The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-02-03
"what was it? I heard a voice.

y
tremulously. care you spirit ?"
q am living man." L returned,
"Can you not see me?"
mo" answered the voice, "I can
only hear you. Oh, where are Won ,
Pray do not frighten me. Come out of
! your place of cOncealment and let me see
You. ."
Indeed, 1 don't wish to alarm You.
1 replied. 81 am not hidden. / am
standing directly in front of the spot
whence your voice seems to come.
You are invisible was the trem-
/ bling answer. 90 Your voice comes TO me
out of the air. Holy Virgin you must
! be a spirit. What have L done to de-
/ serve this 2"
Have no fear of me, entreat YOU"
l said earnestly. ''It is as much of a
mystery II me as it is to you. I hear
! you speak but you are likewise invisible"
q" Are you a real living being" asked
! the voice doubtfully "Then why do I
not see you? Come to me. L viii sit
here. l viii not fly"
Tell me where l am to come, I said.
! - Here IN my garden, in the arbor.'
. There Is no arbOr here" L returned,
"only solid rock out Of which you
seem to be speaking"
/ Saints protect me-" answered the
voice. cit Is too awful. l dare not
stay here longer. Spirit or man, fare
| well"
g But yOu viii come again, plead
ed. Let me hear you speak once
more. VIII you not be here p, l.. same
/ hour ?"
u dare not-but yet your voice
sounds as If you would do me no harm.
Yes, l viii come"
Then there was utter silence, the mys-
terious speaker had gone. L returned
home in a state of stupid wonder, ques-
tioning myself if 1 had lost my senses,
and if the whole occurrence was not
delusion. 1 was faithful to my appoint
! oent with the voice on thc following
morning, however. had waited but
few moments, when the soft, trembling
accents broke the silence, saying:
'' l am here.
And I, too" l answered 81 am
grateful to you for coming"
q" l have not slept the whole night,
said the voice. " l was SO terrified. Am
l doing wrong to come ?"
Are you still afraid of me?"
g Not exactly, but 1t Is so strange
- VIII YOU tell me your name 2"
g don't knOw-Lenore. What IS
yours ?"
L
example, and giving my first name only.
Shall we be friends, Lenore ?"
"Oh, yes" answered the voice with n
silvery peal OF laughter. Evidently its
owner was getting over her fears.
Z - Don't be offended, George. It Is so
strange-two people who cannot see
each other and perhaps never VIII,
making friends"
Il win solve the mvsterv get L.
more, I answered, " and find out what
you are. Would you be glad to see me
in my proper person p
" Yes, was the reply, q should ike
| to see you"
"And wd / give great deal TO see
you, Lenore. You must be very beau
tiful Il your face is like your voice.
ooh, hush ~ was the agitated answer.
| 1T IS not right to speak thus.
"Why not? Do you know, Lenore,
that if this goes on l shall be falling
in love with you, though L never see
you"
''You are very audacious," was the
reply. eff you wers really here. before
me, I should punish you for it. As tits
1 am going now"
But you viii come again tomorrow.
| Lenore p
eff you viii promise to be more dis,
Greet, George, yes.
As may be imagined, l did not fail to
keep my engagement with my invisible
friend. For many consecutive days these
strange meetings continued. AS absurd
as it may seem, the voice was beginning
TO make a powerful impression upon me.
L felt in its Noft tones the manifestation
of a sweet, refined woman's soul.
True, I had made no progress toward
unraveling the mystery. Nevertheless,
l was confident that through some mex
plicable dispensation of Providence L
had been permitted to hold communion
with real, living, lovely woman, from
an unknown distance. She had not yet
told me more than her first name, and
l did not press her for more as yet
Her only answer 10 my question as to
where she was was ''In the garden She
did not seem capable of grasping the
fact that 1 was not invisibly near her.
She seemed content with matters as they
stood, and for the present l could do no
more.
l made no one my confdsat as 70 my
daily occupation; first, because L knew
that 1 should be regarded as a madman
npon my mere statement of the facts,
and next, because I shrank from having
an auditor at my mysterious conferences.
Will it be believed? I was IN love with
the invisible girl-in love with Yoicei
| Absurd, of course, but / am not the first
man who has fallen In love with wom-
ans voice Besides, / was confident
that it was only a matter of time before
I should see the girl in person.
One dav toward the end of summer,
we had been talking as usual, and 1 had
said:
my stay in Italy is nearly over.
Lenore.
"Ah," +" was the quick reply, "you viii
leave me. George"
"No, Lenore,'' answered, "not if
You wish me to stay"
"How can help it, George, whether
YOU go or stay? l have never seen you
Il never shall ROD you. What aE I to
you"
"An in the world. Lenore." an
swered. "Ours has been a strange ex-
perience. Without knowing each other
as people ordinarily do, we have yet
been close friends. You are more TO
me than any friend, for [ love you, Le-
nore."
There was quick, suppressed cry, no
other reply.
"Be truthful, Lenore. Tell me your
heart. If you love me, trust to me to
discover your whereabouts and come to
Won. If you do not, say it, and l Will
spare you the pain of meeting me, and
let us never speak again.
There was a pause, then she tremu-
lously said:
al have never seen you, but my
heart tells me to trust you. 1 know you
are good and noble, and 1 am willing to
leave my fate in your hands. Yes,
George, love you:
Even as she raid the words she ut
tered a cry of alarm. Then agrufman's IS
voice spoke
"Go to your room, Lenore. As to
this villain with whom you have been
| 49, .aorak rY,aa4inora xUe ch III