Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-11-07
Nsa = Naneless Romance.

q Doug thick foliage, so thick that
Zen on a summer day but a stay
sunbeam or two rested Oh its
blackened walls, and the grass
was 50 thick and rank that it was
like walking over deserted graves.
lu that old garden, said the vii
layers, lady in white mantle
used 20 walk among Lbe trees and
look with yearning glances to-
waIds tue windows of the old
house. Y9i, although she was 50
fair aud young, the older villagers
could not tell her tale without a
shudder; and though the lads and
lassies laughed aloud, yet it was a
wayering uncertain laugh, which
died on their lips and left silence
all The more profound.
Ir Forty 5ears had passed since the
o9keD door had creaked Oh its him
ses. to admit the master and his
fair Young bride, and a year later
tIthad closed on her as they bore
beg away to sleep in the church
yard, to the grave that had proved
TOO small for her wandering rest
less spirit. On that day, cold, and
with a drilling, chilling rain, the
small cOrte9e passed through the
gate, a man walking behind, with
he9d bent and eyes cast on the
glound, his face calm, but chill and
gray as the sky, and if the curious
Que had turned his eye on the
hobsei hej%ould have seen, at the
upper window, a woman's figure,
clad in mourning, with head bent,
intently watching the pail. bearers
as they Wound along the muddy
road Had the cuiious one cared
to look closer he might have seen
| the CLEAN of triumph in her eyes
| dark, flashing, coal-black eyes-as
tshe WATCHED the tall bent figure
walk behind with such weary,
listless step. But soon a turn in
| the rood bid the company from
I view, and the window was empty
again. q ''
! fpOne year had sufliced to darken
the brightness of that fair young
life. Did il ever strike you, rea'
! der, that some men and women
Seem to bave bad a sunlight bath
! bdioie entering this world, so des-
tined ore they TO make everything
AROUND them pure and good, while
I others, waited from the regions OF
7 goOin, east all around the shadow
OF death? Into this baIeful dark
Dess had the young bride fallen,
and in it, her spirit had been quen-
ched, Size loved her husband tru-
! Is, that tall, bronzed man, who had
come iron. the Iudies to WOO her in
tile sunny lanes of her own Eng
lang. Rigdt glad, too, had she
been TO become mistress OF his old
home. For months no spot had
come on their home picture. lie
was happy in his treasure; she,
TOO, IN her simple life in the vii
Iase, where, from her kindness she
already was receiving the homage
due to a queen. But one day,
wien The suoy was on the ground
and the flowers we're dead, a wO-
NAH came to the old house 10 the
hollow. She was dark and ra-
daiautly beautiful, with the beauty
that blossoms under Western skies.
She neither asked nor received
leave to stay as member OF the
family circle in the old house, but
therc was no one to oppose her ac-
ton. The master was her cousin,
she said, aud even as she spoke
The CLEAN in her eyes gave her
words tie lie. Yet he said moth
ihg,I for Suddenly he had grown
silent aud cold, avoiding even the
wistiul, questioning glances of his
wife. ..... ,.N
The shadow spread slowly over
tue house, up the slaircases, into
he hooks and corners oftbe rooms,
laying its black hand DOW on this
aud now on that, but nowhere
Strongly as on the heart OF the
young mistress. Her ripping
laughter changed to signs, her
taiSht smiles were replaced by
doYpeast looks; she passed from
summer to winter with no mellow
ihg autumn days to make the !
less sad. 1t is not that the |
who had come so strangely, |
sought rue love of Der husband, or |
in auy other way attempted to dis
pei the sunshine of, her life; Sue
Slthbly dweIt with them, nay, was
friendly enough at times; but the
dark dress which she wore and the
masses of dark hair which she
would at times let fall about her
seemed indicative of the
m6tlh cloud which was slowly
gathering over their lives. The
lily dSJoped day by day for want
jflsupIight. She became morbid,
icryous, full of strange aud way
ward stancies. She thought the
owe Of her husband was dead; and
,he took to dressing herself in her
yolsding garb to try if'by that
strange way she might make it live
gain. Clad in soft lustrous satiDs
I in which as happy bride she
lMi bIushed and smiled in the
ii tie, English church but a few
months. gefoe-she would pace her
Dom for hOurs, and stand, too, !
before the glass, peeIing
gistfnlly to see if augbt OF her
harm we"er gone. In this garb,
90, she would walk among the old
rees, aud deck her bosom with the
now-drops of spring, but they .
eehed to wither away at her touch
nd hang listless and dead. Thus
was oneAday she was found sit
ng among the trees on the fresh
pripg grass, some faded snow
rops in her lifeess hand, her gold 4
b hair surmounting face darken- 81
l with some mysterious presence.
pale CLEAN OF sprIug sunlight ,
ad crept down and settled on her 3
row; but it was out Of place, and OIL
mid as The suubeams which have
en playing on the old house it,
If. .idgu",'l l''''''ll ,i''''' D. S,
thus quietly as the gliding ola &c
yer did her spiritdepart, or rather c S
asclaced, as cloud can hide the -