The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-10-23

went Unere as naturally as the needle
goes to the magnet. The moon shone
with a titful liCht.-at times it was
bright as day.-fiOOded the sea with sill
yer. and showed the chain and the arch
es of the pier as plainly as the sun could
have dOne-SlOwed the running of the
waves,-they were busy that evening,
and came III fast,-SpTeading out in
great sheets of white foam. and when
the moonlight did touch the foam. it
was beautiful to see.
But my lady moon was cOquettish-
every now and then she hid her face be-
hind drifting cloud, then the soft
thick gloom fell again, and the pier Law
like huge shadOw-the very place. |
thought, in which a tortured heart
could grow calm; there was only the
WIND and the sea. nothing more. |
would 90 to the spot where we two
should stand together never more. |
fancled- as / paid for admission at the
gate, that the face of the person who
received II expressed some surprise 1t
must have seemed a strange taste; but
-ah me!-tHerc had blOOmed for me for
one short hour the flowers of paradise
The thick, soft gloom was deeper on
the pier. / remember that. as | walked
down. | heard from the church clocks
the hOur of eight. All along the coast
there was line of light: The town was
brilliantly lighted. and when / looked
S<N+ASto2 blAC " StsNA NlIC tSL lJ4tL W III
all its radiance; the sound of the music
foated over the waves to me, the light
of the colOred lamps shOne far and
wide. | could see the moving mass of
people; here | was almost alone. | saw
a gentleman smoking his cigar, l saw
the inevitable lovers, | saw an old man
with wan face, | saw two young men,
almost bOyS-what had brought them
there | could not think
l reached the pier-head. where the
huge lamp had been lighted, and shOne
like a great brilliant jewel | sat down;
there was no greater pleasure for me
than an evening spent there. At first
all was quite still; the gentleman smOk-
ing his cigar walked up and down; the
two youths, who had evidently mistak-
en- the nature Of the pier, and considered
themselves greatly injured by the alb
SenCe OF music and company. went
away; the old man sat still for some
time, then he left.
| was alone then with the smoker,
who troubled himself very little about
me. The cOqUettiSh moon threw a
wide, laughing CLEAN around, then van
lshed. y whole pile of thick dark
clouds came up from the west and hid
her fair faCe-bv them the thick soft
gloom had deepened into darkness. 1
Was far from expecting anything traEi-
cal as | sat there. cold Gcs0iate and
more like home to me than any other
spot on earth. because of the one hour
l had spent there.
TIe wind began 10 freshen and blow
cOliiy where ! sat. / had no motive in
changing my seat, except to escape just
The sharpness of the breeze. ! crossed
To the other side. where the white line
of cliffs lay-aWay from the brilliant
lights Of the west pier hidden behind
t4C wooden structure erected to shelter
those on the pier. | gave myself up to
my dreams.
/ cannot tell how it was. but tonight
many ThOstly stories that | had read
about piers came to my mind. For in
stance, now. how easy it would be for
any man to steal up to me through the
thick, soft, ShadOwy mist, and murder
me before / had time to even utter a
cry. l might be thrown over into the
sea.
Then I said to myself what foolish
thought. | was close to many people,
such a murder VI" impossible. Yet |
was foolish enough to turn my head and
try to peer through the darkness if any
one was near.
The tall, slender figure of a woman
dressed in dark cloak was slowly walk
ing up the middle of the pier She
could not see me. but | saw her-plain-
ly, distinctly. | noticed the grace of
her movements. her grand carriage
She was closely yelled, SO that | could
not see her face. But. unless [ was
much mistaken. she carried a bundle
of something held tightly under her
arm.