The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-05-08

have hurt me if / had"
Mad as HamIet.'' thought I, as I |
leaned against the high mantel-shelf
and looked down at her She continued
TO gaze into the fire for awhile, then
said, simply, by way of explanation,
not apology;
81 always come at twelve, because
then every one is asleep, and the house
is still. suppose the storm kept you
awake?H
As she spoke, she raised her eyes and
looked directly into my face, which
she had not done before. Large, dark
eyes they We're, but perfectly lustreless
even the freight was reelected in
them dinly. There seemed to be a
chill in the atmosphere about her, as
about one who comes in from wintry
weather with the frost in his clothes.
Eyes, it was the storm,h | replied;
| but she seemed already to have for.
/ gotten what she had asked me, and was
again deep in her musing
Presently, as / was about to make
further question, she said, softly:
''If you are not going, will you not
have chair? One tires so soon stand
ing. You will find the old chair by the
cabinet comfortable eli anything can
be comfortable" she added, drearily.
/ / certainly had no thought of going
to bed and leaving the house and its in
| mates to the caprices of a mad woman,
| and turned involuntarily to the corner
she had indicated. An old chair stood
there which, to my recollection, had
not been out of its place since I
4 tad hoa 01 n4
turned her head as she spoke, to look
for it, but referred to its position with
perfect confidence as il she herself
might have placed it there. | brought
it nearer to the fire and sat down, find
ing it as she had said. very comfortable.
As soon as / was seated she began in
a low monotone and with many pauses,
to talk, but not more to me apparently
than to herself and for her own relief.
The quality Of dreariness in her voice
that / had already noticed did not pre-
vent its having sort of minor music
which was far from disagreeable.
II cannot help feeling that this is my
house. Itwas once, not quite two years
ago before I-died.'
/ gave start which she must have
noticed, for she repeated: ''Yes, before
I died. I am q ghost. Does that
frighten you? Do not let i'll never
harm any one-I am only unhappy"
She lifted her hand, and though it
was held between me and the fire, saw
none of the rosy color which freight
makes rs it shines through translucent
human flesh and blood. She twisted
the wedding ring slowly round and
round everything that she did was
done slowly and lifelessly- and said
sometimes ! wish to take my ring off,
it reminds me so; but / died with it on
and | must wear it. y
While she had been speaking | had
called to mind the fact that the owner oi
the house was in reality on his second
wedding Journey, having lost his first
. wife within six months after their mar.
riage, This must be the supplanted wife
, Having come to this conclusion, start
, ing with the hypothesis that ghosts
exist, was ready to understand when
, she said:
, ..He is very handsome, do you not
,, think so?''
, Iglanced at the portrait on the wall
! toward the original of which | be9ar
! to have distinct sentiment of dislike
/ but said, ''yery handsome, to satisfy
!, her.
.'He had dark gray eyes, she wen
on, of all eyes in the world the darl
: gray can saw the most. ssHe was very
: lonely when died; he travelled every
where; was lonely, tool wanted t.
see him, and used to come back some
: times. lie never saw me. but when
: was near him he could not help think
! ing of me. One day found him in'hi
room in little hunting hotel in Switz
. erland When went into the room b.
was reading, but soon he began to fee
: my nearness. He threw down his book
: CRYING, shall never be able to forget?
: and left the room. He wished, then, t,
= forget me. | had never thought o
: that. | had been happy before, in
! quiet way at the times when was al
a lowed to 60 70. him, but that was al
: over. / never followed him again
: After that it tseemed as if / should di
: of my loneliness and my longing to Sc
! him. )"
|, Hooked up quickly as she spoke thi
= last sentence, a strange one for pei
i son already dead to utter. but she ha
: not noticed and went on.
!. '.Since | could not be where he was
i came to the house where we had bee
0 so happy together. wandered throug
n the rooms at night and looked out c
: the windows where we had stood S
: often and watched the sea; but neye
!. disturbed anything. ! did not want tn
e servants to know that / came.
: thought had suffered all there was t
e suffer. When we think that, there
e always some new trouble on the way
f us. One night found an open lette
r on the table. 1t was in his hand, an
. kissed it. Then-I read it. 1t wa
i to the housekeeper. directing her
. rent the house. He was to be marie
n Il and to travel again.
+, There was long silence. My heal
rose in pity for the poor young thin
who had believed in vows of etern;
d love and remembrance. and it gre
h harder toward the original of the po'
o trait. / could say nothing Of my Owl
t, but the words of Scripture fell involul
q fariIy from my 1ins. sTiER the remeu