The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-07-29

rang for our early tea, and l answered
the summons. 1t was almost dark as !
descended the supper room.
"Where is Laura ?" inquired our hos
tess.
81 don't know. thought her with
you"
81 have not seen her since she went
out two hours ago l fancied she had
returned and had gone up to your room. "
every imprudent in Laura, remarked
the Judge. "She's little hayward at
times; but you must excuse her, Mrs.
Whiting. Her health has always been
delicate, and she has, in consequence,
been much INDUCED; but she is good
girl in the main."
A servant was dispatched in search of
Laura, but returned, saying she was no
where near the bridge, whittier she had
been,seen to 60. Mrs Whiting then
went up stairs, while with sudden and
strange fear--a feeling that sent chill
to my heart and chsking, suffocating
sensation into my throat, | stole out and
went to the bridge.
The waters were swollen by the re-
cent rains-bubbling against the bridge,
and whirling away in rapid eddies INTO
the black pools beneath the dropping
willows. | noticed at the first glance
that the wooden railing on the lower
part of the bridge had given way.
came quite close to the edge and
looked down, looked far over under the
bridge. And then with a cry of such
horror and agony as | had never before
ard ha, never since uttered, rushed
back to the house.
Let me hurry away from this painful
part of my story.
Ten years passed, when the Black
water estate, by will of the late Mr.
Whiting, came into possession of my
father, his nearest relative then living
the young man mentioned by Mrs. Whit.
ing, having been shot in duel in Cali
fornia. l went down with my father to
visit the estate, and it was decided that
we should all spend the summer there.
My great delight was to rummagc
among the family relics of which Mrs.
Whiting had spoken, and from the cha
otto mass of which l brought to light a
rare or curious article, designed to orna-
ment or enrich my private cabinet. One
day l was looking over the yellow and
crumbling papers contained in an old
chest-preserving here and there an aut-
ograph or fragment, and laying aside
the rest for committal to the flames.
Suddenly my eye was arrested by the
| name of "Honoria Rhett."
read on. The paper was brittle
with age, broken in parts, and ii crum-
bled at the edges as | folded it, Yet |
could with difficulty make out some
words and sentences:
"And insomuch as that crime of said
Honoria was by her own death-b,i con
fession the willful and premedita,ed act
of a callous woman, and by no means to
be attributed las was surmiseoD to acct
dent or And as, furthermore, the
said wil!ful and malicious drowning of
said Flora Hastings, ut the willow bridge
crossing, therefore not escape
the just punishment of Heaven
rest upon the descendants of the said
Honoria Whiting Rhett I'LL such time
n expiation-"
And here the manuscript became
iliegible, having been apparently oblit-
Grated by damp; only the signature was
plainly visible Rufus Hastings
What could it meant Was it some
law indictment Of the crime OF Hororia
Whiting or was it curse of some one
OF the family of the victim, Flora Hast
ings, agains thu descendants of the
said Ronora Whitingl'
And the crime itself, and this mystic
rious actress of ours, and the willful
drowning, and Laura, poor Laura Was
this "eXpia:lont'
And then came the thought of Laura's
strange resemblance to the picture, and
her mysterious fore knowledge OF the
bridge and the willows, and of the door
in the wall, of which no trace had then
existed. What was the meaning Of
this
Lately, was reading an article in a
foreign magazine-a criticism on series
of lectures delivered by German pro-
fessor on the subject of the "vital prin-
ciple," when came upon the following
passage:
"For this immortal principle does not
ascend in one direct line but takes its