Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-10
iage, should come and steal her away from

Mrs. Vernay. Ny wife was one of them,
and well enough we all knew the reason.
For when, with maternal pride, she one
day showed off the children 10 the pretty
widow, Mrs: Vernay turned from them
with cold look Of disgust, saying " de-
test children" An insult no mother could
forgive. THAT unnatural woman" my
wife from henceforth called her.
How lovely she looked at the Christmas
| bali when, radiant with delight, she crosses
the room to say to me: " Look at the prog
ress of my conversion. Here is Hermit
| Kenneth in this frivolous scene"
4 wish l was at the chapel" Kenneth
| himself remarked and certainly no man
| looked so unsuited to a ballroom. He had
| grown pale and thin during his solitary
| life, and were a thoughtful air l never be-
| fore had noticed in him.
| Why on earth don't you go back ?" said
| l. " Nothing has surprised me more than
| your appearance here
knew it would be So" he answered
l had to come"
| Then in that homogeneous place he began
| telling me his experiences in that wild sol
! itude
| Il began TO think my life there useless.
| a mere indulgence of my own tastes.
read and thought but the mysteries of life
| seemed as unfathonabie as ever. One
| evening l felt myself no longer alone,
| saw nothing, | heard nothing, yet | alb
| sorbed this command into my being GO
| into the world, for there is life you must
/ save demon you must yanquish, and the
| life you have led has given you power to
| fight and conquer. The world will mock
and your friends misunderstood YOU, but
| need them not. BY this token know both
destroyer and destroyed Then across the
| floor of my room glided glittering snake
unlike anything we see upon English
moors. And l, obeying the command,
| came here to find the destroyer"
At that moment he trembled, touched
my arm and bid me look across the room.
| There stood Frank and Mrs Vernav-she
with the jeweled snake twisted in her hair,
he with another, a bracelet of hers, clasped
around his wrists; some joke had passed
between them, and she had slipped it on
My dear Kenneth, these are fancies
nothing but fancies," l said, for his man
ner alarmed me. You can't think that
| anything more dangerous than a boyish
love affair can result from Franks friend
| ship with Mrs. Vernay."
Lilith" was all he said.
Tell me, how did you guess her manner"
1t came to me as that command came.
when | saw her write" he replied Then
crossing the room he asked the beauty to
| dance, taking her away from Frank.
4 L DCAlChG DStS JdSStu between IIle men at
the Torremouth clubs as to which Of the
brothers would marry beautiful Mrs. Yer
nay. confess | wondered myself whether
Kenneth would relinquish his noble
schemes and marry like any other ordinary
mortal. | rarely saw him without Mrs.
Vernay. He rode with her, drove with
her, spent long hours in her pretty draw
ing-rOom, and walked with her on the es-
planade. | asked him what was coming
from all this, and had for reply: If /
don marry her. Frank william answer
which at the time struck me as strange.
And one day Frank came to my wife TO
pour into her sympathetic ears wild, fierce
ratings against his brother. Why had
Kenneth talked that nonsense about celib-
acy and seclusion when he came and took
away the only woman Frank ever would,
ever could love?
And thus we heard Of Kenneth's engage
ment to the beautiful Mrs. Vernay.
All the men in the place enyied HIM /; but
never in my life have / seen so grave and
gloomy lover. Yet, like all the other
men who met her, he seemed to adore her
never heard any one question his devo-
ton. Perhaps their eyes were blinded.
knew we all pitied Frank. And the time
passed merrily by to the wedding dav. Mrs
Nernay growing daily more beautiful
Once she passed me as walked with
friend on the esplanade.
Good heavens" he exclaimed, what
a likeness "
or whom ~
" OF peasant girl in the Black Forest
who few years ago created great stir in
her village. All the young fellows were in
love with her. She married one of them
and few days later he was found dead in
his bed, the bride having vanished no one
knew whittier"
" An unpleasant story" l said, little
pleased to notice that Kenneth near me,
who must have heard every word
q" OF course, It is only chance likeness"
said my friend
Lilith p murmured Kenneth az he
passed me.
a week or two later and there was fash
ionable wedding in Torremouth, dismal as
as are all such festivities. Kenneth had
begged his might be quiet, but Mrs. Vernay
laughed in his face.
you ridiculous boyP she said; peo-
pie viii think you are ashamed of me-
The only member of the family not
present was Frank. tie had Joined his
regiment.
1t was oYer-breakfast, speeches and all
and was refreshing myself by walk
near the sea.
total stranger came up and addressed
me, inquiring about that mornings we'd
ding He appeared to have been a specta-
tor IN the church. Among other things lie
asked me The brides name
She was Mrs. Vernay, ] replied
All" he said, Il thought / knew her
| again
May l ask where You met her p
a" In Ceylon. She came ont as a bride
after three weeks" He paused, but 1
| begged him to 90 On.
1t is an unpleasant story" he said
Her husband was found strangled in his
bed. They said one of the Syces had done
it, bat some thought Mrs Vernav could
have explained the matter"
/ asked no further questions-a voice
seemed to whisper in my ear " Lllith y
and the stranger went on his way.
But forgot my forebodings as the DAYS
passed bringing nothing but good news of
Kenneth and his wife as they travelled in
the lake district. We talked of them. of
the weather they must be enioying and
! speculated as to their future home. as vet
undetermined.
One night after my wife had gone to bed
| was lingering over the ire. Carelessly /
raised my eyes toward a mirror hung above
| the mantel-piece, and then my attention
was riveted by the reflection that met my
| eyes. 1t was no repetition of the room |
was in, but faithful picture of Kenneth's
retreat at the chapel
saw the door open and a food of pale
moonlight stream into the room. I saw
! Kenneth and his wife enter as from long
journey, and / noticed her passing around
the room looking at treasures while he
| lighted lamp. She had something in her
! hands cleaning against her dress, and I
noted how she stole behind him as he bent
over the light Then cloud of vapor
! arose from the lamp, and he turned to face
her, stern and unyielding. She threw her
| self kneeling, praying at bis feet. but he
never flinched; then she rose. changing
into tall, thin, pale figure, with death
/ ike face and hollow, cleaning eyes. Still
! he never faltered and with a cry this being
rushed through the half-open door into the
moonlight. The vision haunted me, though
in every way possible tried reasonably to
account for il.
The next morning left Torremouth by
1 tho earliest tvasr, s4H-,,fr,e- =,