Louisiana capitolian., 1881-10-11
him, and aaid, nodding her head fami1-

y
oil about you, and ! wonder you're not
ashamed to look your family in tho face!
] dare say you are, but you're stuck fast
and can't run away" She made u pro-
found courtesy TO the Lady Alice. "My
beautiful Auntie! wish you could
speak! what nice tales we'd have' I
wonder if she knows how much / ad-
mire her." she added, addressing her old
nurse, who had followed her with q
shawl, fearing she would get chill in
the cold corridor.
'My dear Miss Gerty,' answered that
faithful attendant, slightly scandalized
at the idea, chow can you talk like thats
when the poor lady's been dust and
ashes nigh on two hundred years."
''But ] suppose her spirit isn't dust
and ashes toof' said saucy Gerty. 81
love to look ut ber--she is like me, they
say. ! heard her sad story, and feel
such an intense sympathy for her,
though she has been dead two hundred
years. Sometimes | fancy it may be
her spirit that has descended to me.
You have heard of the transmigration of
souls, nurse9"
Cant say have, my DEAR" she an
swered. "But I've heard Of the trans
portation of bodies, and very bad bodies,
too, that transportation too good fop
'em."
Gerty fitted about the house all day
in restless, excited fashion, and in the
evening, she sat by the tireside chatting
with old Dorothy, listening to her gar
rulous gossips Of bygone days, inter-
spersed with scraps Of traditional scan
dals, which had become accepted as fam
lily history. The elderly domestic mind
seems to revel in sensational horrors,
and Dorothy was no exception to the
general rule. She told old tales, till the
girls brain quickened with strange fan
cies, and when the night closed in, as
she passed along tho passages and up
the stairs, the air seemed palpitating
with living memories, as though some
Invisible spirit was stirring everywhere,
striving once more to get within mortal
ken, and reveal itself to the humanity
it had shaken off. Dorothy followed
her, carrying a lamb, whose Aickeripg
light drove the dancing shadows back
into their dingy corners. Sir Hugh's
painted eyes seemed to be following her
whichever way she turned.
~ fancy you may be little pervious
tonight, my dear" said Dorothy, $50 I
am going to sleep in the little room next
to yours"
"All right, nurse" replied Gerty; "but
Pm not in the least nervous, only q little
lonesome. l am not used to wander
about by myself quite all day, and l
think miss papa-and-Oh! nurse, 60
way; you worry me-"
She flung back the curtains, letting q
full flood Of moonlight fall in one broad
bar across the floor; for second only,
she glanced ont upon the white shrouded
world. So far as the eye could reach, 1t
was snow--all snow. 1t looked so vast,
so wild and desolate, that she shivered,
though she was not cold, for no apparent
reason, crept into bed, and closed her
eyes, firmly resolved to shut all foolish
fanoies from her brain and sleep-no
temptation should force her to unclose
her eyes till the morning broke.
Vain resolution the blood raced
through her veins; her pulse beat Of
though keeping time to soundless music.
She turned restlessly on her pillow, her
mind disquieted, and her imagination
strangely stirred. At last, exhausted
with nervous excitement, she dropped
into o disturbed sleep, checkered by
strange dreams scraps and fragments Of
the wierd imaginings which had filed
her waking hours floated through he'
half awakened brain.
Suddenly, stirred by some strong i'm
pulse, she started up in her bed, broad
awake! The moonbeams had faded
slightly, and a paler, greener light lay
across the floor. The house was silent
there was not sound anywhere, except
that created by the wind, which rar
moaning and groaning round the house
rattling against the window-panes witt
it's invisible hand. Gertrude thought o1
the Lady Alice, who had perished in thu
snow years ago, and whose restles spirit
they said, sometimes in Winter night
came wandering around the hoose
wringing its hands, moaning, "I.et mt
come in Let me come in !" She almos
fancied she saw tho white face presse'
against the window-pane.
Che J;otanad for a uomant and--fhpl