Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-03-08

aCuAI otaAttC w lHO IluAtft8 VI u
telephone-bell He knew there was
no instrument there, if. indeed. within
the building. he listened and the sound
was repeated, yet not a wire was with
in sight. He went down stairs and
enquiry proved there were none with
in, passing over or near the building.
Returning to his room he endeavored
to dismiss the strange fancy from his
mind rather than to account for it,
when the ringing quivered upon tho
air still more loudly, prolonged and
impatiently."
WAS your friend believer in any
of the forms of spiritualism?" ques-
toned Wharton.
mot in the least. He was not given
to Philosophical speculations. to psy-
Geological philosophy. had never even
seen an experiment in phrenomagne-
tism. The lady of his love had been
his Art, the shrine at which he wor-
shipped Fame, to the exclusion of all
other things.
"You are certain he was not asleep
and dreamingP"
al have ample reason to know that
he was as fully awake as you are. The
third ringing was followed by mes
sage, short, but clearly voiced, as if
he had held receiver to his ear"
"Are you attempting to practice
upon my credulity?"
''If the picture you saw was reality,
and not myth of the Imagination,
then what am telling is equally so. 5"
What were the words, and who ut
tered them?"
Tell me first if there is any Diff
Guilty or uncertainty in deciding with
regard to familiar voice when listen
ing at telephone?"
mot in the least"
"And there was not then. The voice
was that of Ethel Scott, and the words
were, Love. | am dying; come quick
ly."
Impossible under the conditions
you have described"
$50 argued the startled listener, and
fancied he must be going mad. Sub
sequent events, however, proved to
the contrary"
"Yet he must have been keenly SEN
sitive to all that followed"
"And nervouslyalert had not friends
called, changed the current of his
dreams, and left him "a few hours
later in the best of spirits"
"Well?" questioned Wharton in dis
appointment.
'Untroubled because unthinking of
the strange episode of the day, he pre-
pared himself for slumber, turned out
the gas, and retired. Scarcely, how
ever, had his lead touched the pillow
before his Enclosed eyes were dazed by
peculiarly bright light. 1t was diff
fused over the room at first, then as
sumed shape, distinct letters, distinct
words"
"And they were?" interrupted Whar-
ton with nervous anxiety.
"These: Love, why don't you come?
/ am freezing, dying"
Nearly the same as before"
Eyes, and the instant he had re-
peated them aloud they disappeared. !"
"And you-the man? l should in
deed have gone mad"
He arose, lighted the gas. and care
fully noted the hour and minute, as
should have told you he had done
when he received the spiritual tee.
gram 4 can call it by no other term.
He saw that by haste he could catch
the train, did so, and in the grey of
the morning stood at the door of his
beloved. 1t was open and the house
in confusion. He met the distracted
mother, the agonised father, the af-
frighted and useless servants. From
their incoherent stories he learned that
Ethel had been very sick, delrious,
had escaped during temporary alb
sence of her mother, and thus far
search had been in vain
"And hep" questioned Wharton. car
ried out of himself by the intensity of
his interest.
Waited to hear no more, but ran
with all possible speed to the tryst-
ing place by the sheltered stream.
"Why there"
Something was as intangible
as his other warnings-told him that
there she would be found"
'.And WASP"
Eyes, and just as painted. Beneath
the lily pads aud bending swaying
reeds she lay in the shallow water,
with her arms thrown backward and
her hands clasped beneath her head.
Her pale face was toward the sky, the
wet night-dress clinging to the glor-
ious form. but so torn and washed
aside as to reveal much of limbs and
arms and bust whittier than marble,
and shaming the work of any chisel.
But need not describe farther. The
painting does that better than words
can, especially the hair that floated in
waves of shining gold around"
"Dead?" gasped Wharton.
NO answered Lamoine reverent-
ly. God be thanked. not dead, and
to rescue and carry her home was brief
labor, and"
"She recovered?'
Eyes, and is alive to-day"
Thanks to the loving care of the
truest, warmest, and best heart on
EARTH" came in soft whispers to their
ears came as if floating out of space.
Wharton sprang to his feet in aston
ishment, in terror, saw reality, not
a spiritual shadow, that had stolen
into the room unseen, unheard, and
exclaimed:
Great HeavenI The lady of the
picture!
"And my dear wife, answered his
friend as he drew her tcnderly to his
side.
Then the story you have told me is
n
'Of ourselves, and every incident is
true. AS learned upon the recovery
of my darling, she had called me at that
time fancied l heard the telephone,
and her last recollection when in the
water was for help and from me-.
"And you painted the picture?"
Eyes. 1t was indeed labor of and
inspired by love-"
zone thing more. How do you ac-
count for the myterious summoningsP"
II attempt no explanation-am con.
tent to simply state the facts, with my
wife.
Whom you worship as the world
will the picture when they learn its
story