Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-10-08
= MYSTERY.
is our last week together.

LsaI lies lovingly against my shoulder,
AZ though half lOath yet to lose its Gus
romzry resting place. For her the fu-
.prs appears all bright she is marry
inc the man she has chosen, and a sis
reT's affection no doubt seems tame in
comuarIson with that world of love
which IS open now before her. Still
tbeTe Is something in her manner be-
-rsviug a vague uneaSineSS, something
almost indehnaOle.
Nv seven wears seniority has estab-
Tsbri different relationship between
usu Is more as a child love her than
As A sister, and she too has always
hoked upon me in the light of The
mother We have lost. Our father also
! dead. Ii is wild eerie night with
out The wind Is blowing so bolster
ously that every door in the house
seems 10 be creaking on its hinges and
every window shaking in its frame.
.Magdalen.n she whispers timidly,
"dO YOU ever feel, on a night like this,
as though you were not alone, as though
s1methlug intangible were beside you.
and you dared not turn your head To
see what il IS -
lam not so stupid, is my prompt
reply. Il don't believe in shadowy
forms and impalpable presenceS, nor
indeed il anything ghsstly at all. -
"GhoStS are the bOgies with which
they frigbten children. | am not speak
ing Of them, but of the spirits"
interrupt her hastily.
'lf you are going to talk nonsense,
MAY, shall ring for lights. 1t is Rus
SCI who puts these ideas into your head.
and It is very wrong of him.;
RuSSel IS the man she is going TO
marry: and AT his name her eyes droop,
and uer fingers fidget nervously amongst
the friuges of my dress. Sometimes
ali half afraid that there is more fear
than love in her feelings for him. He
Is very grave, even taciturn at times,
and very much older than she. But,
when lad at first set my face against
tie marriage, partly Oh these grounds,
and partly because he was wIdower,
and | was ! little jealous that my dar
ling should have even dead rival, she
had legged ne 50 hard to consent, and
had seemed SO distressed when l heSi-
tatel, that | could not but believe that
she loved him.
1t was at dance that she met him
fTSt. | remember so well how gay she
was when she set out, how full of fun
and r0gueTy, her eyes dancing and her
lips tTemulOus with delight. She has
never been 50 light-hearted since. Even
that same night. when l went into her
room to hear of all the events of the
evening, Twas struck by change F; she
was looking SO pale and tired, and an
swered me only i'll monOsyllables when
l questioned her. Not till the next
morning did hear of the stranger who
had been there, who had danced with
her nearly all night and evidently cap
uyaled her fancy. In the evening too
Il had come out that he was somewhat
Of a c0nJureT and ventriloquist and
afterwards. May told me, he had at
tempted to mesmerize her, but only par
tally succeeded. He had chosen her
because he said she dad such dreamy
splrituallstic eyes, and would surely
make good medium.
But III this he is mistaken; soft and
languld as my little sister seems, she
has very strong will, and does not 50
easily Succumb. 1t Is for this reason.
because she is usually SO brave and self
contained, that l am surprised she
should be nervous now.
What is it, dear ?'' L whisper anx-
iously, when she lapses ito sacred ST.
ielee, holding my hand SO tightly the
While that 1t is with some difficulty |
refrain from crying out"
"Magdalen, what shall | do when |
leave You - she cries irrelevantly, as il |
appears to me.
You VIII have your husband you
viii not miss me" 1 return Iloodily.
Nagdalen, that is unfair As if he
could ever be quite tie same to me as
you, quite 50 good, or quite so DEAR l
love hlm-Oh, yes. l love him-my
Whole soul is bound up in him. think
but, but
but YOU are little nervous tonight,
anu unStrung. Leaving home is always
uial AT the last," | answer tenderly. |
II NAV be that; but do you know''
-utaSug her hand away to rest her
nead upon 1t, and peering thoughtfully
-iIo The iiUe-''I have never been the |
same since that night ?''
HE night you met Russell ?''
She mods grayely.
4. vi course, D." | commence rallyingly, |
when glIl Is in love-"
buI She breaks in, almost sharply
- IL Is not love; or, If it is, love is |
oil
neit Gnder the sun. 1t is pain, and |
=. no pleasure. 1t is morbid fascination
'ual precludeS all other ideas, all good |
HeSS' purity, and sweet home-affections. |
o.' .Magdalen, if this is love, life is
noL worth having ~
l; GU mean you do not care for |
nili -blankly.
3; No; / care for him too much. 1t |
: my own feelings condemn. He Is
'eis . Ihing that IS good and and true"
10 not understand.
Nor do |. 1t seems of late as if l |
IIie l'lng in spirit world, as though |
Idu i., no identity of my own at all"
IL May, | believe it is that spiritualis-
..n iGDolsh which is doing you harm ~
at eindps," " she answers doubtfully; |
O., nave heard that mesmerism has a
''iange effect on nervous people"
sns lou don't mean to say that you
,tHueled yourself to be mesmerized after |
Sisn,t dIat lfst time l'' L exclaim, in Mortified
III oniy once, and that did me good, | |
saS" aio"' had one of my racking head |
~ bs"5 and with just few passes of his
s~nt nt he sent me TO sleep, and when | |
fssS; "EAe was quite free from pain, only |
eiiiig 90 very weak, l remember. Why |
me,, @ you looking 50 grave, little |
because l have such a horror of |
..Song .lng oS toe sort" answer slowly.
ethiag saw when I Was q child