Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-10-19

| lphlkHl
ooh, Edmund, I believe my heart y
breaking l have no hope, bul VIII
speak 10 papa when 10 returns nom his
walk At dusk this evening, Perhaps II
might do good for you TO join your On
treaties with mine"
III shall be there" said i'lmund, with
haltmysiorIOus look lurking IN his
eyes that Emily could not understand,
"lIaye you been very wicked, El'
mund that We should lave to sulier s"
muchY'
"Conmge, darling We shall he lalpy
vet" said Elmund, pressing u Kiss on
| Tho gll's pale lips, II shall seo son
again s0on hut one word UOre, do mol
hN frightened Ut anything unusual ihal
may happen tonight"
Rlr Richard llildreih walked slowly
up tho limo avenue, his eyes h'ed on
| tho ground, aud an alr GI lmgnor ~
every movement, Premature ago lad
ael ila mark on his lowed shoulders and
hair aprinkled thickly With white, end
ho seemed but tho melancholy shadow
Of the once handsome, ailable master ol
Richcmont
Ilo made his way 10 the mOss'R0wn
doorway Of the tower, aud turning the
key In ita rusty lock with considerable
difficulty, entered l,is silent dwelling
place, -,
emily. my child, You alone in this
drcary placoT ho exclaimed, ~ hc
caught sight OF n white figure sitting
with bowed head near the window.
Emily, trembling with anCryou,chill,
came forward, relieved that her vigil no
near the figure in the next room was at
an end, She had rcgOlutely tried to
keep hor eyes turned away from the
dust covered monk, but drawn by n 70,
sistless fascination she had once glanced
toward him. and had been frozen with
horror at tho thought that tho lifeloss
image had stirred In the twilight the
silent rooms and all they contained
seemed TO assume additional terroS.
Emily, unncrved and excited to the
lato degree, fell oy her knees before her
father, and, uplifting hcr fearful face.
cried -
ooh, father, have you quito forgotten
yom duty to your only child ! am 40
wretched, and do SO long for little
sympathy from you-my present lille IL
miserable, and You will not allow me
any hope for the future"
'Gol forbid that should he unjust
toward you " ,,,
"In another week Edmund will have
left me for ever, il will not promise to
he his wife, and yet You know j cannot
give this promise without your sanction.
| oh, father, will yon not be n little less
severe toward yourseli--forgive yourself,
and come among us again, and you viii
agree with the rest of the world that
Edmund and / ought to belong to coch
other"
emily, your happiness would be
mine, and dare not give myself sucha
indulgence am guilty OF tho death OF
the holy brother, whose likeness is be.
fore us--unhappy child tlat You are to
call me father and until his hand is
raised in forgiveness | remain crimi'
nal.'
Emily shudtlered and raised her eyes,
when, with shrek, she spnng to her
feet-the monk no longer sat in his ac'
customed seat, but stood motionless in
the doorway.
'Tather, look |" the girl cried, horror.
stricken, until Edmrnds's words, "Do
not be frightened at anything unusual
that may happen tonight" REQUIRED to
her mind.
Sir Richards eyes dilated, aud no
seized his daughters arm for support.
The ghostly figure in its tattered drap'
cry came slowly few PAGES forward,
and, with uplifted hand, said, in sepul-
chral tones, "Tu sci perdonato. (Thou
art forgiven.)
ooh, my God |" mumured the white
haired baronet, as he sank on his knees.
and then fell forward, senseless.
"Help help? He has fainted!" cried
Emily, flying toward the door.
"Emily, come back. have everything
ready for such an emergency said n
well-known voice, and Edmund Ken
nedy, letting fall to the ground with a
gesture of disgust the moth'eaten cowl
and habit of Fra Giacomo, tenderly rails.
ed Sir Richard and laid him on his hard
bed.
edmund, how had you the courugeto
attempt such a ghastly masquerade !?
Emily asked, wonderingly.
circumstances drove me it. Moth
ing short of the supernatural could con-
vince your father that he was mistaken
about himself, 80 / thought would per-
form the duty that was expected of Fra
Giacomo. 1 induced your father to pro-
long his walk this evening by telling
him of the altered aspect of the lake
shore near f, and in his absence l
changed places with our worthy brother,
giving his skull an honorable position on
my writing.desk, and investing myself
in his somewhat imperfect garments. |
dislodged vast colonies of moths and
spiders, and did not altogether enjoy my
position, but + thought shock of this
kind would have good effect on your
father and was willing to suffer much in
the attempt"
"But why did you not tell me of your
plan ?"
81 was afraid You would not be able
to keep the secret or, rather, You are
not actress enough to properly feign
establishment. See, you father is recov-
ering under the effect of this restorative
will close the door of the ill-fated cell,
and leave you alone with him."
Capt. Kennedy's hardy venture was
crowned with all the success he had de-
sired. When, aftera low, nervous fever,
Sir Richard again awakened to con-
seriousness, he called his daughter to his
bedside, and, taking her hand said =
emily, voice from the spirit land
has taken great load from my heart,
and 7 feel that I need no longer refuse
you the request that you have so often
made. My stay in this world is almost
at an end, and before go [ would like
to see you the wife of Edmund Ken
nedy."
Emily felt guilty pang at her fathers
simple faith in her lovers hoax, but she
also felt that il would be sin to destroy
the delusion that afforded the sinking
man so much comfort.
Before the summer was over, Emily
Hildreth was an orphan, but Edmund
was there to comfort her, and in the