Nevada County picayune., 1890-04-30

passionate holding. I thrust it in- patiently under her pillow. The cut was not dangerous, l reflected, with judicial fatuousness, when the pa tent could slumber under the sur geon's hands.
 was aroused in the morning by a shower of kisses upon my lips and eyc-lids. In the slow awakening from the slumbers of health and youth dreamed that I was walking through vista of honeysuckles that bobbed dewily against my face, and opened laughing eyes upon Augustus coun- tenance. She wore white gown, bounded at the waist with blue sash; the honeysuckles were in her belt; the breath and fragrance and refreshment of the May morning were about and in her. 1 had over slept myself by a matter of two hours, and breakfast was ready. Augusta sat at the open window and chatted while dressed
 ''I am quite another creature to- day" she said, blithely. "You have wrought wonderful cure upon me, Dr. Nancy! l am going to follow your prescriptions; put useless re- grets behind me, and behave like a rational Christian in future. l have been thinking, too, over the possibil- ity of Frank getting back on Friday, instead of Saturday. This is Thurs day, you know. can imagine how he will thank you when he hears of what good advice you gave me-
 Could 1 remind her that she had dropped asleep before 1 had reached the application" of my homily?
 She was still chatting, when, fully dressed, l joined her at the window, and put my arm about her. \ white jasmine, tackled along the window frame, cast graceful streamers from one side to the other. Smiling hap oily and roguishly, Augusta pulled down spray bearing as many five pointed flowers as leaves, coiled it rapidly into a wreath, and laid it on my head.
 "And you shall wear starry crown" she chanted, gayly.
 think the gate-latch clicked. l know we both looked at the same instant.
 Frank Deane was just entering the yard.
 Have said he was handsome man? l had always thought so, but never believed he could be so royalty beautiful as now, framed in the honey-suckle arch of the little gate way. His face was alight with hap piness and love; his eyes eagerly sou.h; the window, and. as low ex- cIanation of rapture escaped the fig urc beside me, he smiled, tossed his hand into the air in glad greeting, and bounded quickly up the walk. Augusta flew into the hall to meet him. I, left alone for a moment, saw him, l solemnly aver, as he set his foot upon the lower step of the porch, the flash of the May sunshine npon his blonde head, uncovered Tn knight ly reverence before his wife.
 Then a wild shriek of terrified an guish rang through every corner of the cottage. l reached Augusta as she reeled back, fainting. My arms not her husband 's-received her. The porch was vacant; so were the path and the trellised gateway. The radiant presence that had glorified all three an instant before had passed into thin air when the wife had sought to grasp it.
 Frank Deane, as few old Virgin ians still will remember, died sud- denly, it is said, of heart disease, in Richmond, at the very hour and minute in which we believe we saw him come in at the wicket gate.
 Perhaps the Society of Phychical Research may announce the exist ence and define the operation of the law of mental influence which ena bled the released spirit to project simu- lacrum of his physical presence upon the imagination of her who loved him passionately, and longed inexpressi- bly, for the assurance of his forgiv- ing love.
 "God let him come to lift the cloud :" the widow said to her dying day.
 We dare not step, even with un- sandaled feet, upon the sacred aw- fitness of that ground.
 His love was so mighty that he made her believe that she beheld him with her bodily eyes, say physical aaraoe rnvarant in faith in yha