The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-04

THE GHOSTS TOUCH
A STORY BY WILKIE COLLINS.
AIIsF AND OTHER POPULAR NOVELS
PART II.-CHAPTER v.


The experiment failed. Hewent up stairs and
played with Lucy; he drank an extra glass of
wine at dinner; he took the child and her gov
erness to circus in the evening" he ate little
supper. fortified by another glass of wine, be-
fore he went to bed-and still those vague fore
bodings of evil persisted in torturing him. Look
ing back through his past lire he asked himself
IT any woman This late wife of course excepted!)
had ever taken the predominant place in his
thoughts which Mrs. Zant had assumed-with-
out any discoverable reason to account for ita
If he had ventured to answer his own question:
the reply would have been: Never!
All the next day he waited at home in expec-
sation of Mr.. John Zants promised visit, and
waited in vain
Towards evening the parlormad appeared at
the family rea-table, and presented to her master
an unusually largo envelope sealed with
black wax, and addressed in a strange hand
writing. The absence OF stamp and postmark
showed that it had been left at the house by a
messenger.
''Who brought thisY' Mr.. Rayburn asked.
"A lady, sir--in deep mourning"
' "Did she leave any messagep
NO. SIR"
Rayburn shut himself up in his library. He was
!. afraid of Luey's curiosity and Lucys questions,
a if he read Mrs. Zants letter in his daughters
presence.
Looking at the open envelope after he had
taken out the leaves of writing which it con-
tained he noticed these lines traced inside the
cover:
my one excuse for troubling you when l
might have consulted my brotner-in-law, will be
found in the pages which I inclose. If we had
been strangers in the common meaning of the
word should not have ventured to intrude
myself your attention. But have produced
IN impression you without any design to do
= sol which has set me in the light of woman to
be pitied. To speak plainly, you have been led
ITO fear that am not in my right senses. For
this very reason, now appeal to YOU Your
dreadful doubt of me. sir, is my doubt too
Read what have written about myself-and
then tell me- l entreat you, which l A
person who has been the object of supernat-
. ural reyelationl an unfortunate creature who
is only fit for imprisonment in a mad housel"
Mr. Rayburn opened the manuscript With
steady attention, which soon quekened TO
breathless interest, he read what follows:
VI.
!. Yesterday morning the sun shone in a clear
blue sky--after succession of cloudy days.
counting from the LIST of the month
The radiant light I'd it's animating effect on
my poor spirits. / had passed the night more
peacefully than usual; undisturbed by the dream,
so cruelty familiar to me, that my lost husband
is still livng-the dream from which I always
wake in tears. Never, since the dark days of
my sorrow, have / been so little troubled by the
self-tormenting fancies and fears which beset
miserable women, as when / left the house and
turned my steps toward Kensington Gardens
For the first time since my husbands death.
Attended by my only companion, the little
dog who had been his favorite, as well as mine.
went to the quiet corner of the Gardens which
is nearest to Kensngton.
On that soft grass under the shade of those
: trees we had loitered together in the days Of
betrothal 1t was his favorite walk, and he had
taken me to see it in the early days OF our ac-
quaintance. There he had first asked me be
his wife. There we had felt the rapture of our
first kiss 1t was surely natural that should
wish to more a place sacred to such
memories as these2 am only twenty three
years old; have no child to comfort me;
the dumb creature who is so faithfully fond of
me.
went to the tree under which we stood, when
my dear ones eyes told his love before he could
utter it in words The sun of that vanished day
shone on me again; it the same noontide
hour; the same solitude was round me. had
feared the first effect of the dreadful contrast
between last and present No. was quiet and
resigned. My thoughts, rising higher than
earth, dwet on the better life beyond the grave.
Some tears came into my eyes, But was not
unhappy. My memory Of all that happened
may be trusted, even in trifes which relate only
to myself was moi unhappy.
The first object that I saw, when my eyes
were clear again, was the dog. He crouched
few PAGES away from me, trembling pitiably. but
uttering cry What had caused the fear that
b overpowered him9
was soon TO know.
called to the dog; he remained immovable-
conscious of some mysterious coming thing that
held him spellbound. / tried to go to the poor
creature, and fondle and comfort him.
At the first step forward that l took, some
shng stopped me.
1t was not to be seen, and not to be heard. 1t
stopped me-
The still figure of the dog disappeared from
my view; the lonely scene round me disap-
peared-excepting the light from heaven the
tree that sheltered me- and the grass in front of
me. A sense of unutterable expectation kept
my eyes riveted on the grass. Suddenly l saw
its myriad blades rise erect and shivering The
Gear came to of something passing over
them with the invisible swiftness of the wind
The shivering advanced. It was all round me.
1t crspt into the leaves of the trees over my
head they shuddered without sound to tell of
- their agitation; their pleasant natural rustling
:. was struck dumb. The songs Of the birds had