, 1888-12-06
DANCE TO DEATH.
Terrible Night Vigil With a
Corpse in France.
A Startling French Story That
Takes the Lead.
a Widow Driven to Madness by Hor-
ribls Combat with Her Departed
Love-The Tale.

Near the couch, where the corpse was
rigidly outlined under the white sheet, the
comtesse watched alone. A handful OF
bran de still smouldered on the hearth, the
wind blew violently, and cold October
rain beat against the glasses. Every now
and then vivid flash Ut lightning illu-
minated the chamber with Its palid rays,
dimmine the flame Of the waxen taper
placed beside the body and playing upon
the ghastly face.
Tie Comtesse Laurence NO longer wspt,
but pale and motionless, her eyes wide
OF stone, seeing, recognizing nothing but
the past, now dissipated and fading like q
wreath Of smoke: .
A year ago. blushing and radiant with
happiness, she had entered this apartment
with him--this chamber where now she
remained alone. She remembered the
slightest detail--that it was cold, that he
drew her to his side and to the Gre, his
blonde moustache lightly touching her
cheek in tender caress; the rustling OF
her satin robe as it traied upon the aoor
the orange blossoms that fell from her hair
she had trembled at the first caress, yet
how happy she had been, her hand Ia his
her eyes shyly falling under the ardor OF
his kisses. And now all was changed; he
was gone and she was alone, with impish
faces hiding in the tapestry and leering ut
her with mocking eyes and smiles upon
their lips from the curtain of the bed and
the shadows of its twisted legs.
And then-she remembered everything! |!
those Wake under the pines in the park,
when the wedding guests had left them,
where the sunshine, flterinR through the
screen of leaves, threaded her hair with
gold, and that for hours together they
would wander in the wood gay and happy
as children of 10. blushing at the exchange
of a kiss in q corner, starting at every
noise. the nibbling of goat In the hedges,
the whispering of the wind through the
trees
One day, surprised by an autumn storm,
they sought the shelter Of hollow tree,
the tempest pursuinR them. and lashing
and pounding at the branches. Return
ing home, in spite OF her resistance and
protestatiOns, fearful that she would be i'll
from cold and exposure, he had lifted and
carried her in his arms like u babe.
In the spring he had fallen ill. She had
nursed him tenderly, but in spite of
everything he had grown hourly worse;
his jaws hollow, his lungs more lacerated
and worn by a hacking cough. And she
had renounced everything for his sake,
friends, family, and the company of the
gay and young, sacrificing her youth and
strength to the service of this beloved
one, never leaving him, never crossing
him; forestalling his slightest wish, and
pressing upon his lips, now burning with
fever, caresses that in other days he had
loved 80 we'll.
He had died this evenipg-Riving her
his last lock, his last smile and thought.
He was dead; all was ended for the wife,
the poor, grief stricken wife; her happy
dreaming over. vanished, never to return.
She could not believe tit was impossible
that this heart, which beat only for her,
could remain insensible when her voice
called-those lips which drank such
draughts OF love from hers tremble no
more beneath the warmth of her caresses.
yet the grave and eternity separated them
forever.
And still the storm continued, the vio-
lent peals of thunder making the chateau
shiver. In the court dog began to howl.
and all the dogs in the neighborhood
seemed to answer him in the distance.
1t was horrible, horrible to die on q
night like this. and, rising slowly, the
comtesse began to pace the floor, body and
brain on FIRE with fever.
Suddenly she ran to the window and
flung it open, bathing her aching brow in
the icy rain. The trees Of the park,
stripped by the blast, stood out like skels-
tons. She could plainly hear the cracking
OF their bones above the roar of the tenn
pest, the knell of the church clocks strik-
ing twelve. and the long, plaintive bowling
of the dogs.
All at once gust of wind extinguished
the lighted candle; a passing bat lightly
brushed against her cheek. Wild with
terror she retreated from the window and
throwing brand upon the embers revived
by the AIR. seated herself beside the fire.
Presently, by chance turning IN the direc-
ton of the bed. the comtesse uttered y
piercing scream, lost in the tumult of the
storm, for the eyes OF the corpse, two
ghastly disks, were turned upon her. She
wished to fly from the chamb Der, but her
limbs refused to bear her, aud that frozen
look atill followed, still held and drew her.
some strange invincible power In IL Fore
ing her to approach nearer that still and
rigid body. Pale IA shroud. her neck
extended like that of bird lured by u
serpent. she moved across the door. she
touched the bed. her head bowed above
the face OF the dead, livid aud convulsed
by death, but still keeping those cold and
siRhtless eyes upon her.
Shuddering with terror, her hair on end,
vet unable to help herself, she bent and
left kiss upon the chill and purple lips.
All vt once the blood seemed to rush to
her brain. she felt az ii going mad, and
with frantic gesture wound her arms
about the neck Of the corpse. After all he
was her husband, her beloved one, though
cold and still az stone.
Then before her burning eyes. amid the
wailings of tho tempest and the bowling
Of the dogs. strange thing happened; the
imps of the tapestry rose up in y band.
floating about the chamber q swarm Of
spectsrs. rejoicing evidently in this dance