The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-06-12

of gossamer. asked whether she in
tended to remain in Sou:hbeach, and
she answered with some reserve that
she had visited it under medical advice,
and did not know what would be the
length of her stay. At any rate was
reioiced to think that she would not
leave Immediately.
My interest in this pale, lovely
stranger, deepened daily. We met
frequently, and 1T was sweet pleasure
to me that she had quietly accepted me
as friend and allowed me to share
her walks on the narrow wooden path
above the sea. We met nowhere else,
though know the house on the clif
where she had taken rooms. / was not
long in coming to the decision that she
was the most extraordinarily Interesting
creature had ever seen. She had read
widely, and had the rare gift of drawing
upon her books in conversation. My
own reading had been to some extent
on similar lines with hers; we had both,
for instance, dipped pretty deeply into
theology; and religion and religious
literature, as I discovered, had an in
tense fascination for her; chiefly, how
ever, on the metaphysical and specu-
lative sides. Her affections were with
the Church of the Middle Ages, at the
period of the dawn of Romanism; and
she wandered and wondered often amid
the mazes of medieval mysticism.
1t was in this connection that she
once disclosed her inner self to me
more fully-and vet how slightly! than
she had ever done before. 1t was even
ing, the first evening that we had walked
together, for she had always returned
to the shore with her maid at dusk. L
had looked for her all the afternoon,
and was leaving the pier disappointed
when saw her coming.
The moon "with sad steps" elm bed
the sky, and the multitudinous stars
shed quiet light upon the sea.
The maid was with her, but walking
at greater distance than usual in the
rear. had noticed, from the first, that
the relation between the beautiful young
mistress and her maid was neither a
friendly nor an intimate one. The
maid, thought, had stolid and sullen
air, and seemed devoid of that regard
for her mistress which thought would
have been a natural feeling in one who
stood in the position of protectress to so
tender and gentle being. Ny fancy
had created for the lonely visi-
tant of the pier a history of mingled
pathos and mystery, but it rested on a
basis unsubstantial as air, for she had
never spoken of herself except in
phrases involuntary and remote. This
evening. when we had reached the end
of the pier and had stood for awhile
watching the lights flash upon the water
from vessel anchored in the distance,
| noticed that she was paler than usual,
and that her eyes, whose restless, wist-
full glance always affected me strangely,
had an anxious and troubled look, also
certain indescribable something /
had never seen in them before. l pre-
vailed on her to sit, and we placed our
selves On bench beneath the lifeboat
which, swinging in chains overhead.
formed a sort of extempore roof.
wanted to speak to her, but knew
NOT how to begin. Presently, of her
own will, she turned and said quietly:
"You have noticed something strange
in me-"
l replied, in a confused and hurried
way, that had sometimes feared she
carried some heavy trouble with her;
that l had shrunk from speaking of it;
but that L longed, if it were possible, to
be of some service to her.
'YOu are right" she said, sadly, sin
supposing that 1 have trouble, and
indeed it is a heavy one; but you can
not help me-nor' she said with ges-
ture and accent almost despairing, when
| made as though 1 would offer some
help or counsel, sit is not possible. My
life is as it is. can not help myself,
and no one else can help me-"
Then her voice sank to a frightened
whisper, and the fear in her eyes height
ened. as she said:
"Have you not seen that 1 am
watched?"
cast an angry look in the direction
of the maid, who was pacing the pier at
little distance from us; and my COM
panion also glanced that way and whis-
pered:
Eyes, you have seen it; 1 knew you
had. Everywhere and all day long l
am watched and followed. l can not
escape; they have woven web around
me-"
She trembled and was full of excite.
ment; a condition that contrasted
strongly and painfully with her usually
quiet and gentle state.
"But why is it?" asked, anxiously,
with feeling of deeper concern than
dared to reveal. "Why are you watched
and followed? Do not. your friends
know of this? Why are you here alone
with a woman you fear?"
A moments passion cleaned in hes
eyes and expired; an inexpressible
yearning took its place while she an
swered:
'.My friends? All! you do not under
stand; you can not; how could you? /
fear my friends more than / fear her.
She belongs to them and acts for them;
it is my friends who are my enemies! it
is from them that | can not escape.
Shall l tell you why it is that they are
cruel to me, and what is the horrible
burden of my life?-but no; 1 can not
Who are you that sSould talk to you
in this way? What interest have you
in mep'
A terrible suspicion crossed my mind,
but vanished in an instant. She had
become calm again, and spoke as one
who weighed her words and told no
more than she was aware of. begged,
implored her, that she would speak
to me and make me her confdant. as
suring her of my fidelity and my earn
est desire to serve her; but she was
silent, and when she spoke again it was
with shadow of coldness in her man.
ner, and she thanked me, but said that
she had spoken more than she intended,
and made an excuse, and begged that
l. l. 4 L