Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-12-26

Gu llO OLlG hllCM INV Va NAOANs
Fenella was very unhappy; but she
told no one anything. She lived here
in this house with an English lady,
who took her as her maid, until the
lady herself died. She used to sit by
the window of that little room and
weep. have seen her; but she never
told any one why. NeverW
Then my old servant-sbook her head
again, and departed kitchenward, leav-
ing me to think over poor Fenella's
story. Somehow grief had come to
my little waiting-maid. That, at least,
was evident.
The little room that had been Fen
elias opened out of niue. 1t was
small apartment, with little folding
bedstead placed against the wall, an
image of the Virgin on a bracket,
chair, table, and in the window
great box, in which grew some plants,
and great creeping vine, which chung
to the latticed panes and made an ex-
quisite curtain.
Whenever / entered this room | felt
chill creep through me, and grew sad.
| had noticed that from the first, and
supposed it to be because the story the
old woman had told me had had a
strong effect upon me.
The image of Fenella weeping at the
window seemed to have impressed
itself upon my mind, so that | could
almost see her sitting there.
Weakened one night with strange
chill upon me. 1t was not the chill
that precedes an illness-we all know
it very well. A thought given to those
mysteries, which all sensible people
profess to doubt, will send it creeping
through the blood of almost any human
being. had been thinking of moth
ing, dreaming of nothing; but l wax
ened with this chill upon me, and look
ing through the door of the little room
/ have spoken of, which | naturally did
whenever / opened my eyes, l saw
Fenella.
Yes, my maid, Fenella, just as she
had looked when she lived with me.
Her black petticoat, her red bodice, the
white sleeves of her chemisette were as
plain as though they had been tangible
rarments. Her black braids fell to
her knees. Around her neck hung the
black velvet ribbon on which | knew
she wore her wedding-ring. She was
weeping bitterly, and bending as she
wept over the box in which grew the
vines and flowers which flung their
shadow on the moonlit floor, so that
she seemed TO water them with her
tears.
Ny first thought was that the old
woman was mistaken-that Fenella
lived and had returned to the villa in
the night without guessing it was in
habited.
sFenella," Icalled. "Fenella, il is
Miss Maria; don't be afraid"
But, as | spoke, she was gone
gone without moving from the spot
gone as bubble bursts and vanishes.
! / uttered scream that aroused my
husband from his slumber.
was advised TO believe the whole
scene as dream, and tried my best TO
think it so; but before three days had
passed saw Fenella again.
This time | was not sleeping.
was in the garden and looked through
the window, and what | saw this time
was Fenella kneeling beside the flower
grown box, making the sign of tho
cross above it. Her face was like the
face of death; her hands waxen white
like those of corpse.
The sight was so terrible that / los
my senses, and was found by Charles
living in death-like swoon upon the
grass ten minutes after.
Weeks had passed. had accepted
my husbands version of my vision
looked upon myself as the victim OF
optical illusion. | saw Fenella M
more. laughed at myself for having
| seen her, or for having fancied it. AnC
the time had almost come for our re
turn home, when one night we enter
tanned one or two English friends il
our little villa, and between the pausei
of song and chatter, some curiosity tina
: we picked up in our travels was Spoken
,, of, and / ran into my room to get it.
1t was dark night. No moon flung
its radiance through the windows
; Only a little swinging lamp illumineC
my apartment, but that inner room
, once my maid Fcnella's, was brigh
, with a strange silvery light, tina
seemed to grow as | looked upon it
And, as l stood motionless, gazing
towards it, | saw my vision ono
i again.
Fenella, paler than ever-but thi
| time strangely occupied. She wa
digging in the earth about the roots o
/ the vines, and heaping the mould int
the form of new-made grave.
"Fenellalr l said She did no
2 vanish. "Fenellal" / screamed. Sh
! turned towards me. / saw that a new
1 born babe lay upon her breast. Sh
i made the sign of the cross above it
and was gone.
e crept back to my guests withou
r having screamed or tainted. l had de
e termined not to be scoffed at as a ghost