The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-12-21

and that had been reading the
Bible to her. And I obeyed, al
though, while / said it, felt Lucy's
eyes fixed plaintively on mine, and
heard her murmur q prayer that ]
might be forgiven.
Lucy grew i'll. AS the flowers
and the summer sun came on, her
spirit faded more rapidly away. /
have known since that it was grief
more than malady which was kill
ing her. The look OF nameless suf-
fering which used to be in her face,
has haunted me through life with
undying sorrowing. 1t was suffer-
ing that /, who oughtto have rather
died for her, had caused. But not
even her illness stayed me. In the
intervals, 1 nursed her tenderly and
lovingly as before; but for hours
and hours l left her, all through
the long days of summer-to walk
in the Low Lane, and sit in my
world of poetry and IRE. When |
came back my sister was often
weeping, and / knew it was for me
/, who once would have given my
life to save her from one hour of
sorrow. Then l would fling my
self ON my knees beside her, in an
agony of shame and repentance,
and promise better things of the
morrow, and VOW strong efforts
against the power and the spell that
were on me. But the morrow sub
jected me to the same unhallowed
fascination, the same faithlessness.
AT last Felix told me that l m1st
come with him; that / must leave
my home, and take part in his life !;
that l belonged to him and to him
only, and that could not break the
tablet Of fate ordained; that | was
his destined, and he mine, and that
/ must fulfill the law which the
stars had written in the sky. l
fought against this. / spoke OF my
fathers anger, and of my sisters i'll
ness. l prayed to him for pity, not
to force this on me, and knelt in the
shadows of the autumn sunset to
ask from him forbearance.
did not yield this day. nor the
next, nor for many days. At last
he conquered. When l said Yes"
he kissed the scarf wore around
my neck. Until then he had never
touched even my hand with his
lips. | consented to leave my sis
ter, who well knew was dying; /
consented to leave nay father, whose
whole life had been one act of love
and care for his children; and to
bring a stain on our name, unstain-
ed until then. | consented to leave
those who loved me. all loved, for
a stranger.
All was prepared the hurrying
clouds, lead colored, and the howl
ing winds, the fit companions in
nature with the evil and despair of
my soul. Lucy was worse to-day I;
but though | felt going to my death
in leaving her, l could not resist.
Had his voice called me to the scaf-
fold, ] must have gone 1t was the
last O. October, and at midnight
when was to leave the house. /
had kissed my sleeping sister, who
was dreaming in her sleep and cried,
and grasped my hand, called aloud,
Lizzie, Lizziel Come back p But
the spell was on me, and / left her !;
and still her dreaming voice called
out, choking with sobs, ''Not therel
not there, Lizziel Come back to
mel"
was to leave the house by the
large, old, haunted room that l have
spoken of before; Felix waiting for
me outside. And q little after twelve
O'Clock, opened the door to pass
through. This time the chill, and
the damp, and the darkness unnery-
ed me. The broken mirror was III
the middle of the room as before,
and, in passing it. l mechanically
raised my eyes. Then j remember
ed that it was Allhalow's eve, the
anniversary of the apparition OF last
year. As looked, the room, which
had been so deadly still, became
filed with the sound I had heard
before. The rushing of large wings,
and the crowd Of whispering voices
flowed like river around me; and
again, glaring into my eyes, was the
same face in the glass | had seen be-
fore, the sneering smile, even more
triumphant, the blighting stare of
the fiery eyes. the low brow and the
coal-black hair, and the look of
mockery. All were there; all /
had seen before and since; for it
was Felix who was gazing at me
from the glass. When l turned to
speak to him, the room was empty.
Not q living creature was there !;
only low laugh, and the far-off'
vorces whispered, and the voice of
Felix cried from outside, "Come
Lizzie, GOMEZ.
/ staggered, rather than walked to
the window; and, as l was close to
tiny hand raised to open it
there stood between me and it q
pale figure clothed in white; her
face more pale than the linen bound
round it. Her hair hung down on
her breast, and her blue eyes look
ed mournfully into mine. She was
silent, and yet it seemed as if q vol
ume of love and Of entreaty flowed
from her lips !; and l heard words
of deathless affection. Itwas Lucy !;
standing there in this bitter mid
night cold-giving her life to save
me. Felix called to me again, i'm
patiently; and as he called, the fig
ure turned, and beckoned me !;
beckoning me gently, lovingly. be-
seechingly /; and then slowly faded
away. The chime of the balf-hour
sounded; and ! fled from the room
to my sister. ] found her lying
dead on the floor; her hair hanging
over her breast, and one hand
stretched out as if in supplication.
The next day Felix disappeared;
he and,his whole retinue; and Green
Howe fell into ruins again. No one
knew where he went, as no one
knew from whence he came. And
to this day / sometime doubt wheth-
er or not he was a clever adyentur-