The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-10-04

or for anything else but a girl in their midst and II was just the same with sermucyn, l saw Tn an instant only l while was full of horror and a dread I couldn't shake of or overcome, Yer mudyn felt no fear, no surprise only an intense delight flushed his face with loy. ard his eyes gliitered as he came forward eagerly to meet the girl, who, it seemed to me, was pale as death, with eyes that giowed like flame.
 "I think l never saw so colorless a creature to live and move-if, indeed. she did live. And her hair-redder, and vet more golden than the chain Iermudyn held-was coiled around her beautiful head in the same snaky folds. She never looked at me for an instant, but went straight to Vermudyn, and putting both
 her hands in his. said some words in a
 strange language that sounded like
 spoken music. IL was the sweetest voice
 l ever heard, and the soitest. He an- swered in the same tongue, laughing and clasping the hands she put in his. From that minute he fell under her spell, and had no eyes or ears for anything save tha, strange wnise woman.
 She poured out wine for him. and he drank il with feverish haste, still looking at her and holding her hand. 1 noticed. though, that he shuddered when she first touched him, as if her hands were icy cold but ne felt that no longer; he was just mad-like and stupid, as a bird is with snake. He could only watch her with wild eyes that never left her face.
 The men and women who came in with this awful, beautiful creature were dark mostly, and reminded me of the gypsies used to see when was boy at home in England. One of the girls. dressed in outlandish clothes, embroid- cred in scarlet and gold, came up and offered me some wine-even held it to my lips-and the scent of it made me mad to taste. The girls arm was close around my neck, and her wicked eyes, dry and bright as toad's, were lookine P into mine with mocking smile, as she ] sang 2 soft, strange song, like laughing and cfying all in one. But shut my teeth hard, and turning away my head closed my eyes, determined to resist her with all the strength of my will so long as was conscious. Even in that dreamy. bewildered state, fel, afraid of entirely losing my senses, and something seemed to tell me was lost if yielded for an in- stant. My tempter laughed then. loud hideous laugh, and flung down the silver cup she had offered me. The wine was split, and fancied 1t turned 10 iiouid flame as it touched the floor.
 |" Still l had no power to speak or move from my place, Su, watched Vermudyn mere eagerly than ever. The supper table was pushed on ore side: and the room was TOW filled with dancers, dan eng fercely and madiy to a wild tune. like the song of the gypsy when she leaned over me with the poisoned wine. The tune rose louder and higher, and the dancers moved faster 10 keep time with the unearthly rausic-unearthly and wild, but so beautiful tha; could nave listened forever, l thought. At times it sounded like the wind signing through the aspens at night then 1t rose to roar like waves breaking on the beach in q storm. Yet, with ali the changing sound. the roar of storm, and the waIiing of the wind-tears and laughter and pain the music still kept time and tune, and the mad dance went on without pause
 Foremost among them all was Yer mudyn, and the woman in white with the glit,ering eyes and hair. He was hold ing her fast in his arms as they flew around, her head lay on his shoulder, and his face was bent over hers. But could see, as l watched him, tha; he had grown almost as white as the girl he held; and now her grea, eyes blazed with such awful light, shuddered to look at them while, as she danced and elasped Nermudyn, fancied a ,inge of color came into her white lips, and her cheeks were a shade less deathly.
 Still they danced, and still she grew brighter and warmer, but not like living woman yet. And Vermudyn, like mere straw drifting round and round in a l whirlpool, became weaker and fainter every minute, and his face now was some thing ghasty to see but his eyes were still fixed on the girl, and he could see nothing and feel nothing besides. Her shining hair had got loosened in the dance, and seemed to be flying round them like thin golden flames as they moved.
 "It was she now who held Vermudyn up and forced him still to darce. His 1 arms were round her yet but her strength | alone sustained the fainting man. She | flew round as easily as ever, her feet | scarcely touching the ground. The noise grew furious and deafening- music and | laughter, shouts and screams that made | my blood run cold, with snatches of old | song between, were all mingled together in one hideous mighty roar.
 "The faces of the men, or the demons who took their shape, got more 6endish as they danced: when suddenly the dancers swept out of the room in a wild crowd, just as they had entered it. and in their midst Nermudyn, lying dead or senseless on the floor. zied to move-t to reach somehow at that desperate pass but couldn't stir finger. l struggled to shout aloud-to call his name. Il might have been dead for all the help 1 could give him. had no power to speas4 or move.
 Directly that demoniacal crew left inc rncr1 thA tlrhfc eA>xrnL .~ c.