West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-05-09


seemed their destination, and when after
paying my man hurried into the station.
was just in time to see them disappear
into first-class carriage as the train
steamed off
had lost her for that time, but COM
forted myself with the idea that we must
meet during the season, and determined
at once to look up all my old friends, and
accept all the invitations got, for until
now, wrapped up in my art, had rather
neglected the first, and always declined
the last. But everything had changed;
since my dream had been the shadow of
this sweet reality / seemed to have reached
at one bound the very soul Of life.
After some months of solitary wander
ings, / began 10 journey homeward,
pausing at each picturesque village which
took my fancy, and crossing the rich
Lombard plain TO Milan, and so to Genoa
and the Riviera.
II was late on Christmas Eve when 1
reached quaint little town near Bordig-
hera and dove TO the Hotel Francia i
was very tired, and after supper and
hasty glance at the beautiful bay, and the
white moonlight shining on the rugged
Rocher Rogue, and mingling with the
glancing lights fitting about in the steep,
arched little streets, / went to bed, feel
ing strange sense of familiarity and ex-
pectancy, which ] strove in vain TO ac-
count for. However, soon fell asleep,
and then once more the old dream came
to me.
There was the violet sea laundering on
the beach, the shadowy purple hills
growing paler against the clear gold Of
the dawn, and the strange, wild chorus
of the bells surging and quivering
through the hushed air; and then, with a
gathering sense of terror and fear, the
darkness, and that dead face veiled in its
coffin lying before me.
With sharp cry awobe to find this
was no dream, but horrible reality, for
the room was rocking and trembling with
that sickening motion one grows to know
and dread in countries subject to earth
| quakes, and terrible sounds of falling
buildings were mingled with cries and
! groans of those buried beneath the ruins
/ The sea broke on the shore with a sound
| like thunder, and above us the peaks
seemed 10 shiver and crack, as huge
bowlders came tottering down on the lit
tie city.
sprang up, and hastily dressing,
CROPPED my way out of the hotel; and
not moment too soon, for as reached
the road, which here sloped sharply down
TO the sea, the ground again quivered and
rocked slowly backward and forward,
and the whole building fell into mass
of shapeless ruins, and as the steep little
streets seemed leaning together, the un-
earthly chorus Of bells rang out again
and again, half drowning the cries of the
terrified people.
II was all exactly as / had seen it in
my dream. and / turned away with a
shiver, noting how familiar was each de.
tail, and feeling sick and dazed, and
helpless, when voice near recalled me tc
myself
''Ina, where are youl My God where
can my daughter beY"
j recognized the voice at once as that
of the old man had seen looking at my
picture, and the girls sweet name sounded
like hymn of peace amid the horrible
scene
''Was she in the Francial" ] gasped.
yes" he replied eagerly; ''she was
with me as we groped our way down
stairs, but blow from some falling beam
hurled me here, and she--where is shel'
He strove TO rise, but even as he spoke
another fearful shock came, the ground
opened at our feet, and with terrible
cry and hopeless clutch at the yielding
masonry of the wall by which he stood
disappeared, swallowed up before my
very eyes! Had | been ikfoot nearer
must have gone, too. AS it was, | stag
gered and fell heavily, but only 10
struggle up again, haunted by the hor-
rible thought that she was lying buried.
perhaps dead, underneath those cruel
stones.
/ must find herl And nerved 10 greater
haste and energy by the awful sight had
just seen, rushed into the ruined house,
calling
''lnal Ina! Where are your
Alas there was no answer.
grOped my way over the great heaps
Of debris through what had been the hall
Of the Francia. Great jars Of rude native
pottery, in which grew orange and palm
trees, camellias and myrtles, had been
set ON the wall on either side. Most Of
'f-'N WIZ hbN AAholtN NNA UfOktUs DNL
at the further end close to the solid stone
staircase, stood two, apparently unin-
iurcd, though half buried, and in the
dim light Of the returning dawn caught
\ q glimIner Of something white underneath
a heavy wooden beam which appeared
resting on these two immense vases. its
fall having been broken by the balustrade
Of the staircase
fastened forward and as reached
the spot the first ray Of the Christmas
morning sunlight rested upon it, and
showed me sort Of rough tomb or al
cove formed by the beam resting on the
two unbrOken orange jars, and IN It 10y
I the girl was seckingl There she waS.
I exactly as ] had seen her in my dream,
/ apparently dead, the lovely face as white
as the draperies around her. The huge
block Of wood had probably knocked her
/ down, and falling above, had been caught
by the jars, and 80 protected her from an
I the other debris scattered around par
I tally walling her IN.
i tore away tho stones and Irolrnr, fro,s.