Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-01-07
e, and then, shaking her lovely hair about

tie, and then, shaking her lovely hair abou'
her like a garment, beneath its cover slim
ped the kirtle OFF, and replaced the snak,
belt round her and outside the masses o.
falling hair. There she stood before II,
rs Eve might have stood before Adam, clat
in nothing but her abundant locks. held
round her hy her golden band. and M
words of mine can tell how sweet she
looked, and yet how divine. Nearer and
nearer came the thunder wheels of fire
n as they came She pushed one ivory
arm through the dark masses of her hail
anti flung il round Leo's neck"
"Dh, my love, my love-" she murmured.
wilt thou ever know how / have loved
thee!' and She kissed him on the forehead,
ana then went and Etood in the pathway
of the flame of life.
There was, | remember, 20 my mind
something very touching about the words
and that embrace upon the forehead. 1t
was like Il mothers kiss, and seemed 70
convey q bcnedittiOn with it.
On came the crashing, rolling noise. and
the sound thereof was ~ though q forest
were being swept flat by n mighty wind.
and then tossed up by it like SO much grass,
and numbered dow u mountain side.
Nearer and nearer il came; now flashes OF
llght, forerlnners or the revolving pillar
of flame, were passing like arrows through
the rosy air; and now the edge OF the pillar
itself appeared. Ayesha turned toward it,
and stretched out her arms to greet it. On
1T came, very slowly, and Tapped her round
with flame. say the fire run up her form.
| saw her lift it with both her hands AS
though 1T were water, II pour it over her
head. even saw her open her mouth and
draw it down into her lungs, and a dread
and wonderful sight it was.
Then she paused, and stretched out her
arms, and stood there quite still, with a
heavenly smile upon her face. ms though
cha Nyt.~a fha vary Snirif nf fla nt,
The mysterious fire played up and down
her lar and rolliNg locks, twining aud
twisting itself through and around them
like threads OF golden lace; it cleaned upon
her ivory breast and shoulder, from which
the hair had slipped aside; il slid along her
pillared throat and delicate features, and
seemed To find a home in the glorious eyes
that shone and shone more brightly even
than the spiritual essence.
Oh, how beautiful she looked there in
the flame! No angel ont of heaven could
nave worn a greater loveliness. Even now
my heart faiuts before the recollection of
il, as she stood and smiled Mt our awed
faces, and | would give half my remaining
time upon this earth to see her one like
that again.
But suddcnly-more suddenly than | can
deScribe-a kind Of change came over her
face, Il change which ! could not define or
explain On paper, butt o the less acnange.
Inc smile vanished, and in its place there
came n dry, hard look; the rounded face
seemed 20 grow pinched, az though some
great anxiety were leaving its impress up
on IL. The glorious eyes, too, lost their
light, and, rs | thou ght, the form its per-
tect shape and erectness.
rubbed my eyes, thinking that ! was
The victim OF some ha~llucinatiOn, or that
the refraction from the intense light pro
duced an optical delusjon; and, as / did 50,
the flaming pillar slowly twisted and thun-
dered OIL whithersoeyer it passes to in the
bowels Of the great earth, leaving Ayesha
standing where it had been.
As soon IN II was gone, she stepped for
ward To LcO'S Side-lt seemed TO me there
was no spring in her s%tcp-and stretched
out her han to lay it on his shoulder. l
gazed at her arm. Where was its wonder
tul roundnes5 and beauty 1T was getting
thin and angular. And her face-by