Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1880-11-18

ter the mail coach, an hour late, came in, we
addressed ourselves to our various tasks, hav-
ing vainly triedto penetrate the thick wealth
er. which hid even the first white line of the
breakers, l saw Marion, in her er-proofs,
go out for wrestle with the tempest which.
suited her defiant mood but she was quite
powerless in it, and came back, half blown
on her way by the blast, and wet with flying
spray and foam fakes as we'll as with the rain
An hour or two later, as one by one of the
gentlemen, and of the men about the place,
came in and threw off their cloaks and over
alls, we found that there had been some un-
easiness in the house concerning Mr.. Ray
monde, which was increasing and presently
that was the one theme of conversation.
1t did not need much urging to cause ex-
pl0ring parties to range up and down the
shore; and as did not care straw for what
any one said, l did not hesitate to urge. But
by night-fall they had allreturned, unsuccess-
full, and the rain was still lashing the panes,
the wind bowling round the house, while the
roaring and pounding of the surf made it i'm.
possible to hear any other sound if one put
ones head outside the door. And the storm
and darkness did not diminish the anxiety
about Mr. Raymonde, when those who knew
the region stated that there was no shelter on
all the shore, except it should be some casual
gunners tent, and as for that, no tent could
have resisted the gale and the danger was ia
the marshes, into which he might have wan
dered in the sudden shutting down of night
mist, without light of any kind to guide him,
and where he might perish with exposure. :,
Marion had sat calmly at a window of the
drawing room, with her silk knitting ever
since she came in, for we none of us kept our
rooms; once she played part of sonata,
when some one asked for it, and once she
ffok h,,olr md frnp ifo Il.
not too slowly. By-and-by she laid the book
down, and sat there motionless as a statue, till
the dark fell. -l<E& @-' 5t't
''What gloomy night !" sighed Charlotte
sit will certainly do no harm if we go into
the great hall and amuse ourselves '@
'sAnd have drift-wood fire there!" cried
Marion. IA monstrous one!" ''"'
"a drift-wood fire." echoed l. for knew
where the sun-soaked timbers of the old
wreck had been slowed away, and OWNED
instantly what the light of the great incur
tanned hall windows might be to any lost
wanderer. When we returned from the tea
table, where Mr.. Urquhaft, the last arrival,
was jesting with Marion quite as if nothing
was the matter, although fancied that re-
peated motion of her hand across her face
was to brush away some trouble, but could
not tell if it were anything but fancy, know
ing she we'll deserved to feel the trouble of
memories never to be brushed away-when
we returned, say, a fire was cracking and
rolling up the big chimney place, and trans
figuring everything in the room with its rosy
illumination. Marion sat down in one corner
by the heap of old wood, tossing every little
while, with her white hands and jewelled
fingers, another splinter on the blaze. Young
Maybank sat on a hassock at her feet, Arthur
Santley leaned over the back of her chair,
and kept up the jesting with Urquhart, since.
the latter would have it, in the pauses of the
rather dull game that went on, all in way
that allowed Marion to be silent. She sat
erect and strangely still, like one listening for
life or death, her only motion being now and
then to bend and throw on billet that sent a
shower of sparks up the chimney, and then
great swallowing flame, sapphire changing
to an emerald glory, or burning away in a
ruby red glow of strontium, according to the
salts of the sea with which the, wood CHANGED
to be saturated. The splendid colors seemed
to roll through the windows wide and high,
and lay great beams of beauty on the storm
and we imagined the flames to be the risen
spirit of the old shipwreck, and as we cluster
ed about the hearth we fell to telling stories of
the dangers of the seas till we could talk of
nothing else 1t had come to be past mid
night, but nobody thought of sleep and
while they talked / sat cOnjuring darker fam
cies yet and wondered, as l remembered
his melancholy, if there were any possibility
of Raymonde's having sought his own de-
struction. And glancing over at Marion,
felt assured that she too had no other thou ght
She stopped mechanically, for she was not
gazing at the fire, but at the windows, and
threw another piece on the blaze, and SAINT
ley stopped too, and heaped an armful there
''The last of the rudder- post, " said he. ut
was bad guide once. But such are the
metempsychOses of nature, let US hope that it
has now become a beacon star!' AS the frag-
ments caught the fame and kindled it afresh,
the great chimney place seemed to burst into
gigantic blossom, or as if a holocaust of
rainbows took flight up and into outer dark
ness, and we all exclaimed at the wonder of it
all but Marion and as l turned to bid her
lock, saw her face white even IN all that i'm
mense ruddy glow and glare, white, and fix
ed in terror, while her lips seemed vainly
striving to move. And then, in moment,
restraint, doubt, despair, horror, had given
place to wild joy, and she had sprung to her
feet with cry, scattering US to right and left.
was throwing up the window and letting in
gust that swept the hall, was STOPPING to drag
IN after it something that had just fallen
against the sash.
1t was Raymonde, who, wandering all
night and day in the marsh, had found his
bearings at last only when reason was near
fed. and the darkness and fog were family
penetrated by the blaze of the drift-wood fire.
AS he slowly opened his great gaunt eyes she
was kneeling ON the floor, her arms about him.
his head on her breast, her lips warming his
frozen lips to life, while Santley and the rest,
in their hurry for brandy and hot blankets,
forgot even to be amazed. II had better die
now" he whispered. with the smile clarifying
his face. f5E
''Oh, no. no. no !" she cried, regardless
who heard. "Oh, we have just begun to
live!" And can see Mrs. MERGERS speech
less horror and petrifaction at this moment
Hnrper's MGq0sine. .a. ..-.-.