Barbour County index., 1884-01-25

- AlOl itftNNtIN 10 INT
ueVolopment OF my tale. but To descril G
mat Is imperative. This room had
ken my fancy from the first Il was
ling and large and low; the walls pan.
eed with cedar-wool On the panel.
hung framed tapestry pictures. the work
Oi past generations Of Northcotes. The
ceiling of cedar-wood. with curiously
carved rafters. made the walls look even
lower than thcg were. A time-mel-
lowed square OF Indian carpe. covered
the center OF the cellar floor on which
stood the bed of the satne wood and
richly carved-raisrd on n da;s. There
were two windows; that nearest the
bed. a bay with Diamond panrs. the
hanging similar Go tho g o. the bed. of
old-iashiOned rich brocadc with faded
PINK satin Innings. On the sid, uf the
bay win ow nearest the Bed was fNe
a modern gas bracket, which struck me
"a strange anomaly and the only in
congniity amid the antique surround
ings. IL was in this cham er INV st..p-
mother died. but utterly devoid of all
supcrSt tioUs weakness | decided to
occupy II myself. No sooner had NV kind
guardian left CrOwsnest than told NJ.
Stevens OF my intention, Nheruon sle
locke. troubled, urging various rea.o, :
why | shOIld not to so. none II
which appeared To me of any weigh.
AT last she "a Il: "It was Mrs. Nnrtt =
cote's wish that that room should not
be used. She do in H."
''And do you suppose am 80 foolish
as to bc afraid to sleep there on that
accountP asked.
IT N not my province to suppose
anything. Mrs Norihcote. Nv lat,
mistress entertained the fancy, and il
YOU had .''cn her before she died i t.,
my lol'cf she would have given you her
reasons herself As IL is"
" As IL is. Mrs. Stevens" I answered.
seeing that she paused, irrcsolutcly. "I
am now mistress here. and have set INV
heart on That particular bedroom. Have
Il prepare :, please, Tor wish to occupy
/ IL at once
"As you will" she said. indifferent
| ". But as she turned away / caught n
/ peculiar look on her face. which per-
| picked as much rs il ammo, ed me. Nv
belongings were promptly removed into
/ thr coveted room, my maid. Justine.
occupying n small dressing-rJOm adj
joining, but To which there was no
through cOmmuni alton. The ii Il
night of my taking pos,eSsi IN of my
new quarters was close and oppressive,
and / rememb waking O. lind the
scent of the cedar-woOd slightly over
power NJ. Abort midnight rose:
threading my way across the roor with
difficulty. fU the room was almost i'm
total darkness, | opened the nearest
window. The next night, before Jus
tine left me. desired her not TO turn
the gas quite out. Three nights later 1
g. ga n woke with sense of lanpiiorand
oppression. / did not want To be nj the
trouble OF rising to open the window,
but looked up slrepily. The Gas be-
side the window gave out a dim light:
beyond q faint mOonbeam Slanting
across the room in which lay the shadow
of n pcar-trec that grew outs de close
To the house. | could trace the shadows
of the branch.s and the leaves, and
watched them n they ilickered. Stirre
b. the night wind. Keeping my ewes
open in hali-Slccpy manner, rs / have
said, all at once l bccame conscious of
seeing something else lesides the
gaslight and the moonlight. something
that seemed TO be between the two. IL
was faint and indistiDct, certainly. but
none the less il bore resemblance 90 a
female form. The head appeared rest
ing ON tie hand. the hair with a ruddy
CLEAN on il iloated backward on the
shoulders. The rest OF the figure was
lost iR darkness | was sufficiently
awake tO know il was no freak Of fancy.
and yet the figure was altogether so
family defined and vague in dc all that
before long fell asleep and next morn
ing remembered it as dream ouly.
The succeeding night. however. /
again awOSe and ON opening my eyes
bcheld the Self-same figure. But this
time 1t was more clearly visible. espe-
c'ally the face, which. turned toward
nrc, | saw To- be that of very beautiful
woman. Moreover. To INV unSpcakable
horror and dismay. / discovered in il a
resemblance To my step-mother. whom
| had seen once. aud once only. as she
lay dead W thin her coffin. The SIGHT
was the more distressing to me mas
much as the face wore an expression of
mOurnful sadness combined with one of
rcpruach. Had the spirit of my faith
cr's wife returned TO earth tO upbraid
me for not Obeying the summons TO her
dying bed?
a strangely commingled feeling of
awe and incrcdulity 20 sessed me. OF
rive. inspired by the presence nf be-
ing from another world; of incredulity.
;hd such visitation could be possible.
In vain | closed my eyes. pressing my
hands upon them To wipe out. rs i:
were. the sight. Whenever opened
EN- | saw the beautiful. rrproachful
tunr mud q. =
mcr morning dawned that il cntirclp
disappeared and | rose from INV bed
sad at heart and worn in body with the
weary vigil Of the night. Twice more
the v,s tation came; n ter that for two
or three weeks the visits ceased: then
were once more resumed. Before had
been two months at Crowsnest all INV
Wanted courage fled; my entire nature
underwent change. Though spoke of
what | ad seen tO no one. was. never
thcless, sensitively conscious that Mrs.
Stevens remarked something amiss with
me. | was even morbidly fearful that
she had suspicion of the cause. / was
convinced of this one morning when
she said, not by any means unkindlv:
"Justine tells me You have not been
sleeping well. Miss Northcote. Indeed.
l am concerned 10 see how IN YOU look.
DO you not find the cedar chamber com
fortable?''
" Perfectly comfortable. delightful I
would not change il for the world, |
replied. evasively.
comfortable" and with that haunt
ing prcsenceP Heaven forgive me for
the subtcrfuge' As to Justine. she was
continually urging me To- qui: what she
termed "ce villain pays attributing
my depression othe climate, to- the dull
life l led. to anything rather than to the
true cause. But at length her persist
ency, added To besecching letters from
my guardian. prevailed. and returned
TO Paris.
There i renewed my acquaintance
with MIR Weston. II was impossible
TO be blind t. his feelings. his inten-
tions. Every word aud look told me