The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-07-10
LED AsTRAX.
ny cATHARINE PROCTOR.

1t was rainy evening in October. The
penetrating, pitiless drops had beaten, beat
en- for two successive days, until the bronze
Of the oaks; the gold of the maple and the
fire Of the sumach had been saturated, and
the woods wore a wet, lfeless look. The
darkness fell early, for the leaden clouds
crt short the twilight, and night deepenedj
rainy, rainyl
sat III the parlor Of the only hotel in the
western village of D.. A cheerful fire
was burning, and withal, there was home
look Of comfort seldom seen in public
room. l was happily dreaming-not doz-
ing, but building aerial architectural Won
ders, and there is nothing coser than pleas
ant fire, listless hands and busy brain, pros
yided the heart be happy.
l had preferred sitting there because the
raindrops were troops OF friends, every one
having a characteristic fall, briskly beating
about on the plahks, or tapping greetingly
on the widow panes. l had arrived day
too soon for the stage for H; and, as the
iandlady was an acquaintance, was not so
restlessly impatient as some travellers are at
being delayed.
The train arrived from the East at eight
| heard, indistinctly the unloading oftrunk:
from the omnibus. Presently the door open
ed, and the waiter ushered into the room Q
lady.
turned to look as the door closed, and
saw her disentanging the sitting of her veil
all the while walking slowly toward tht
fire. was half vexed at having my fan,
cies broken in upon, and so scanned hei
closely to discover if was likely to be an,
noyed by her presence. l was struck, first
ly by her helght,and next by a certain grace
Of motion, which is, as much as anything
indicative of ch aracter. Her veil finally
fell, and was fairly startled by the death,
ly paleness of her face. A few drops of wa
ter, which had fallen on her while alight
ing gistened upon her shawl and bonnet
| rose involuntarily and offered her my
face as did so. The perfect palor of hel
face, in contrast to wavy fall of dark hail
about the forehead and dark, heavily shad
ed eyes, was plainly seem distinctly defn
ing, as it did, the fine regularity of her fea
lures. She took off her shawl and bonne
hastily, then l noticed grace IN the curve
] I.,Ck 4 4
of her hair
Straightway my air-castles fell and IN!
busy fancy had a real weird; ehigmatiea
subject 10 work upon. She sat there motion
less in the glow of the fire, wrapped, as i
were, in many mysteries, the dreariest anC
darkest one, sorrow, had given the white
ness to her face and had put mourning
robes upon her was without grief. n,
shadow of this result of sin had dimrhed tn
sunniness Of my years, and therefore M
wonder was mixed with pity, not sympathy
She was a tragedy to me- even at that frs
glance a spirit came in to my solitude frou
the darkness of that fainy night.
Presently the landlord came to hear he
wishes.
81 must go to II tonight" said she
He told her that tbs rain was increasing
that the roads were impossible, and tha
early next morning the stage would go.
was not prudent, 10 say the least and b
thought it difficult, even for a large sum, t
procure trusty driver.
"Then, if not for rioney, for PHYS sake!
she exclaimed.
/, woman that was, would have gon
instantly, and l wondered at his indifiel
euce to her pc ition; throrgh my impulsivC
ness could not see his better sense. 1t wa
finally decided that she was to remain fc
the night.
dared not speak TO her, though ! Wish
ed to do SO, while sat looking intently a
her for full half hour. At last she aros
10 be shown to her room. She looked'at IN
abstrabtedly, and then a soliciting smil
came over her, us she said;
excuse me, ! deprived you Of you
chair"
Her voice had clear, exquisitely modu
lated tone, and the sweet courtesy of he
manner brought tears into my eyes, as th
entire lorgetiulness Of self in great tr0ubl
is SO touching and SO seldom seen.
Z resumed the rocking chair, and lookin
into the FIRE, studied long aud unsatisfa'
torily upon the question, what deeds in Iii
were able to so transform and imbue III
character with this strange amount Of grle
Her room was next to mine. Until lai
I could hear her steadily pacing back an
forth, while without, the rain, with a ne
meaning in its pattering, beat fereely an
ceaselessly.
Arousiug from fliful dozes, in which h,
haunting face assumed strange and SOM
times frighiful forms, still heard her wall
ing, slowly walking. l dreamed Of her,au
awoke thinking had only dreamedi for Il
steps were not heard in the adjoining rrou
The morning was cold, and thin, gre
clouds, through which a clear sky was Wis
Die, swept over the heaYens, The wind b.