Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-01-03

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the easement; a greater power than mine,
a mysterious desire, held me rooted to the
spot l seemed to wait. For what? l
did not know-for something which was
to happen.
heard slight noise beneath the win
dow and lowered my head. Along the
wall, something, knew not what-white,
furtive, swift, like white cloth in the
wind-moved toward the pool. It was a
woman or her ghost. One instant this
vague form stopped and turned back.
By the pale ray of the single star l saw
a face and recognized it. Had l gone
mad? recognized the face of the por-
trait. That face was Medicines!
While she approached the pool the
wind must have shifted, for the reeds,
which Just now had leaned from the side
of my window, bent down now to meet
the young girl, and toward her reached
the long arms of the Shadow Graded on
the reed tips. Madeleine seemed to hesi-
tate a prey to violent emotion. Now she
started toward the phantom of tie pool;
now she stood motionless and seemed
about to retrace her steps; but soon she
reached the spot among the interlacing
trees, the obscure and indefinite line
where land and water met. At the edge
of the pool, almost within reach of the
fantastic arms which strained toward her
as if to enfield her, she stopped.
In the heavens there was but single
star; there was single star, too, in the
pool. l was not dreaming, for noted
that.
Long, long she stood undecided, and
sometimes she seemed to wish to fly to
the house; but oftener, lost, shivering in
the breeze, in the garb of death or of a
bride, she held out her arms to the shadow
which silently called her.
At last she threw herself into the ter
rible pool. The water must be up to her
waist, for l saw only the whiteness of her
breast. She advanced ever toward the
Shadow, and the Shadow came to meet
her. Then I saw only her head, appear
ing from time to time between the reeds
then l saw nothing.
But the rushes ratified more dolorously,
twisted, bent, pushed aside; the phantom
which followed the movement of their
!
away from one side, while his legs grew
long on the other, and his arms, as if
they enlaced in the depths some prey
caught at last, disappeared all at once in
a mighty parting of the reeds.
Madeleine had drowned herself in this
black, awful pool. had not seen her,
but surely would have heard her cry
out if the terrible water had not filled
her mouth. Oh, horrible death!-her
feet sinking in the humid slime of the
pool and her hands vainly clutching at
the elusive support of the PUSHES! Little
by little the motion became more rare,
more convulsive, less prolonged; Made
leine was dead beyond doubt Anew
the wind alone agitated the great, noisy
grasses, and l saw the constant phantom
slowly reform itself on the surface of the
greenish blackness.
The next day at breakfast 1 ate little
and spoke scarcely at all The old stew:
ard asked when it would suit me to in
spect the estate.
Immediately" I replied, "for leave
this evening"
AS we started toward the pool,
ruined wall
"What is that" asked
''It is all that is left of an ancient
chapel" replied Charter; 'your father
greatly admired the stained glass win
dow, which represents an apostle stretch
ing his arms toward heaven. When the
moon rises behind the window, it casts
the image of the apostle on the reeds of
the pool. Sometimes, in the night, it is
terrible"
AS Charter said this felt my legs
brushed by something furtive, soft and
light, as if a cat had rubbed against me.
1t was a napkin, still damp, detached
by the wind from cord where linen
hung to dry few steps from US, be-
tween two trees before the house.
"Well," said l to myself, II must
confess that the fever and wakefulness
have played the fool with me. l have
!, taken for Il woman in white some sheet
or garment borne by the wind. and for
a phantom the reflection of stained
window on the reeds" And l began to
laugh, to reassure myself completely.
But returned to Paris that evening.
1hiSc ySdio poooCu' hdu ooiu 1 ic
: Alders to an industrial company which
} intended to drain the marshes. / had
J given no thought to my sojourn at the
! melancholy chateau, except now and
again on a sleepless night, when one
, morning, in a journal opened at hazard,
l read the following:
In the unhealthy district of -, whose inhabi
ants already begin to enjoy better health, thanks
, TO the draining of the marshes by celebrated
philanthropic society, there still remains vast
pool which forms part of the estate known as
The Alders. This pool is famous in the legends OF
the country. Each night, it is said, gigantic
phantom is to be SEEM sleeping lightly on the tips
of the reeds Some enlightened persons having
supposed that this phantom was nothing but the
; reflection of an ancient stained glass window in
wall near by, the wall was demolished; but, by the
report of the people of the place, the phantom has
A, not ceased to appear every night
st has not ceased to appear!" l re-
peated, with shudder, and l read Oh
with feverish eye:
no