The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-02-09

strange and mysterious, though strict
ly true, events that give the story its
deepest interest.
Wharton shifted in his seat uneasily,
rested his arm upon a table, his head
upon his hand, and shaded his eyes as
| his friend continued:
business called the lover of Ethel
to the distant city. The evening be.
fore his departure they had wandered
late beside the still waters and sat
upon the log shaded by willows you
| may have noticed at the right of the
picture.
Eyes; a semi-dark, damp place.
even in the sunlight" was the almost
shivering comment.
Just as you describe it; but there
was no realisation of unhealthy vapors.
The night was glorious one. The
water as quiet as that dreaming round
the Enchanted Isles; the sky as clear
of cloud as that bending over them;
the breeze as soft and sweet as that
which kisses their shores. 1t was the
night of nights for love and lovers,
and they clung to each other the
longer and more closely in view of the
days of separation to follow. On the
morrow the train took an unwilling
heart away and left behind one nearly
broken."s
''But there is compensation in the
| joy of reunion, the fond, the passion
ate lingering kiss, of fears banished.' I
Eyes" continued Lamolne, "but is
was not so in this case. Two day,
subsequently to his arrival in the city,
as he was sitting in room alone
thinking of her he loved, he was sud-
denly startled by the ringing of a
telephone-bell He knew there was
no instrument there, if, inGead, within
the building. He listened and the sound
was repeated, yet not 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 the
air still more loudly, prolonged and
impatiently."
"Was your friend believer in any
of the forms of spiritualsm?" ques.
toned Wharton.
''Not in the least. He was not given
to theosophical 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"
81 have ample reason to know that
he was as fully awake as you are. The
t.ird ringing was followed by mes.
sage, short, but clearly voiced, as il
he had held receiver to his ear"
care you attempting to practice
upon my credulity?"
''If the picture you saw was reality,
and not a myth of the Imagination,
then what | am telling is equally so. .
What were the words, and who ut
tered themp"
''Tell me first if there is any diff
Guilty or uncertainty in deciding with
regard to familiar voice when listen
ing at telephone?"
''Not in the least"
"And there was not then. The voice
was that of Ethel Scott, and the words
were, Love. l am dying; come quick
ly.'"
impossible under the conditions
you have described"
$50 argued the startled listener, and
fanced he must be going mad. Sub
sequent events, however, proved to
the contrary"
yet he must have been keenly sem
sitive to all that followed"
'And nervouslyalert had not friends
called, changed the current of his
dreams, and left him 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 head 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? / 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 I 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, delirious,
had escaped during temporary alb
sence OF her mother, and thus far
search had been in vain"
"And he?" 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-it was as intangible
as his other warnings-told him that
there she would be found"
"And WASP"
Yes, and just as painted. Beneath
the lily pads and 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.
Rl,t L .,.,nl dcro,.;l.c fn,.tLa rEL "a