The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-06-10

Oh Would soOthe The heart OF Than, solace
might be found there; but to nv NOR
bid fancy they looked at me with wide
open eyes Of wonder, they knew the
secrets Of the ea,--the faint stir of life
I'm the beautiful anemones had lost its
interest. / could not smile at the King
Crabs. the reading tables, and the mu.
sic had no interest for me; outwardly
was walking through the magnificent
halls of the Aquarium, -inwardly my
heart was beating to the mournful
rythms of the sea. The clock had not
struck seven when ] came out, and
there lying before me was the Chain
Pier.
Invent there as naturally as the needle
goes to the magnet, The moon shOne
with a iitful light,-at times it was
bright as day flooded the sea with sill
yer, and showed the chain and the arch
es of the pier as plainly as the sun could
have done-showed the running of the
waves, they were busy that evening,
and came in fast ,-spreading out in
great sheets of white foam, and when
the moonlight did touch the foam, it
was beautiful TO see.
But my lady moon was coQuettiSh-
every now and then she hid her face be-
hind drifting cloud, then the soft,
thick gloom fell again, and the pier lay
like a huge shadow-the very place, |
thought, in which "a tortured heart
could grow calm; there was only the
wind and the sea, nothing more. |
would go to the spot where we two
should stand together never more. |
fancied, as paid for admission at the
gate, that the face of the person who
received il expressed some surprise. IL
must have seemed strange taste, but
--ah mc-there had bloomed for me for
one short hour the flowers of paradise,
The thick, soft gloom was deeper on
the pier. remember that, as ! walked
down, heard from the church CLOCKS
the hour Of eight. All along the coast
there was a line Of light; the town was
brilliantly lighted, and when looked
across the waters, the west pier was III
all its radiance; the sound Of tie music
tloated over the waves to me, the lgllt
OF the colored lamps shone lar anu
wide. could see the moving mass OF
people: here | was almost alone | saw
a gentleman smoking his cigar, / saw
the inevitable lovers, saw an old man
with a wan face saw two young men,
almost boys-what had brought them
there could not think.
reached the pier-head where the
huge lamp had been lighted, ana Shoiie
like great brilliant jewel. Sat. DOWN
there was no greater pleasure ior me
than an evening spent there AZ hrs'
all was quite still; the gentleman smok-
ing his cigar walked up and down; the
two youths, who had evidently mlstaK,
en- the nature of the pier, and considered
themselves greatly injured by the alb
sence Of music and company, went
away; the Old man sat still for some
time. then he left.
was alone then with the smoker,
who troubled himself very little about
me. The coquettish moon threw a
wide, laughing CLEAN around, then van
ished. 4 whole pile of thick, dark
clouds came up from the west and Ind
her fair face-by them the thick, soft
gloom had deepened into darkness. |
was far from expecting anything tragl-
cal as | sat there, cold deSOlate, and
lonely. AS it was, the Chain Pier was
more like home to me than any other
spot on earth, because of the one hour
| had spent there,
The wind began to freshel and blow
cOldly where | sat. had no motive in
changing my seat, except to escape just
the sharpness of the breeze. crossed
to the other side, where the white line
Of cliffs lay-away from the brilliant
lights Of the west pier, hidden behind
&GRffRSHpf.f Ieg sa E'eft Is! to shelter
my dreams.
cannot tell how it was, but tonight
many ghostly stories that | had read
about piers came to my mind. For in
stance, now, how easy it would be for
any man to steal up to me through the
thick. soft. shadoWy mist, and murder
me before had time to even utter a
cry, might be thrown over into the
sea.
Then said TO myself what 2 foolish
thought. was close to many people
such murder was impossible. Yet !
was foolish enough 10 turn my head and
try to peer through the darkness if any
one was near.
The tall, slender figure of a woman
dressed in dark cloak was slowly walk
ing up the middle of the pier. She
could not see me, but | saw her-plan-
iy distinctly. I noticed the grace Of
her movements. her grand carriage.
She was closely yelled, 50 that | could
not see her face. J}ut, unless ! was
much mistaken, she carried q bundle
Of something held tightly under her
arm,