen eyed peo
pie had seen the girl emerge from thu
recess. She was still kneeliug, dunt
in her desolation, beside the chair,
living proof of the strangest of catas
i trODheS i.