Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-21

seeks its booty from time to time it
swooped upon the earth in indescribable,
hideous way so the spider pounces upon
the entrapped fly. Who or what art thou,
grewsome Shape? Under its influence
saw and felt this--everythiug shriveled
and grew rigid. A foul, pestiiential chill
spread upward. l felt myself fainting /;
my sight grew dim, my hair stood en- end.
1t was Power that was approaching a
power that knows no obstacle, that sub
jects everything to itself that, blind and
fcrmless and senseless, sees everything,
knows every thing, controls everything !;
like vulture selects Its prey, like snake
brushes it and ticks 1t with a deadly
tongue.
'sEllis, Ellis" l shrieked like mad
map, THAT is Death The very, living
Death himself :"
The lamentable sound thai had heard
before escaped Ellis lips, only this time
it was far more like mortal cry Of
despair; and we flew or. Our fight
was singularly and frightfully unsteady !;
Ellis turned over and over in the
air, plunged first in one direction and
then in the other, like partridge that,
wounded unto death, still endeavors to dis.
tract the dog from her brood. But in the
meanwhile long feelers, like extended arms,
or rather lsssos, had disepgaged them
selves from the lump, and were stretch.
ing out after us with cropping movements.
And then of 8 sudden 1t rose into the
gigantic shape of shrouded figure on a
pale horse. 1t grew, filling the heavens
themselve, More agisated, more despsr-
ate became Ellis flight. "He has seen
met is all over-I am lost" caught
in broken whispers. so miserable that
am The opportunity SO close Life
within my grasp and now-nothingness-
nethingness!'
l could bear it no longer. Consciousness
left me. When l came to myself | vas
lying on my back In the grass, and felt
through my body dull ache, as if after
heavy fall. Morning tiickered in the
sky. l could clearly distinguish my sur
roundings. Not far off there was will
low. fringed road that ran beside birch
wood. The region seemed familiar. |
began to recall what had happened 20 me,
and could not repress a shudder as [ re-
membered the last awful spectacle.
" But what can have terrified Ellis ?"
thought. "Csn she be subject to his
power? Is she not immortal? How is il
possible that she can be doomed to ami.
hiiation ?"
A low moan sounded not far away. |
hastily turned my head in that direction.
and there, two PAGES from me, lay the mo-
tionless form OF young woman in white
garment, with thick, unbound hair, and
shoulders barred. One arm was over her
head, the other had fallen across her bosom,
the eyelids were closed, and the tightly
compressed lips were stained slightly with
reddish froth. Could it be Ellis :? But
Ellis was ghost, and it was a real woman
whom saw. Icrawled over to her and bent
above her. Ellis, is it you!' 1 cried.
The eyelids quiveced, slowly uplifted :;
dark, expressive eyes fixed themselves
earnestly on my face, and in the next in
slant warm, moist, fragrant mouth was
pressed to mine; slender, strong arms
ciasped themselves round my neck, no.
breast swelled against my own. Fare
well farewell ~ the dying voice said, and
every thing disappeared.
staggered to my feet like drunken
man, passed my hand across my forehead,
and looked about me. 1 found myself on
the -schen road, two versts from my
country seat. Before | reached home the
sun had risen.
For some nights following this l waited,
let Inc confess it, not altogether without
fear, for the return Of my companion, but
she came no more. One evening, indeed, l
stationed myself at the old place, st the
old hour, but nothing unusual occurred.
After all, | could not regret the cad Of so
singular an intimacy. | pondered much
and earnestly upon this inexplicable, in
comprehensive experience, and had to
come 10 the conclusion that not only posi-
tive science is in no condition to handle il.
but that it is out of tGe range of legends
and fairy tales even. Indeed, what was
Ellis? A ghost, wandering soul, an evil
spirit, sylph, vampire, finally? At
times the fancy possessed me that Z lis was
in truth a woman whom l had known ::
and l ransacked my memory to fiud where
l might have seen her before Hold ! a
moment more and | have it Bat it never
came. Everything grew confused like q
dream. Yes, have thought much and,
as is very often the case, have arrived at
no conclusion. | conld not bring myself
to ask the advice or the opinion of others,
for fear OF being taken for madman. At
last gave up all my groupings 10 tell the
truth, | had other things to think of. First,
the emancipation of the serfs and the
equal distribution of lands, ETC., inter
vened then the condition of my health,
that has received a shock l have a pain in
my chest, cough much, and suffer from
sleeplessness. l am visibly growing thin.
| am as yellow as a mummy. The doctor
assures me that ! suffyr from consumption
of the blood, calls my complaint by
Greek name, ''dRCemie," and declares tnat
| must 90 to Gasteis.