Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-04

what terrible evil had come out Of one
that my lips uttered once before. The re-
membrance OF that served to check the
horror and trembling which had come
over me and turned my thoughts into
healthier channel. / made a bold resolve
to go up to the closet and possess myself
OF the means with which to help the
young man whom met in the park. took
from my drawer the necklace that bore
Aunt Miriam's picture in order to get
the small key of the casket, which knew
was underneath the picture. 1t was a
difficult task to find out the intricate
fastening, but at last the back of the pic
ture yielded to my touch, and found I'M
derneath in a tiny groove that must have
been arranged for the purpose the key
to my mysterious treasure. / put the
reeklace in my pocket after placing the
picture away in my drawer. 1t was well
that / carried the diamonds with me,
though it was not because l foresaw the
need that was before me. How could |
have been gifted with prophecy: / start
ed on my errand at last with a brave de-
termination to do the right come what
would. AS l moved lightly along the
stairways / tried to Undue my spirit with
the same holy zeal that moved Aunt Miri-
am to write as she did.
1t seemed to me that her spirit must
have been near whispering to me of truth
and right. i felt the vanity Of money I'M
less spent in doing good as never before.
Who that had seen my young face would
have devined what lofty purposes moved
me! No human being came near me as l
tOiled farther upward; 70 sound of hu-
manity broke upon the stiffness in those
corridors. At last l was in that strange
region where the uninitiated eye would
ssraHr~ hrar~ 4 -
panels formed in the wainscOtting SINH
lar to others in various parts Of these up
per chambers.
began to count from the entrance as
the letter directed. AT the ninth l began
to try if it would move. First one way
and then that / tried, and all was still.
The panel refused to move. What There
was sound like the murmur of voices,
far away it appeared. My heart beat a.
most audibly. Some one might come. IL
l could only get inside all would be well.
l pushed once more, and oh! joy, there
was a little aperture gained. Aunt Miri-
ANS tale was true! 1t was a real rO-
nance after all. 1 grew triumphant and
would have exclaimed with joy, but that
a louder tone of human tongues reached
ne. paused and turned this way and
that to hear. At last, with an uncannY
creeping Of my nerves, l put my ear to
the creYice and heard voices distinctly
from within. Why was it so strange!
| Alas! must / find out the mystery to be
| other than a myth? 1t would not have
/ been human to withdraw then, so slid
| the panel little farther On as nOiseiessiy
| as possible and looked in. The corridor
/ was dark, and the small apartment was
/ fun of light from glass window in the
! ceiling. | could see the interior quite
! plainly from where / gaZed. 1t IS nerd
/ for me now to write calmly OF what aWOke
| within nv bOsOm-a perfect storm OF an
/ guish. What a revelation was there.
/ Amina-mv euemy-she who walked and
/ talked and ate, and sometimes spoke
| pleasant words in our very hOme-was
I She the mysterious ghost OF the upper
| chamber? | saw her there fondling my
| own Eugene's hands as she did once be-
! fore upon the balcony. 1t was Eugene
| who sat by her now in an easy chair with
/ his clear-cut profile marked distinctly
upon the dark background beyond. l
/ heard him say to her in his Well-knOWn
accents:
Il cannot live in this way much longer,
| Amina. and this sinful life must end in
| some way, even if it does kill her. She
is fitted for heaven, and her life on earth
/ have blighted forever. Why should she
wish to live on, or we be so cruel as to
/ wish it,"
Then Amina cried:
ssHush that old complaint. We Will
be able to leave all behind us soon, and
fly to cur Own sunny France"
That was not all that / heard her say
to him in their own language; but l haC
seen and heard enough to crush me.
Ii was all 4 horrible mystery that grew
blacker each moment that 1 tried TO look
into it. Perhaps l was Eugene's wife
but who was this woman and what was
she to him? In what vile plot had they
| been Ieagued together to work my ruin :
/ They must all be Joined in cruel schem-
ing, while ]. poor victim, had come to be
. in their way, they wished me dead. 1t
| was enough. l would free them of my
| presence.
What madness kept me thus watching
/ their caresses? How long | might have
! been chained there under some baleful
/ fascination 1 cannot tell; but she moved
and looked towards me.
She sprang up startled and moved that
| way. All my senses seemed locked by
| some power that kept me immOYable and
silent as death. Her fingers were upon
| the panel; then she paused. Oh! what an
| age there was to me in that still, dreadful
| pause. Like the drowning one whose
past life rushes over his quickened
senses / lived over in that time all my
golden days. Like dream they passed
before me, and then there came the end
of that awful chapter. She shut me oLt
1 caught one glimpse of her frightened
face as she peered at me, and then l cav
her quickly slide the door and lock il
| tightly.
1t was then that my paralyzed senses
returned to life, and l fled like a wild
| creature down, down and away.