Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-04-17
A MIDNIGHT SPELL.
DY NJ. LoRrEG GUILD.

1t was evident, however, that he saw
neither. In his eyes was the PARKWAY
look Of expectation, and, rs he moved
along in buoyant ccstacy he was quite
unconscious of the slipping sand and
tangled dune gra;s.
Presently he came to break in the
hills, sort OF gul!ey which the sea had
once cut. Here the coarse dune grass
had reluctantly given place to finer
species, and, i'll the centre of the hollow
stood solitary tree. Its twisted, storm
whipped arms looked gaunt and appeal
ing in the flood of moonlight.
At sight of the tree the young man
made low exclamation and quickcncd
hisalrcady swift pace. AS he approached,
he scanned closely the scantily leaved
branches. 1t was not till quite near
them that he was certain of their species
He hcavcd sigh of deep satislac-
ton.
can oak! thought so"
There was strange excitement in his
manner, and his hand t.emb,cd Us he
took out his watch
ga quarter of twelve. Ten minutes
to wait. The incantation takes bu:
fivc."
Rather impatiently the young man sat
down at the foot of the old oak, and
took from his pocket small, calf
bound volume, very old and very musty.
lie had recently found it among n lot
of old'books which had been left him bv
his grcat-uncle, man Of much mystical
learning, who, in earlier times, would
doubtless have suffered under the
accusation of witchcraft.
Carter, at the time of his unclc's death,
had rather wondered ut the odd bcqucst.
But the elder Carter had evidently seen
in the nervous, sensitive temperament of
the young man that which would make
him fit disciple OF thcosoDhy.
The package of books, however, re-
manned untouched until one afternoon,
Carter, from sheer lazincss, was seized
with desire to examine the box. Rather
to his own establishment, ho found him
self attracted by the mystical medley
which he met; and presently went To
work to study conscicntiously that which
had found so great Il place in his uncle's
life.
In such reading he had spent the last
six months, until his somewhat poctical
character became more than ever i'm
practical, and he longcd to grasp the
occult powers Of which he read. In this
mood he first opened the little calf bound
book
An introduction in English announced
that it WAS n collection of incan tations
from different tongues, whereby the
spirits of the dead, and even of the liv-
ing, might be controlled The book was
in manuscript, and, oddly enough, these
nominations were written in English
characters, although the words were all
strange.
Tonight Browning Carter had come,
under the mystical shadow of the oak,
that he might try the power of the spell
which was to show him the spiritual
form of the woman he should love.
With much painstaking he had learned
to repeat the words, which meant
nothing to him. 1t had also given him
some trouble to master the musical into
nations on whose vibrations so much de-
pended.
When his watch pointed to five min
utes to twelve he rose. \ culver of cx-
citement ran over him. He took up his
position some twenty feet away from the
tree. Keeping time to the lovely
rhythmic chant, he began to move slowly
around the tree in gradually decreasing
circles.
The stiffness was the tremulous one OF
n summer night; save for the weird
chanting there was not dlstinguishablo
sound. Even the soft tapping of the scs
was unheard in the little hollow.
Slowly Carter turned around the tree
each time coming nearer to the rugged
trunk, unit. he was so close to it that h,
brushed it as he went around. In tn,
distance a village clock slowly strucl
twelve. The chant grew softer ant
slower, and, at the last stroke, ceased.
Carter leaned dizzily against the OLE
tree.
For the first time, looking between tn
dunes, ne noticed the sea. Suddenly q,
odd, numb sensation crept over him.
Out on the quiet moonlight water
figure was moving. Slender and white
robed, it seemed to be walking upon tn
water. Slowly it advanced, with an I'm
naturally steady motion.
Browning Carter leaned heavily agains
the supporting oak. Nearer and neare
came the slender, white figure, and tn
young man could sec that it was
woman's and that over Its shoulders hun.
long, dark hair. She moved slowl
across the white sand of the beach an,
entered the little hollow.
| Flo: moment she paused, while tn
heart of the watcher beat wildly. Close
then the figure came, and as it came h
saw that the dark hair framed an intens
white face and dark, wide-opcn eyes
When but q few feet away, she turne
her head, aud the young man felt wav
Of sadness roll over him. On the whit
face was look Of intense anguish.
Then the figure moved on, past tn
gaunt oak and out of the little hollow
Suddenly she disappeared, and Garter
with quivering limbs, sank to the ground
He would have followed her; but tn