The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-07-06
But fate had ordered otherwise

hopelessly lame.
"But if the gentleman could wait an
hour orr
"Wait an hourp echoed Mr.. Falconer,
"and it's after II already No, thanks, my
good fellow. It's an easy two miles. could
walk it in less time than that"
"But it's a bitter night, sir, for all the
moon shines so bright" urged the man, "and
you'll be famished with the cold"
"No matter. My friend here will lend
me his fur trimmed Ulster-eh, Porter"
laughingly demanded Falconer
"With all the pleasure in lfe," Karll Por-
ter languidly made answer; "that is, if you
are actually determined to commit such an
eccentricity."
"Wait until your wedding-eve comes, and
see how you will feel about it, retorted the
bridegroom elect as he buttoned the long
wrap about him and turned up the fur col
lar to protect his neck from the cold "Well,
au revoir | shall expect to see you at the
wedding breakfast tomorrow, remember"
And with the long, swinging stride of
practiced walker, he disappeared down the
road.
All this transpired at about 11:30, and the
little alabaster clock on Miss Conway's man
tel pointed to II precisely, when, still brood
ing over Mr.. Falconers letter, something
like tremulous quiver of chill air across
her made her start instinctively and look up.
The lamp illuminated only small portion
Of the room, but the silver radiance of the
full moon, shining in through the easement
across which Katie had forgotten to draw
the crimson draperies made all as light as
day. And there, standing leaning against
the long French easement, Katie Conway
saw her lover, wrapped in long, fur-trim-
med coat, a seal-skin cap on his head, and a
face as pale as marble, save one scarlet spot
on the left temple. She started up with a
low cry, and at the same instant he seemed
to beckon to her to come to him. And even
as he beckoned the bell in the old church,
tower struck y.
Katie ran to the easement, but when she
reached it the moonlight and glistening snow
of the untrodden lawn, and the moving
shadows of an immense old tree that grew
close to the house, were, all that could be
seen. For an instant she looked with wild
startled eyes out upon the snowy silence and
then, wrapping her dressing gown about her,
she ran to her mothers room.
Mamma, wake" she cried, stopping ovel
Mrs. Conway's pillow. "Robert is here
Robert is outside in the cold. Call Michae
to unbolt the doors: Quick, mamma, quick.
And in five minutes Michael, the old mar
servant, had unfastened the ponderous from
door and was looking out.
"Dd you say it was at your window yol
saw him, Miss Katie ?" he asked.
=, 'Yes close to the glass-beckoning me tt
: come"
"But it couldn't be, Miss" protested tn
man. "Look at the smooth snow. There
naught on it for three yards around you
window, let alone the sparrows' track.
> Sure there's never footprint touched
since the snow fell three days ago"
!, "For all that | saw him." she said, liftin
# a blanched and haggard face towards be
mother 81 saw him. Oh, mamma man
. ma, put away the flowers and the bridal veil
/ shall never be married now"
e Darling" soothed her mother, "you ar
n nervous. 1t was only dream. Go to be,
n now and rest"
= But Katie kept on saying, 81 shall neve
n be married now"
Il Early the next morning old Michael Sc
off to the florists for the freshly-cut flower
u which had been ordered for the wedding
IT breakfast. But he had scarcely reached tn
L. gates when the outline of something darl
e lying in the snow caused him to paus
d abruptly. 1t was the figure of man, hi
IL white face turned upwards towards the sun
o rise, and tiny crimson spot on his left TEN
q ple-the spot where bullet had sapped hi
II life away with deadly aim. And the pros
trate figure was wrapped, as if in a shroud
ST with long, fur-trimmed coat.
"God help me ~ cried out old Michael
y OTIS Mr.. Falconer, just as Miss Katie say
him last night" 1t was quite true. Rob
II ert Falconer had been assassinated on hi
"a way to the house of his bride elect on tina
moonlight midnight. And a veil and
o tattered shawl caught in bush near by le
to the almost immediate Identification of tn
IL assassin.
's 81 didn't mean to do it," said Margare
VI Hull, sullenly. at wasn't him as ! mean
e to hit when l fired the shot He had Kari
" Porter's fur oyercoat on, and | supposed h
II was KARL Porter. did mean to kill Karl
" Porter, she added, with a savage light in he
eyes. $50, if that makes murder, Pm a mul
deress. | followed him, on the sly, all tn
u way from the Bolton Arms an when | say
u him cross the moonlit space by the gates, tn
church clock began TO strike u, and / say
S- to myself: 'Now's my time And free
up and see him drop and all the time SUI
NJ posed it was that false-hearted villain VIII
le has made love to my Peggy, and left hi
It's like cast-off toy. Let him look out fC
himself, for I'll kill him yet"
- The poor, halter creature was con
- mitted to Jail, and there was funeral at Il
~ Conway House, instead of a wedding
-. Mamma" walled poor Katie, "did N
tell you so? His spirit came to me at Il
moment in which it was set free from Il
body"
ed Whether it was a dream or a reality
NJ one ever knew. Katie Conway persisted
on the day of her death that she actually d
NO see Robert Falconer's wrath. And eve
lr- year when the sad anniversary came roul
ht. she watched at her window for anoth
re, glimpse of her lost lover. But the spirit
the murdered man never came again.
Ely There were two of them hanging over t
front gate the other night, She was star
nd ing within the yard and he on the sidews
.he onlside both leaning on the ton rail a