Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-11-12
THE MARBLE BEAUTY.

THE MAR6LE BEAU T.
Louis Calvert was a chemist. In the
little Southern seaside village he was
physician and surgeon-the only one In
the town-greatly esteemed for his med-
ical skill, but the simple people OF the
place were secretly afraid OF him, though
they could not have told why. DR..
Calvert had married in his early youth,
but his wife soon died killed by his
cruelty, evil tongues whispered-and he
had lived alone until few weeks before
my story opens.
The doctor married again.
He was about fifty years Of age. Tall,
well-formed and well-preseryed, with
fair skin, blue eyes, and a dark, silky
beard, the doctor was reallya handsome
man. despite that dread, uncanny look
about him which no one could explain.
The village gossips were all agape to
see and know his wife, and great was
their surprise and Indignation when
they learned he brought from they
knew not where, a mere child. A fair,
slender, rosy checked girl of perhaps
seventeen, wa. the Doctors NEW wife,
She was a quiet, self-possessed little
laGv, however, and the gossips soon
learned to leave her alone. They could
only learn that she was an orphan, a
school teacher, and had married DR..
Calvert, she informed her visitors In
strict confidence, with a tantalizlng
smile, simply because she loved him. -
But they imagined they knew better.
was lonely life TO the young wife.
The Doctor, apart from his protest. onal
visits, rarely mixed with his fellow
townsmen. A close student, he had al
ways confined himself closely in his
study, and even now he left his bride
alone many hours during the day.
She had at first sometimes asked per-
mission to go with him and sit in his
laboratory while he worked. She fear
ed the request displaased him, his reply
was so short, but so great was her Lone
illness, and so oppressed was she with a
vague, nameless, haunting fea", she
went even at the risk Of being unwel-
come. But she went only few times.
|. was an inside room, low and dark.
Heavy curtains of many colors diviGed
the room into many apartments. Lamps
burned here even at midday, throwing
curious and ghostly shadows In the
hooks and corners, and rejecting
strange, ghastly- -colored reflections
from the different curtains. Books ana
papers Uttered the floor and tables, nu-
merous glasses, tubes, and retorts, cru
cibles, filters, and other chemical appa-
ratus were visible, while a strange odor
almos. overpowercd one who entered
the room for the first time.
There was, however, something
stranger still about that curious place
1t was the sensation that always came
upon one that human presence was
near, though the visitor might know he
was alone. 1t was moro terrible still.
1t was the awful feeling that comes over
one when watching alone through the
night with the dead.
The Doctors wife grew nervous and
feverish under the haunting presence,
and would shrink and tremble, and
glance fearfully about her as she sat in
silence watching her husb and, who was
buried in some deep experiment. Then
she would stroll softly about the room,
pausing often before marble statue
which stood just across from the Doc
tors work table, where he could always
rest his eye upon it when lie raised his
head. 1t was a magnificent female
form. If | were yersed in the technical
nomenclature Of the sculptor's shop, /
might describe the marble beauty at
length. A woman, tall, and we'll
rounded, with y glorious wealth Of hair
about her shoulders, stood with parted
lips and laughing eyes and extended
arms, as if saying to her lover, "come"
The marble was in all respects terri
bly, life-like. 1t never failed to thrill
one at the first glance. The position
was so natural, the tint of the cheeks, II
appeared to Mary Calvert, as she covertly
studied the image, rivalled her own.
Most wonderful of all aud most ihexpli-
cable of all, that awful feeling always
grew stronger upon her as she stood
nesr this strange statue. Often the
Doctor would pause in his work, quick
lv raise his head as if called, and bow
ing toward the image, say, with queer.
sad smile. "nay, cannot come yet;
but his horror. stricken wife knew he
was buried in thought and was lot con-
scious of what he was doing.
She soon gave up her visits to the
strange, haunted chamber, anu never
entered il but once again when she went
to gaze upon that terrible beauty, TO
learn its horrible secret, and to rain
kisses in heart-broken anguish upon the
face Of her husband, cold in death.
The village gossips who know almost
all family secrets; who 20 behind closed
shutters, darkened curtains, and locked
doors on their ways, soon came TO know
the young wife's trouble. They, too,
had heard strange stories of that myste-
rious apai iment. One Of their number
had bodily made her way iuto its most
sacred reeesses. She had heard the
Doctors heavy voice blended with the