The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-02-22

1
creature stood and listened. A faint,
sweet mu.mur that might have been tie
echo of distant song. o. the pulsiny of
the summer air, thrilled the twilight ST.
lencc.
Don't you hear" sic cried, in ter
ror. Come away!'
And, half in awe myself, as / looked
back at the gray rui ms, over which the
summer darkness WAS falling, | fol-
lowed her across the green copse,
through the moaning pine ridges and
up the low doorway Of her little hut
There was light within, and We could
see her daughter busy preparing our
evening meal.
The old woman sat down upon the
stone sill, and wiped the respiration
from her brow.
"We've run a risk" she said; 'if
we'd ha' fingered another hat hour,
'twould ha' been the last o Is. No
one ever lives as once sees the bride.
One man was foolhardy enough to try
it long ago; he waited and watched to
see her come, and he was nee heard
of again"
"shc must be a terrible bride, them
l answer ed, sitting down beside her;
won't you tell me about her. Tell
me the story from beginning to enl.
There is a story, isn't thcrc?"
"Oh, yes; I've told it hundreds of
times il ny day. Listen, and you
shall hear it. 1t all happened centuries
ago, whca the old church yondcr was
being built"
Then she continued: "a great gen.
tieman come a'a~-, The sea from Eag-
landlord CNSoss by name. lie
lived in a great house down among the
hills below there. and had no end O
servants, and dishes o gold and silver
TO eat out Of, and fine carriages to rifle
in; and his daughter was the grand,st
lady in the whole country, and the
handsomcst. she had skin like the
snow, and cheeks like pyimroses, and
eyes like stars, and she wore gowns o
the finest silk ever worn.
"Well, Lord Culross meant to marry
Ter to some great man who was to come
across from England; but the Lady
Diana-that was her Game-what should
she do but fail in love with the head
ARCHITECT, VINO was IL building the old
church down yonder.
Gle WAS fine young fellow, but he
come o the people and WASH over rich,
and he darcn t show himself at Lo.d
Culross's great house; so every evening
at twilight the Lady Diana she comes
down 20 the church to meet him, and |
they walks up and down-talking o
their love, till the midnight stats were
a-sLining overhead.
Lord Cu.ross knows nothing about |
it, and he send, to England for the fine
gentleman to come over and marry his
daughter. And ne comes, and puts a
ring on Lady Diana's finger,
and the wedding dag is fixed and the
finery a-making up-white
silks and satins and laccs, such as never
was seen afore under the sun.
"And Lady Diana is afraid to say a
word, but she goes on a-meeting her
lover. Every evening at twilight. she
goes down to the church; and if he isn't
there the falls to singing in her soft,
sweet voice, and he hears her, and
comes, and they walk up and down to-
gether.
"But at last the wedding day comes,
md the wedding feast is cooked, and
Ill the grand wedding guests invited.
And the wedding fnery is all in readi.
less, and Lord Culross commands his
laughter to get ready for her marriage.
And she dare not disobey or open her
mouth to tell him word about the man
he loves. So she sits white and still.
ike ghost while they robe her in the
White silks and laccs, and jewels, and
hen they Lead her down the great stair
a'e, and put her in the carriage, and {
he grand wedding party drives down