The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-02-06

momentary surrender had been accepted A certain power from the darkness seemed to reach me and hold my atten- ton fixed and then without any feeling of surprise began to see that some one sat in the chair, and ts meet the gleam of eager eyes fixed on me with is,ent- ness. knew then that-whether mad ness or knowledge lay before me-it was too late to escape. My former experiences had been vague impress sions: my present was one of deliberate though unwilling observation.
 The eyes grew clearer and more lu- minous, and the outlines of the face be- came more distinct. It was dark and angry ceuntenance, the face of woman of thirty, handsome, but very unhappy. Her look was fixed upon me with some thing like command. yet it was not a command, it was rather conscious and determined force; she did not order me to surrender to her all my thoughts !; she made me do it; she held me with the strength of desperate resolve, as if aware of a reluctance on my part, of a desire to escape.
 As the features took distinctness the pale lips quivered, flash of sombre tri- umph enlightened the gloomy eyes.
 At last she said, "at last How long you have resisted"
 Her voice came to me like new con- sciousness, with which my bearing had little to do; it was a human voice, but with tone and quality which had never heard before. did not attempt to speak n | kN
 You knew, yet you would not know" she went on "you saw, but you would not believe. You have fought against my will and persisted in a blindness which would not be frightened. But could not give way. You were my only hope"
 was tormented by a sense of recogni. ton which overcame my reluctance to acknowledge by any words this stra nge presence. To speak would add to the power of this mysterious being, woman or spirit, who had taken form in the gloom, ,and-according to her own declar- ation forced herself upon my conscious ness; but my wonder was stronger than my fear and so answered her.
 Who are you? seem to know you Have l ever seen you before2"
 She smiled sombre smile.
 "You know me. Who better2 Have you not worked me up to fuller life, given to me a more vivid personality, dis tincter consciousness Your friend, who made me, hardly knew me SO we'll"
 This was strange answer; my head was thro obing with heated confusion of ideas and images. The clue to the woman's identity seemed only just out of my reach she was familiar to me as an old friend but when, where, and how could have seen her before
 But for you," she went on, l might have died an easy death, an early death. He had little force to put into me. should hardly have known or understood before the end came, and faded out of life, how came to be and what was. could not have resented the cruelty of him-and you."
 Ofmel" answered, in deeper won- der. How can have injured you and when 2"
 " Do you not understand yet ?" she said. And there are the others, too."
 What others2" demanded, with feeling of growing chilliness and discom- fort. Could be Tn a world of ghosts, of ghosts gone mad with trouble, who mis- took me fer their injurer l seemed to have wandered into strange corner of spirit-land, and to have at last learned to see the sights there and hear the sounds put the land was dismal one indeed.
 Come with me and see" she answered and rising from the chair in which she had seemed to sit, she walked toward the ioor.
 had no choice of action the possibil- ty of resistance did not even occur to me. Her will was stronger than mine, and, when once she had overcome the prelim- nary fiji :ulty of my stupidity Ca stupid ty which had proved serviceable for once n delaying this unpleasant experience) when she had forced upon me the con- 'ciousness of her presence, l was com- ,elled to follow her and receive the end | ,f the revelation.
 She led me up the dark staircase to a title unused bedroom. It had, at least ince my residence in the house, been al- | ways empty before of any human pres .nce. As the door opened before her low, l was conscious that some one was within. The woman with dark eyes urned and watched the effect upon me 'f the scene she revealed.
 Al first was hardly aware what saw ny hold on the spirit-world seemed slight, ts sights and sounds reached me with lifficulty; but as my guide kept her eyes ixed upon me, drowning with displeasure It my perplexity, the whole scene grew nto distinctness as she had done.
 A candle burned on the little table {; beside it, on low chair, sat a lovely girl with little baby in her arms. She could hardly be twenty years old, but her face vas wan, her large eyes bright with sut- ering. She was watching with anxiety 6 'oung man who paced up and down the oom with an angry countenance.
 am sick of it all," he said, "sick of 'ou and the child. and the whole lot of {. shall be off to the colonies and be- .in new life. Tomorrow will see the md of this one. You may go back to 1our friends"
 "George!' She rose to her feet with
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