The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1884-02-06

toomlin whichlay The shadow Ola
peat:tfee that grew outside close 70
Ethe house. tcIaldtraee Tie shads
owsof Tie branchssand iheleayes,
and watched themas thes flicker.
ed, stirred by the night wind.
Keeping my eyes open il. . half
SLEEPY manner, as ! have said, all
al once became conscious Of see.
ling something else besides the
gaslight and the moonlight some.
Thing that seemed to be between
The two. Il vas faint and indis-
tinct, certainly,but none the less
Ilt bore resemblance 70 a female
form The ehe9p aRpesred resting
on the5hand, the hair With d ruddy
elpAmQa Il aoalea baekraif %
the sllealders I'a fe.i oiihs 9gpre
was lost in darkness. ! vas lili
Cient awake to know Il va
freak Of fancy, and set the ieui
was altogether SO family deaaed
and vague in detail that bspre
long | fell asleep aud lth next
morning remembered il asadTeain
only.
The succeeding night, however
| again awoke and on opening my
eyes behcld the self.sane figure.
But this time it was more cleatly
visible, especially the face, which,
turned toward me, ] sawlO be that
ola very beautiful woman. More.
over, to my unspeakable horror aud
dismay, | discovered in tia resem-
blance To my step mother, whom |
had seen once, aud once only, US
she lay dead within her coffin.
The sight MAS the uore distressing
to me inasmuch as the face wore
an expression Of mOuuruful sad,
ness combined with une ofreproach.
Had the spirit Of my fathers wife
returned to earth 10 dpbraid me
for not obeying the summons tu
her,dying bed?
A strangely commingled feeling
Of awe aud iucfedulity possessed
me. ofawe, inspired by the pres
ence Of a bsingfrom another world;
of incredulity, that such a visitl-
tion could be possible. In vain
closed my eyes, pressing my hands
upon them t! wipe out, US it were
the sight. Whenever opened
them l saw the beautiful, rcproach
ful fi.ce, and ii was not until The
early summer morning dawued
that it entirely disappeared and |
rose from my bed sud ut heart and
worn in budy with the weary vigil
Of the night. Twice more the
visitation came; after that for twu
or three weeks the visits ceased
then were once more resumed. Be.
fore ! had been two months al
C:owsncst all my vaunted courage
fed; my entire nature underwent
a change. Though Ispoke of what
| had seen to no one, | was, never.
tholoss, sensitively conscious that
Mrs. Stevens remarked something
amiss with me. | was even NOR.
bidly fearful that she had suspicion
Of the cause. l was convinced Of
this one morning when she said,
not by any means uukindlE
Justine tells me You have not
been sleeping well, Miss North.
cote. Indeed, | am concerned to
see how i'll you look. Do you not
find the cedar chamber comforta-
ble?'
"Perfeclly comfortable, delight.
full | would mol change it for the
world" l replied, eyasively,
Comfortable" and with that
haunting presence2 Heaven for.
give me for the snbterfugel As to
Justine, she was continually urg.
ing me 10 quit what she termed
"ce villain pays" atlribuliug my
depression to the climate, to the
dull life | led, to anytbing rather
than ID the true cause. But aL
length her persistency, added to
beseeching letters from my guar.
dian, prevailed, and | returned to
Paris.
There / renewed my acqnaint
ance with Mr.. Weston, 1t was i'm
possible to be blind to his feelings,
his intentions. Every word and
look told me that he loved me, and
the day came when he asked me
to be his wife. su'his evident sur.
prise, and to my own inoxpressi.
BILE sorrow, | refused to marry him.
Could l jim my lifo-a haunted
life-to that Of u man IlOved with
all my soul2 True I had no visi.
tation from the boantifll, roproaoh.
| 81 e ,;.T Tr1..c O.,.i,