Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-08-02

20 enjoy my new dwelling place.
While | was undressing, l fancied that
Omphales eyes had moved. | looked more
atteutively IN that direction, not without s
slight sensation of fear. for the room wai
very large, aud the feeble luminous penum
bra which foatod about tho candle only
served TO render the darkness still moro vis
ible. / thought | saw her turning her head
toward me. ] became frightened in earnest
and blew out the light. 1 turned my face t.
the wall, pulled the bedclothes over my
head, drew my night cap down TO my chin
and finally went 70 sleep.
l did not dare 70 look az the accursed
tapestry again for several days
II may be wen here-for the sake Of i'm
parting something Of verismilitude 10 the
unlikely story am about TO relate-to inform
my fair readers that in those days l was
really a very pretty boy / had the hand.
soonest eyes In tho world-at least they used
to tell me 60; much fairer complexion thar
| have nova true carnation tint; curly
brown hair, which / still have, and II years,
which l have no longer. / needed only a
pretty stepmother TO be a very tolerable
cherub; unfortunately, mine was 81 years OF
age and had only three teeth, which was too
much Of one thing and too little OF the other.
One evening, however, finally plucked up
courage enough TO taSo a peep at the fair
mistress Of Hcrcules-she was looking at me
with tho saddcst and most languishing OK.
preston possible This time / pulled my
night cap down to my very shoulders aud
buried my head in tho coverlot
had strange dream that mght--if, IN.
deed, it was a dream. / heard the rings Of
my bed curtains sliding with a sharp squoab
upon their curtain rods as if the curtains Ind
been suddenly pulled back / awoke-at
least in my dream it seemed TO mo that
awoke. saw no one
The moon shone full upon the window
panes, and projected her wan BLUSH light
into the room. Vast shadows, fantastic
forms, were defined upon the floor and tho
walls. The clock ehimed quarter, and Tho
vibration Of tho sound took long time b
die away; it seemed like a sigh Theplainly
audible strokes Of the pendulum seemed like
the pulsatons Of a young heart throbbins
with passion.
Ifelt anything but comfortable, and a very
bewildcrment Of fear took possession Of me.
A furious gust OF wind banged tho shutters
and made the window sashes trcmble The
wood work cracked; the tapestry undulnted
/ ventured 10 glance in Tho direction of On
,phale, with vague suspicion that she was
instrumental in all this unpleasantness for
some secret purpose Of her own. was not
mistaken.
The tapestry became violently agitated
Omphale detached herself from the wall and
leaped lightly TO tho carpet She came
straight toward my bed, after having first
turned herself carefully in my direction.
fancy it will hardly be necessary TO describe
my stupcfaction. The most intrepid old sol.
dier woald not have felt very comfortable
under similar circumstances, and 1 was
neither old nor a soldier. awaited the end
! OF the adventure in terrified silence.
4 flute toned, pearly little voice sounded
softly in my ears, with that pretty lisp af.
focted during the regency by warehouses
and people OF high degree;
/ : "Do l really brighten you, my childq II is
true that you are only child; but it is no;
/ nice TO be afraid Of ladies, especially when
| they are Young ladies and only wish You well
/ ! lit is uncivil and unworthy Of a French
gentleman; you must be cured OF such Silly
fears Come, little savage, leave on These
foolish airs, and cease hiding your head un
der the bed clothes In my time, cheruh.
/ were more couragoous.n
i "3ut, lady, it is becanson---
because it seems strange TO you 70 End
me hero instead of thcrc,n she said biting
pointing towards the wall with her long
taper finger; "woll in fact the thing doe
not look very natural; but were / to explain
it all TO you, you would DO none the wiser
/ Let it be sufficient for you 20 know that you
iare not in any DANGER
II am afraid You may be the--then-
'fhe devil-out with the words it not
That is what you wanted 90 say. Wen, 81
least, you viii grant that l am not black
enough for a devil; and that If hell were PEG
pied with devils shaped as / am one might
have quite as pleasant a time there as in para
ldise.n
a And to provo that she was not fsttering
herself, Omphalo threw back her lions sdr
and allowed mo TO behold her exquisitely
.molded shoulders and bosom, dazzling il
their white beauty.
"Well, what do you think Of meqn she ex
claimed, with pretty little air Of satisfied
coquetry.
II think that, even were You the devil him
self, l should not be afraid Of you any more
Nine Omphale.n
"Ah, now you talk sensibly; but do not cal
me madame, or Omphale. / do not wish yor
to look upon me as a madame; and l am nc
more Omphale than am the devil"
''Then who are your
short time after l was married tile marqui.
had this tapestry made for my apartments
and had me represented on it in the character
of Omphale; he himself figures there as Her
cules That was a queer notion he took; fol
God knows there never was anybody in The
world who bore less resemblance 70 Hercule.
than the poor marquisi It has been 4
long time since this chamber was occupied
naturally love company, and I almost died
of ennui in consequence. Il gave me the
headache. To be only with ones husband i.
the same thing as being alone When you
came / was overjoyed; this dead room be
came terminated; had found some one Z
feel interested in. watched you come in
and 60 out; l heard you mnrmuring In your
sleep; ] watched you reading, and my eye.
followed the pages found YOU were nicely
behaved, and had a fresh, innocent way
about you that pleased me-in short, fell IN
love with you 1 tried to make you under
stand; l sighed-you thought it was only tht
signing Of the wind; made signs TO you;
looked at you with languishing eyes, and
only succeeded in frightening you terribly
So, at last, in despair, resolved upon thi.
rather improper course which have taken
to tell you frankly what you could not take d
hint about. Now that you know l love
yoh"-
The conversation was interrupted at thi.
juncture by the grating OF key in the loci
Of the chamber door.
II Omphale started, and blushed to the very
whites Of her eyes.
"Adieu,n she whispered, "till tomorrow.
And she returned to her place on the wall
walking backward, for fear that l should Sc,
the reverse side, doubtless.