The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-02-27

mistress entertained the fancy, ana
if YOU had seen her before she died
it is my belief she would have given
you her reasons herself. As it is
n
AS it is, Mrs. Stevens" | answer
ed, seeing that she paused irresolute
". Il am now mistress here. and
have set my head on that particular
bed room. Have it prepared, please,
for | wish to occupy it at once"
"As you WILL she said, indiffer-
emily. But as she turneda away
caught a peculiar look on her face,
which perplexed as much it an
noyed me Ny belonging were
promptly removed into the coveted
room, my maid, Justine, occupying
small dressing room adjoining.
but to which there was DO threugh
communication. The first night of
my taking possession of my new
quarters was close and oppressive.
and | remember waking to find the
scent of the cedar wood slightly
overpowering. About midnight L
rose threading my way across the
floor with difficulty, for the room
was almost in total darkness, | open
ed the nearest window The next
night. before Justine left me, I de-
sired her not to turn the gas quite
out. Three nights later again woke
with a sense of languor and oppres-
sion. | did not want 10 be at the
trouble of rising to open the window
but / looked up sleepily. The gas
beside the window gave out a dim
light: beyond it a faint moonbeam
slantlng across the room in which
Law the shadow of a pear tree that
grew outside close to the house. |
could trace the shadow of the branch
es and the leaves, and watched them
as they hickered, stirred by the night
wind. Keeping my eyes open in
halt sleepy manner, as | have said,
all at once ! became conscious of
seeing something else beside the gas
light and the moonlight, something
that seemed to be between the two.
Il was faint and indistinct, certainly,
but none the less it bore resemblance
to a female form, The head appear
ed resting on the hand, the hair with
a ruddv gleam on it foated back
ward on the shoulders. The rest of
the figure was lost in darkness. |
was sufficiently awake to know it
was no freak of fancy, and yet the
figure was altogether so family de
fined and vague in detail that before
long | fell asleep and next morning
remembered it as a dream only.
The succeeding Night, however, /
again awoke and on opening my
ewes beheld the self-same figure.
But this time it was more clearly
visible, especially the face, which,
turned toward me, l saw to be that
of verv beautiful woman. More
over. to my unspeakable horror and
dismay, discovered in it a retemb
lance to my step-mother, whom /
had seen once, and once only, as she
Law dead within her coffin. The
sight was the more distressing to me
inasmuch as the face wore an ex-
preston of nournful sadness com
bined with one of reproach. Had
the spirit of my fathers wife return
ed to earth to upbraid me for not
the summons to her dying
bed?
A strange commingled feeling
OF awe and iucredulity possessed
me. OF awe, inspired by the appa
rent presence of being from anoth-
er world; of incredulity, that such
visitation could be possible. In vain
closed my eyes, pressing my hands
upon them to wipe out, as it were,
the sight. Whenever | opened them
saw the beautiful, reproachful face
aad it was not until the early sum-
mer morning dawned that it entirely
disappeared. and | rose from my
bed sad at heart and worn in body
with the weary vigils of the night.
Twice more the visitation came; af-
ter that for two or three weeks the
visits ceased ; then once more were