Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-05-01
CHAPTER TX.
WHAT BEATRICE DaEAMEr

very SDHkilV, LOT ne was Sadly Knocked
about, he hobbled down the long, narrow
room and through the door which was ajar.
The opposite door was also set half open He
knocked softly, and getting no answer pushed
it wide and looked in. thinking that he had
perhaps made some MISTAKE as to the room.
On a sofa placed about two-thirds down its
length, lay Beatrice asleep. She was wrapped
in kind of dressing gown of some simple
blue stuff, and all about her breast and
shoulders streamed her lovely, curling hair
Her sweet face was towards him, its pallor
relieved only by the long shadow of the dark
lashes and the bent bow of the lips. One
white wrist and hand hung down almost to
the floor, and beneath the spread curtain of
the sunlit hair her bosom heaved softly in Der
sleep. She looked so wondrously beautiful
in her rest that ne stopped almost awed, and
gazed, and gazed again, feeling as though a
present sense and power were stilling his
heart to silence. IL is dangerous to look upon
such quiet loneliness, and very dangerous to
feel that pressure at the heart. truly wise
man feeling it would have fed. knowing that
seeds sown in such silence may live to bloom
upon bitter day, and shed their fruit into
the waters of desolation But Godfrey was
not wise-who would have beeni lie still
sood and gazed till the sight sts Tped itself
so deeply on the tablets OF his heart that
through all the years to come no heats Of
passion, no frosts of doubt, and no sense of
loss could ever dull its memory.
The silent sun shone on, the silent woman
slept, and in silence the watcher gazed. And
as lie looked a great fear, a prescience of evil
that should col.ie, entered into him and took
possession Of hiaL a cloud without crossed
the ray Of sunlight and turned it. 1t waver-
cd, for a second it rested on his breast, flashed
back to hers, then went out; and as it flashed
aud died he seemed to know that henceforrh,
for life till death, ay and beyond, his fate
and that sleeping woman's were one fate. IL
was but momentary knowledge; the fear
shook him, and was gone almost before he
understood its foolishness But it had been
with him, and in after days he remembered it.
Just then she woke, opening her gray eyes.
Their dreamy glance fell upon him, looking
through him and beyond him, rather than at
him. Then she raised herself little, and
stretching out both her arms towards him,
spoke aloud.
80 you have come back to me at last,
she said. II knew that you would come, and
have waited"
lie made no answer: he did not know what
to say indeed he began to think that he must
be dreaming himself. For little while she
still looked at him in the same absent manner,
then Suddenly started up, the red blood
streaming to her brow.
"Why, Mr. Bingham she said, lis it really
youi What was it that | saidf Oh, pray
forgive me, whatever it was. haee been
asleep, dreaming such curious dream and
talking in my sleep"
do not alarm yourself, Miss Granger be
answered, recovering himself with jerk;
''you did not say anything dreadful, only
tnat you were glad to see me- What were
you dreaming aboutf She looked at him
doubtfully; perhaps his words did not ring
quite true.
Il think that had better tell you, as
have said so much" she answered. BE
sides, it was very curious dream, and if
believed in dreams it would rather brighten
me. only fortunately I do not Sit down and
will tell it to you before l forget it. 1t is
not very long,
He took the chair to which she pointed,
and she began, speaking in the voice of one
yet laden with the memories Of sleep.
~ dreamed that stood in spacA Far to
my right was great globe Of light, and to
my left was another globe, and / knew that
the globes were named Life and Death. From
the globe ON the right TO the globe on the left
and back again, golden shuttle, in which
two flaming eyes were set, was shot continu-
ally, and knew also that this was the shuttle
Of Destiny, weaving the web Of Fate. Pres
emily the shuttle flew, leaving behind it a long
silver thread, ana the eyes in the shuttle were
such as your eyes Again tile shuttle sped
through space, and this time its eyes were
like my eyes, and the thread it left behind it
was twisted from a wonans hair. Half way
between the globes OF Life and Death my
thread of life was broken. but the shuttle |
few ON and vanished. For moment the
thread hung III air, then a wind rose and
blew it, SO that It floated away like spiders |
web, till it struck upon your silver thread Of
life and began to twist round and round it, |
As it twisted it grew larger and heavier, till
Mt last it was thick as great tress Of hair |
and the silver line bent beneath the weight 1
so that | saw it soon must break. Then, while
wondered what would happen, white hand /
holding a knife slid slowly down the silver
line, and with the knife severed the wrap
pings Of woman's hair, which fell and floated
slowly away. like a little cloud touched with
sunlight, till they were lost in darkness. But
the thread OF silver that was your line of life
Nlt aAA lAiftA anu hfahAAt a obuba int
signs, till at last it sighed itself to silence.
Then | seemed TO sleep, and when | woke
| was floating upon such misty sea as we
saw last night. had lost all sight of land,
and | could not remember what the stars
were like, nor how l had been taught to steer,
nor understand where | must go. called
to the sea, and asked it Of the stars, and the
sea answered me thus:
Hope has rent her raiment, and the stars
are SET
81 called again, and asked of the land
where | should go, and the land did not an
swer, but the sea answered me a second time:
Child of the mist. wander in the mist.
and in darkness seek for light
Then wept because Hope had rent her
starry garment and in darkness must seek
for light Aud while still wept, You ross
out Of the sea and sat before RE in the boat.
had never seen you before, and still / felt
that bad known you always. You did not
speak. and did not speak, but you looked
into my heart and saw its trouble. Then
looked into your heart, and read what was
written And this was written: