Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-12-16

haQ fall6n. When spoke Close 10 MS o4i
he merely turned uneasily and buried his
face in his arms on the ground.
looked from him to the silent figure at
his side with wonder. Again she shook
, her head.
81 can only speak to him through you, .
she went on in that same low tone, "but
you must give him my message for the sake
Of the love you bear him. Tell him there
is danger before him, and / have come to
warn, to entreat, him to delay his journey.
He must not 90 to B. There is dan
ger-horrible danger p
"Bst we are on our way there now,"
,, said, mystified.
ssTurn back, then; oh, make him turn
back 70 she entreated, stretching out her
small white hands imploringly.
What could it mean? All sorts ofromantic
ideas fitted through my brain. This BEAU
tiful creature was some girl who loved him,
and who was mixed up with his true
life, and he was about to be discovered by
his family-or who knows what? Iyished
to get a little peep into the secret.
"But what is the danger? Can't you
tell me about it 80 that can impress it more
on him?" asked persuasively.
''No, no l may not say. l cannot tell
you more"
But he won't believe me Why not
rouse him and warn him yourself, madam p"
"Wonld that it were possible" she re-
piled sadly, with a sort of wall; Che has
prevented that by the life he has led since
we parted Oh, Sydney, why were you not
true to the memory of our love, that I
might have guarded and saved you ?''
"Tell him." she went on after moment
I-''tell him not to doubt tho truth of what
I say to you-what Helen, the Helen he
loved, says. If he is still incredulous, tell
him I showed you this" and holding up
her thin left hand against the moonlight,
which had now flooded everything with
silver, I noticed that the first joint of the
middle finger was missing.
Another moment and had started for
ward, and was peering into the shade, for
the figure which had been standing few
yards from mo was gone, and was once
more alone with my sleeping friend. As
quietly and mysteriously as she had come,
SO had she gone; and though I sprang into
the wood and shouted in all directions,
neither sight nor sound of her could gain.
Slowly and disconsolately l returned to
the place had left, to find Lorimer sitting
up and rubbing his eyes as though just
awakened.
"What on earth are you making such
noise about ?'' he asked in an aggrieved
tone of voice. "Have you lost your senses,
Tom, that you 60 on like that"
"Did you seq her? Which way did she
go?" asked quickly.
"She? Who is the mysterious she in
the case9 All, Tom, you rogue, have
you had an adventure while 1 slept?
Too bad to steal march on me, old fel-
low2"
He was evidently quite unconscious of
hot ha1 Wall
was that certainly, and strange one, too.
"Did nothing tell you that some one you
knew and cared for was near?" I said
slowly, keeping my eyes on his face, which
looked white and set in the moonlight. He
passed his hand over his brow.
| 81 was dreaming, l believe" he answer
ed in graver tone; dreaming of one can
never SEQ again Bah what is life itself
but dream /? The past is gone, and she
with it; what's the use of thinking of what
is past recall ?"
"Are you sure it is past recall ?'' l asked,
and then ! told him what happened. At frst
he laughed at ths idea of mysterious lady
who was so interested in him, and chaffed
me numerically about my talent for ro-
mancing; but as went on he listened more
attentively, and his eyes questioned mine
with eagerness.
| OOOO OOu ! 1S IL pCsolUlo9 Hc uuT-
INJURED, and then again he seemed to doubt
my veracity.
'I've been talking in my Sleep" he said,
land you We caught name. It's bad jest,
Tom Leeson, and I'm bad subject for jest
ing with, give you notice. thought you
knew me better by this time, you young
scamp!' And, turning away as though
to hide the emotion he could not help
showing, he pulled out his pipe and began to
fill it. But his hand trembed and let it
fall.
was growing little hot over it myself
by this time. It was hard to have ones
word doubted after being startled and al
most frightened out of ones senses.
"Believe me or not, as you choose" I
responded sulkily. 'I've told you just
what happened, neither more nor less-ex-
cept that 1 asked her to speak to you her.
self, because you we're sure to say you
didn't believe me-"
you only knew! How can I believe? I
feel as though the earth was reeling un-
der my feet. Tell me quick-every word p
he cried in hoarse, broken voice.
| ''She said l was to tell you not to doubt
tho truth of what the Helen you love
says, and if you were still incredulous I
was to tell you she showed me her hand? ?"
''Her hand? Her left hand, was it?
And you saw-what"'
"That the first joint of the middle flu
ger was wanting"
There was dead silence for a moment
after / had ST. ID this, and then the sound
of long, gasping sigh. I tried to see
Lorimer's face, but he had pulled his hat
over his brow and was leaning against
the trunk Of a tree.
Presently he put out his hand in
| blind, hesitating sort of fashion, and took
hold of my arm. He began to lead me
along, walking slowly and stumblingly,
after few steps.
"Where are you going? asked.
"Back,' he replied shortly.
| ''Then you do believe me now?" queri
ed triumphantly.
s'Yes; you could not know that" And
we went on in silence for while; then he
looked up to the moonlit sky, where the
fieecy clouds were hurrying along over the
dark luminous expanse of heavens. II be-
leve, ay, all I ever doubted before-the
eternity of love, the possibility of reunion
Tom, do yon think the dead ever return to
the earth ?''
''The dead ?"
cay, the dead ! If they, with mightier
powers, have greater love, what can Keep
them from those who formed part of their
existence here?'
My heart began to beat 80 loudly as he
spoke that I could scarcely hear, and
shuddered from head to foot. What was
the meaning Of these strange words, fol
lowing on what had happened before (? l
grasped his arm tightly and glanced nerv-
ously behind.
"You mean? Tell me, for Heavens s
sake tell me. who it was that spoke to me
while you slept?'
SIT was my wife, he answered in a low
voice.
"And where is she? Where did she go?
l cried wildly.
''She died two years agor'
started back in horror. Those few
words, SO calmly and quietly spoken, rang
in my ears for months. Never shall for
get the effect they produced ON my imagina-
ton. But Lorimer, on his part, never no.