Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-10-30

the 10th of December? Do You
think ii can pass over and forget
it?"
II do remember the night. But
what sis We? I've never seen
We this way"
Nancy, l was warned last
night. / saw her. / had been
asleep, an uneasy sleep of few
moments. and when l opened my
eyes, she stood before me, as plain
as | see you now" !.
"The heavens be her bed /! / be-
lieve she was as sinless as the
darling child within there"
"Bless you for that Nancy; but
O-my God /! to have striven with
temptation so long, and to yield
now"
ANDRE, be still and tell me
what We want and what ye
ruean.p
Nancy, the woman stood be-
fore me, and / heard her words as
clear as l hear yours now. She
said / had doue her foul wrong;
that she came to remind me OF my
oath. She said he has crossed
your path at last; let the light out
tomorrow night and / shall be
avenged! Tonight he will be in
my power; am / to forget my
oath-forego my righteous VEN
geance, and let him go?p
For him / say nothing" re-
piled Nancy. "He brewed his ain
cup, and he sud drink it. But re-
venge is an awful thing, Andre,
do not We tax it in your ain hand"
The man did not seem to hear
her. at would be SO easy" he
said, as if speaking to himself.
II have but to put out the light,
and the ship"
Nancy's form grew erect with
dignity, and her voice took the
majesty of stern rebuke.
care you mad Andre? Give me
the lantern; We shall not go nigh
the lamps this night. Stay and
guard the darlin', and before We
sleep ask pardon for the awful
thoughts we have harbored in
your mind"
He suffered her to take the light
out of his hand, turned away and
entered the house. Virginie un-
dertook to cheer her father out of
his gloomy mood, and Nancy was
soon on her way to the lighthouse
ii is a lonesome thing to sit alone
in a lighted room, whose black,
uncurtained windows stare at you
from all sides, while the snow falls
and the wind walls without. Nam
cy piled her knitting needles ner-
vOusly, but their industrious click
only served to soothe her into a
drowsy state. She paced the room
and listened to the wind; it was
not high; Andres representations
of storm had not been verified,
and she trusted that the remain
der of his dream would prove
equally untrue. She examine
the lamps to see If they were safe,
then descended the stairs and care
fully locke d the outer door; and,
returning, she soon fell asleep.
with her arms upon the table and
her head upon her arms. After
nearly two hours of lethargy, she
came back, cramped, stiff and
dizzy, to a knowledge of the
things of this world. She opened
her eyes I'm blackness, and full
upon her poured a chill blast of
the winter midnight wind. The
lamps were extinguished. BY the
faint CLEANS of the dying embers
in the brazier, she discerned the
form of Andre Duroche opposite
TO her on the other side of the ia
BILE. His presence explained all.
We he mailman or demon? With
the triumphant malice of graft
fed vengeance in his face he ex-
claimed: -
"They have winked long
enough, and you may light them
when you will; but listen-I have
heard it twice already-when the
third time comes l shall know
that l have fulfilled my oath.'
1t was but a moment, when
Nancy heard and understood 1t
too we'll. Through the open win
dow came long, despairing cry,
more like the shrek of lost spirits
than the utterance of anything on
earth. The roar of the distant
breakers, and the dash OF the
waves at the foot of the tower,
stified the wrench of splitting tim
bers and the crash of falling spars,
but they could not drown that
piercing cry of human agony.
The woman fell upon her knees
and cried despairingIy, "God for
give you and me, Andre Duroche,
the blood of these we have sent
this night to their marriage bed IN
the sea ~
y