New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-01-16
vet too material for smoke Nj

yet too material for smoke My
next idea was a curious one: TT
looks like soapy water said to my
self; can one Of the housemaids have
been scrubbing, and upset a pail on
the stairs? For the stair to the next
floor almost faced the library door.
But-no, rubbed my eyes and look
ed again-the soapy water theory
gave way. The wavv something that
kept gliding, ripping in gradually as
sumed more substantial appear
ance. It was-yes, / suddenly be-
came convinced of it. it was ripples OF
soft sllken stuff, creeping in as if in
some mysterious way unfolded or un-
rolled, not jerkingly or irregularlv,
but glidingly and smoothly, like
little wayelets on the seashore.
ssAnd sat there and gazed. why
did you not jump up and look behind
the door to see what it was9' you
may reasonably ask. That question
I cannot answer. Why / sat still, as
if beWitc hed, or under some irresistible
influence, cannot tell, but so it was.
.sAnd it-came always ripDling in,
till at last it began to rise as it still
came on, and saw figure. a tall
graceful woman's figure, was slowly
advancing, backwards of course, into
the room, and that the waves of pale
silk-a very delicate shade of peariy
gray ! think it must have been--were
in fact the lower portion OF a long
court train, the upper part OF which
hung in deep folds from the lady's
waist. She moved in-I cannot de-
scribe the motion; it was not like or
binary walking or stepping back
wards-till the whole of her figure
and the clear profile of ner face and
head were distinctly visible, and
when at last she stopped and stood
there full in my view, just, but only
just, beyond the door, / saw-it came
upon me like a fash-that she was no
stranger to me, this mysterious visi-
tant! recognized, unchanged, it SEEM
ed to me, since the day ten years ago,
when l had last seen her, the beautiful
features of Maud Rertram.''
Mr.. Marischal stopped moment.
Nobody spoke. Then he went on
again
81 should not havesaid unchanged. :
There was one great change in the
sweet face. You remember my telling
you that one of my girl-friend's
greatest charms was her bright, sunny
happiness she never seemed gloomy
or depressed or dissatisfied, seldom
even pensive. But IN this respect the
face sat there gazing at was utterly
unlike Maud Bertram's. It's ex-
preston, as sheer .it' stood
there looking, not toward me, but
out beyond, as if at some one or
something outside the doorway was
OF the profoundest sadness. Anything
50 sad have never seen in human
face, and | trust never may. But /
sat on, as motionless almost as she,
gazing at her fxedly, with no desire,
no power perhaps to move or APP
proach more nearly to the phantom.
I was not in the least frightened.
knew it was a phantom. but felt
paralyzed, and as if [ myself had
somehow got outside ofordinary con
ditions. And there I sat staring at
Maud, and there she stood, gazing
before her with that terrible, unspeak-
able sadness in her face, which, even
though ] felt no fear, seemed to freeze
me with a kind OF unutterable pity.
don't know how long / had sat
thus, or how long I might have con-
tinued to sit there, almost as if in a.
trance, when suddenly l heard the
front-door bell ring. It seemed to
waken me. | started up and glanced
round, half expecting that l should
find the vision dispelled. But no; she
was still there, and sank back into
my seat just as I heard my brother
coming quickly up stairs. He came
towards the library, and, seeing the
door wide open, walked in; and I, still
gazing, saw his figure pass through
that of the woman in the doorway as
you may walk through q wreath OF
mist or smoke, only-don't misunder-
stand me-the figure of Maud till that
moment had had no thing unsubstan-
tial about it. She had looked to me,
as she stood there, literally and ex-
actly like a living woman; the shade
OF her dress, the color of her hair, the
few ornaments she wore, all were as
defined and clear as yours, Nina, at
manned so, or perhaps became
SO again as soon as my brother
was well within the room. He came
forward, addressing me by name, but
Il answered him in a whisper, begging
him to be silent and to sit down on
the seat opposite to me for q. moment
or two. He did so, though he was
taken aback by my strange manner,
for still kept my eyes fixed on the
door. / had q queer consciousness
that if l looked away it would fade,
and / wanted to keep cool and see
what would happen. asked Herbert
in a low voice if he saw nothing, but
Though he mechanically Followed the
direction OF my eyes,. he shook his
head in bewilderInent. And for a
moment or two lie remained thus.
Then | began to notice that the figure
was GROWING leCc olaa.. O q IF II WE'VE no,