The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-10-14

Lie dIternOOn was drawing 10 q
close; the park was grey with shadow,
and misty with the autumn air; and
the figure of woman near me seemed
misty, too-a figure dressed in white,
with pale hair hanging to its waist in
curls, and face that could barely see
was fair and delicate.
.'Of such is the kingdom of Heaven, -
she whispered. Child, take the ring
to Marmaduke Kestrei. Tell him that
Agnes did not lie. Tell him you found
it in the Mermaid Fountain. Tell him
Her voice grew faint She was gone.
Who is she? Where did she go? |
was vaguely terrified, and clutching the
ring tightly in one hand, | began to
run, but looking over my shoulder to
see if she was following me, l stumbled
| and fell.
Someone picked me up. 1t was old
Marmaduke Kestrel himself.
Sometimes | had seen him walking
sadly through the park by himself,
though he lived a long distance off at
hotel, and was often abroad. Travel
ing for his health, people said.
what is the matter, little one?" he
said. '.Have you hurt yourself?n
NO." | said. The lady frightened
me. She was-she seemed to 90 out
like candle. She said it was her ring;
but she did not take it. She said was
to give it to you, and say: Agnes did
not lie Is she Agnes? Does she
always look like that? What did she
mean?"
Mr.. Kestrel sat down upon the stone
seat beside the fountain, and held me
by the arms, and stared into my face.
''Iell me what you mean, boy" he
said
Il was fishing in the basin of the
fountain there, said |, "and | thought
had caught trout, but it was no fish
at all, but a beautiful, shining ring.
Seer'
held it out to him as we'll as l could
with his grasp upon my arms, and he
let 60 of me and took it from me. He
peered at it curiously, and said:
"Your eyes are young. Read what is
engraved on the inside, child"
And with much pains, for it was
growing twilight, l spelled out these
words:
ITO Agnes, from Marmaduke, IS
Then he took it from me again and
said:
.'Go on"
Il thought it was pretty ring" l
said, land l would give it to mamma.
And then there was a lady there by
the fountain, fair. with long, light
curls, but like smoke or mist. | could
not help being frightened, and she
said:
'It is my ring. 1t is found at last,
thank Heavenn-and words that Jesus
said in the Bible-and then, Give it to
Marmaduke Kestrel and tell him you
found it in the fountain, and Agnes
did not lie Was she Agnes?"
He answered, Yes" and stopped
down and kissed me, and went his way,
taking the ring with him, and 1 ran
home to my mother and told her the
story, She was frightened. She held
me close.
What was she, mother?" 1 ask
ed.
II do not know" she answered. at
is IN our family to see strange things.
Perhaps you have seen one of them. Do
not talk about it, and say your prayers
tonight very carefully"
An hour or so after this my father
drove home from the nearest town in
his light trap.
Something happened at the MOTEL
this evening"" he said "Marmaduke
Kestrel is dead. He came back very
pale after a walk in Kestrel Park, they
think; and fall was heard in his room
soon after. They found him on the
floor beside his desk, already dead; but
he had written on a paper words nearly
like these:
81 have doubted the purity of the
sweetest woman who ever lived. Let
them bury me near the fountain in Kes-
trel Park, with the ring L wear upon my
finger, and write upon my stone these
words:
'''"To the memory of Agnes, most
faithful and beloved wife of Marina
duke Hestrel, whose body lieth here, but
whose soul hath gone TO ask pardon of
her he wronged in thought for twenty
bitter years.
And my mother, with a CRY, clung
to his arm and told him my strange
story.
What does it all mean?" | asked.
w no WAS Agnes? w nat dlu Mr.. heS-
trel do to her? What was it l saw in
the park? Was it a ghost?'
But my mother put her hand over my
mouth, and my father told me that there
were strange things and wicked stories
in this world that children could not
understand, but that Agnes Kestrel was
said to have died of broken heart be-
cause her husband was cruel to her,
and thought she had given away ring
she swore she had lost
Afterwards | understood what this
story might be; but | cannot explain to
myself what it was that happened in
kestrel Park any more clearly than l
understood it in my childhood.
Dover Right.
down EaSt .sRaahalpt. - +c