Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-02-14


at was Mrs Northcote's wish that that
| room should not be used. She died in it."
And do you suppose am so foolish as
to be afraid to sleep there on that &C
| count? | asked.
at is not my province to suppose any
thing. Miss Northcote, my late mistress,
entertained the fancy, and if you had seen
her before she died it is my belief she
would have given you her reason herself.
| As it is"
"As it is, Mrs. Stevens" | answered,
seeing that she paused irresolutely, am
now mistress here, and have set my heart
or that particular bedroom. Have it pre-
pared, please, for l wish to occupy 1t at
once"
"As YOU will,7 she said indifferently.
But as she turned away | caught Il pecu-
liar look on her face, which perplexed as
much as it annoyed me. My belongings
were promptly removed into the coveted
room, my maid, Justine, occupying small
dressing room adjoining, but to which
there was no through 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 overpowerlng.
| About midnight | rose, threading my way
across the floor with difficulty, for the room
swas almost in total darkness. | opened the
nearest window. The next night, before
Justine left me, desired her not to turn
the gas quite out. Three nights later |
again woke with sense of languor and OPP
preston. / did not want to be at the
: trouble of rising to open the window, but |
looked up sleepily. The gas beside the
window gave out dim light, beyond 1t
faint moonbeam, slanting across the room,
in which lay the shadow Of a pear tree
that grew outside close to the house. |
could trace the shadow of the branches and
the leaves, and watch them as they flick
cred, stirred by the night wind. Keeping
my eyes open in half sleepy manner, as l
| 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. 1t was
| faint and indistinct, but none the less it re-
sembed female form The head APP
peared resting on the hand, the hair, with
! a ruddy CLEAN on it, fioated backward on
| the shoulder The rest of the figure was
| lost in darkness | was sufficiently awake
! to know it was no weak fancy, and yet the
figure was altogether so family defined and
vague in detail that before long | fell
/ asleep and next morning remembered 1t Us
| a dream only.
The succeeding night, however, | again
awoke, and on opening my eyes, beheld
the self-same figure. But this time it was
more clearly visible, especially the face,
| which, turned toward to me, | saw to be
that of very beautiful woman. More
over, to my unspeakable horror and dis
may, | discovered in it a resemblance to
my stepmother, whom | had seen once and
once only, as she lay dead within her
coffin. The sight was more distressing
| to me- inasmuch as the face wore an ex-
preston Of mournful sadness combined
with one of reproach. Had the spirit Of
my fathers wife returned to earth to up
braid me for not obeying the summons to
her dying bed?
A strangely commingied feeling of awe
and incredulity possessed me. OF awe, in
spired by the apparent presence Of being
from another world; OF incredulity, that
such visitation could be possible. In
vain closed my eyes, pressing my hands
] upon them to wipe out, as II were, the
| sight Whenever | opened them | saw
the beautiful, reproachful face, and it was
not until the early summer morning
dawned that it entirely disappeared, and
| rose from my bed sad at heart and worn in
| body with the weary vigil of the night.
! Twice more the visitation came after that
! for two or three weeks the visits ceased,
| then were once more resumed. Before |
had been two months at Crowsnest all my
Wanted courage fled my entire nature
underwent change Though / spoke Of
what | had seen to no one, was, neyerthe
less sensitively conscious that Mrs. Ste
vens remarked something amiss with me.
l was even morbidly fearful that she had
suspicion of the cause. ! was convinced Of
, this one morning when she said-not by
any means unkindly:
"Justine tells me you have not been
sleeping well, Miss Northcote Indeed, |
am concerned to see how i'll you look. Do
YOU not find the cedar chamber comforta-
ble?"
Perfectly comfortable, delightful l
would not change it for the world re-
piled eyasively.
Comfortable" and with that haunting
terfuge. As to Justine, she was continu
ally urging me to quit what she termed
&c william pays" attributing my depres-
sion to the climate, 10 the dull life l led, to
anything rather than the true cause. But
at length her persistence, added to beseech
, ing letters from my guardian prevailed,
fand returned to Paris.
! There | renewed my acquaintance with
Mr. Weston. 1t was impossible to be blind
to his feelings, his intentions. Every word
and look told me that he loved me, and
the day came when he asked me to be his
wife. To his evident surprise, and to my
own inexpressible sorrow, refused to
marry him. Could ! join my life--a
| haunted life-to that of the man ! loved
with all my soul? True, had had no
visitation from the beautiful reproachful
face since ! left Crowsnest; but might it
not return at any time, at any hour? Oh,
/ why had my fathers wife cast this blight
upon my life? Why did she haunt me :?
! Was it such heinous crime not to have
gone in time to see her die?
Suddenly | became possessed with a
strange longing to visit Crowsnest-to see
again the weird apparition that had exer-
cised so subtle an influence on my life.
! With the persistent waywardness of
| spoiled child | insisted on going 10 Crows
nest insisted also that no one but JUS
tine should accompany me. My indulgent
guardian yielded to my wishes, and went.
But not once during my months visit did
! see the haunted face. | believed then
that my persecution was ended.
On my return TO Paris Mr.. Weston re-
newed his offer, aud | accepted him. a
few months of married happiness etiectu-
ally dispersed the cloud that had over
| Swallowed me.
My mind-warped, weakened, as ii had
been, by giving way to morbid fancies-
gained tone and yigor daily by associating
with my husbands, which was eminently
matter Of fact and practical. 1t was, there-
f-r. LII hn,,t thn .li.-htn.t n,rnLcll;r,rr nf