Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-01-18
CHAPTER VII.

Fatigue of mind and body induced repose,
and Geraldine was soon sound asleep.
This slumber had lasted, she knew not how
long, when suddenly and without any percep'
tible cause, she awoke.
Not gradually, and by a transition from
one stage to another of imperfect conscious
ness but instantly, all in twinkling, as
though her senses had never been dulled f"r
a moment, she found herself broad awake
with full and perfect realization of all
around her. ..- ..
The moon had risen, and pouring its silvery
rays through the light screens of lace that
draped the open windows-left open at her
desire-displayed to her view, as clearly as
by day, everything in her chamber. The
outlines of the stately carved furniture showed
plainly defined, against the white walls. Only
in the distant corners, out of the moonlight's
reach, the shadows crept and hid. Just op'
posite to her hung large mirror, whose pol
ished surface caught CLEAN that touched it
down its centre, in one broad, white streak.
As if impelled by some namelees influence,
Geraldine's eyes, drawn toward this streak Of
light, rested there and would not be withdrawn.
She had no feeling Of nervousness. Neither
the silence nor the loneliness oppressed her.
But calmly, restfully, almost without thought,
she lay there, never moving, but with her
gaze still fixed on that one pale cleaning
band Of silvery light.
AS she lay thus and gazed, there gradually
shaped itself in the mirror, just where the
mooubeams shone, dimly defined outline, a
reflection of Something, which, at first, had
found no reflection there.
Of this she was quite sure, for she had seer
the glass as distinctly at first a, she did now,
and nothing but its cleaning surface had at
tracted her notice. But now this shape, from
whatever it took its source, plainly grew be-
fore her eyes, gathering itself, as it were, out
of nothing, or out of the misty shadows which
encom passed it into distinct form. So dis
tinct, at last, that each part of it, though soft
ly and family portrayed. like delicate crayon
tints, presented itself Enthusiastically to hel
view. 1t was the image of woman-a wo
man draped in white, standing, with one arm
lifted, and the hand pointing outward, toward
the door, only the face was not distinctly vis
ible, being more in the shade than the rest.
The first and most natural conclusion which
Geraldine's mind arrived at, was that her
maid had, for some purpose or other, entered
her room, and was standing somewhere in tht
vicinity Of the bed, hid from her by the cur
tains which hung on either side. (Yet, strange
to say, no part of the bed itself, or anything
near it, bad any share in the reAection)
Under this supposition, she Immediately raised
herself on her elbow, and drawing aside thu
curtain nearest to her, called aloud, in dis
tinct voice
"Meredith, are you there ??
There was no reply. She drew the curtain
still farther back, and looked out; no ont
was to be seen. She directed her gaze al
around the room, again calling, meredith .!
Still no answer came, and no one appeared
Quickly ber glance reverted to the mirror
There still stood the shape, exactly as she hao
seen it a minute before At the same instan
slight chilling sensation, as from breath o
cold air passed over her face and shoulders
thence down to her hands, which lay outsid
the coverlet, causing her to shiver sensibly
though the night was warm.
Geraldine was, by nature, no coward, no
had she ever INDUCED in superstitious fears
but to say that this phenomenon excited nj
unpleasant feeling in her mind would be II
say that she was gifted with more than hu