Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-01-31
Gales aud Sketehes.
THAT NIGHT
CnAPTER l.

he girls voice ceased, ana 10 IN
darkness of the muliled earth a deepe
darkness seemed added by the dying O
her tones. There was no sound abroad
No light came from the vacant blacknes
overhead. No ray helped the eve to al
idea of distance. There was no mean
of determining any object outside the limits
of touch. The doorstep upon which tn,
speaker stood, the dooriambs which she
grasped as she leaned forward mo the
iormless void, were all for which she had
the evidence of her senses She knew
her younger sister Lisette had passed
through that door. She knew that door
opened on q short garden path ter
minating at a gate on long, bleak,
straight road that ian across desolate
moor. She knew that for miles on either
side no habtation OF man, no tree, no tall
shrub was visible by day. At each side
OF the road a deep drain lay mute Stag
nant. The drains had been dug to at.
ford materials for making the road, and
the waters of the moor had crept into
them. filling them up, and crouched ten
feet deep, ready 10 seize upon him who
10 the dark might scale the low dyke and
seek to gain the level waste. Marion
kutW All tnls anu more.
She knew that upon the morning OF
this day message had come saying that
John Maine would call to see Lisette that
night. John Maine aud Lsette were
lovers. John Maine had made love TO
Lisette tor a year; six months ago all
had been settled. But somewhat OF late
Lisete was sad and John Maine came
rarely. and did not stay long, and sent
messages but seldom. Something was
wrong. Lisette did not complain. She
said there was something strange about
John, but that he was kind-kinder to
her than ever; he seemed, however, I'M
easy and absent-minded and changed /;
changed in what she could not tell; in
general manner rather than toward her.
Aud Marion of this matter could learn no
more.
Marion thought good deal. She
thought: All, my poor Lisette it will
kill her if anything goes wrong, for she is
a deep, wild, passionate nature. Few
suspect that--she is SO quiet, so still.
But she loves him SO much that the OBJ
scure waters lying out there on either
side of the road through the sheer black
would be the Lethe of her despair. That
Marion thought.
Why had he not Gomez IL was close
to midnight, after eleven some time. She
turned her head from right to left in the
direction of the cleiis OF stagnant water
and shuddered.
The village of Barrowieigh, where
John Maine lived, was only four miles
distant down that road. They both, she
and Lissite, had often seen him mile off
as he came toward them waving his hat,
or his handkerchief, or both. Oh, how
Lisette's face would brighten when she
saw him How her dark eyes would light
up! How her pale cheek would flush !
How quickly and softly her breath would
come But once he was near she became
her old, calm self again, aud only for a
strange, deep, under-trill IN her voice,
and certain wonderful lengthening out
of syllables until they acquired new and
deeper meanings, he might have been
old Tom the gardiner.
Once in the dusk when the two sisters
had been talking of him, and Marion had
said something about her being too cold,
she had arisen and flung up her arms and
then drawn them swiftly across her bos-
ON and held them fast, whispering:
My love my love my love If you
only knew how wild | am about you 1t
you only knew how my heart aches when
you are not here how my very soul
seems dull with excess of pleasure when
you are by"
Then she had sat down and asked
Marion: what did say? Some nom
sense, no doubt. Don't mind my non
sense. Marion. Let US go out into the
air."
And after that Marion stood in kind
of fear OF Lisette, aud let her be.
Liseite was now gone out into that aw-
full night, at that wild hour. She had Of
fered her company, but Lsette would not
hear of it. LIsette had said;
'.lf do not hear his tootstep when
have gone a mile | shall return. The
walk will do me good, shall sleep better
after it,"
"But there is no chance of his coming,
of his being on the road at such an hour"
There is something horrible in the
air, / am suffocaung and must walk.
Wait up for me, and have light-this
dark is hideous.'
No one ever came by that road after
daylight was gone except those for the
Moor House, SO that Marion felt none of
the ordinary uneasiness such design
might cause.
After little while she turned into the
house, leaving the front door open, and
sat down in the back room, awaiting the
return of Lisette.
CHAPTER II.
Along the straight road lying between
the two clefts Lisette walked slowly with
her head thrown up so that any sound Ia
front might reach her quickly. She knew
the road well, had known il from her ear
lest childhood. She could have trodden
it blindlold She was now treadng it by
the aid OF blind tradition in her memory
To right and left the stolid darkness
reached from the invisible earth to the
sightless heavens. The darkness opened
before her and closed behind her, folding
her round as strictly as water folds round
stone falling through sea depths in a
cave.
She did not know it was dark. She did
not know it was still. She felt that if he
was approaching she should hear his
tread. She knew that when he had come
she should know his voice. Oh it was
too bad he stayed away What change
had arisen in him How was this cruel
change TO be accounted for? She had
done nothing to cause it, There had been
no quarrel But Verse, thousand times
R-R..t 10. "A - L.