Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-06-18

" An evil Fate IL brOodinR over me. / |
IAN not escape 70, strive as I may"
His look, his words, bis manner, |
itartled me violently, but / endeavOred |
% laugh, and answer him lightly.
"YOu are wrong, my friend. I do |
not believe In Fate. Each man pos
5esses the power 10 rule his own destiny,
whether for good or evil, as be wills
IT,
al doubt II. Could you rule an inn
mortal spiritp Could you destroy an
invisible phantom, that hovers continu-
ally about you in the airp Could you
Danish hideous recollection that has
haunted your memory for yearsP No,
you could not. And that spirit, that
phantom, that memory, combined, Is
the silent and inexorable fate that has
gathered over my life and awaits 10 tri-
umph over me in the end"
He had started 10 his feet, and was
walking the floor rapidly, back and
forth. A bright crimson glow had come
10 each pale cheek, and from his eyes
seemed TO flash some inward light that
burned with a scorchjng flame. But,
even as / sat watching him with min
gled wonder and alarm, he calmed him
self with sudden effort, and resumed
his chair opposite mine. Looking at
me, with the mild expression once more
returned TO his eyes, he held out his
hand, as he said, in a subdued voice:
" At least, let me thank you for the
kindly interest you have manifested in
me tonight, and for the kindly words
you have spoken TO lonely being like
mysen-coming TO me when kind words
are the greatest earthly blessing l could
have received when a kind friend is the
boon have prayed for and hoped for 80
long in vain. Though you may forget
them, never shall; they will dwell in
my memory through the brief space of
life that yet remains"
l sat looking at him as he uttered
these words, in a perfect stupor OF
amazement; for they were almost the
exactrepetition of those which the young
girl, whose face was perfect counter
part of his own, had appeared to deliver
to me in my room that evening. What
unaccountable coincidence was this
which placed the words of my apparent
vision in the mouth of this strange, this
singular manP l was lost in unutterable
wonder, while that sad, pale face seemed
to shine upon me with the serene and
gentle expression which I had first be-
held in connection with the young girl
of my dream.
Was it all, all a dreamP Was in
deed awake even now, and possessed of
my sensesP Yes. This, at least, could
not doubt. And so 1 bade him good
night, turning back for a last lingering
look at the sweet fair face and the calm
blue eyes, and thenreturned to my room,
bewildered, mystifed, amazed.
But was in no mood for quiet rest.
So lit cigar, and strolled out for a
night walk, pondering over the strange
adventure which the evening had
brought me. The air seemed hot and
close, and the dark, invisible wings OF
the night brooded over the earth in
deathly silence. / walked heartlessly
and aimlessly about for a short time,
and when was nearing home at last ]
stopped for moment at a street corner,
to look after slender figure with a
mufiled face, which fitted by me like a
phantom of the night, noiselessly and
swiftly. 1t disappeared in the dark
ness, and / turned home.
The following day brought with il
new incidents and other subjects de,
manding my attention. / had almost
forgotten my strange neighbor, until
once more in my room at night was
startled and shocked at the perusal o.
the following paragraph in the evening
paper:
FOUND DROwNED.-Early this morning
/ a..
| in the Bay, off North Point. IL was Sc
cured and conveyed to the Coroner's office
where 1t was discovered to be the remains O
young girl, about twenty years of age
clad in male garments. From papers fOun(
! upon her person it was ascertained that fO
a long time previous she had disguised her
| self in masculine attire, and lived under thu
assumed name Of Robert -, occupying
room No. SO, in lodging-hOuse on =
Street, in this city.
So totally unprepared had l been fo
this denOaement of my adventure tina
for time l was quite unable to collec
my senses and realize that this catastro
phe had befallen my singular friend o
the previous evening. But at last 1 re
covered myself sufficiently to hasten T.
the Coroner's Office, and, obtaining ad
mittance, once more found mysel
looking down upon the beautiful fac
that had so wildly impressed itself up
on my memory. 1t was white and col
in death now, but the serene and gentl
expression was still there, and the sa
smile seemed to hnger lovingly upon th
pale lips that had been closed to a
eternity. The blue'eyes were veiled
the long, last sleep; but there was
fascination in that calm, dead face ths
was even more irresistible than when i
life. And, as l turned sadly away,
breathed prayer for that poor, depar
ed spirit that was destined never MOI
to suffer in loneliness, or hope in val
through long and weary years for tn
kind word of a friend.
In the room which the dead girl ha
occupied in life was found brief not
addressed to cher kind neighbor in NJ
49," bestowing upon him the portra
of her sainted mother, which she tTuste
he would cherish and preserve in men
ory of the face of a dead and erin
girl.
And as / write tonight the beautifl
features beam down upon me from IL
wall; the calm, gentle face seems
assume an almost holy expression; Il
melancholy smile changes to the bri
liant dawning of an everlasting peac
Hark! The voice of my visionl sOf
: sweet and low, thrilling me again vii
that strain of far-off, exquisite music.
So lay down my pen, and the in
mortal face appears to me once more
my dreams Golden Era.
-ss-S