Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-03-20
A MIDNIGHT SPELL.
BY NJ. LoRING GUILD.


The low range of sand hills over which
Browning Carter was walking was softly
lit by the full, summer moon. From
his position the young man could over
look the level green country at his right,
and the quiet sea at his left.
1t was evident, however, that he saw
neither. In his eyes was the far-away
look of expectation, and, as he moved
along in buoyant ecstacy he was quite
unconscious of the slipping sand and
tangled dune grass.
Presently he came to break in the
hills, sort of gulley which the sea had
once cut. Here the coarse dune grass
had reluctantly given place to finer
species, and, in the centre of the hollow
stood a solitary tree. Its twisted, storm
whipped arms looked gauut and appeal
ing in the food of moonlight.
At sight of the tree the young man
made low exclamation and quickened
his already 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 hssyej = sigh of deep satisf:c
tiOn.
''An oakl thought so"
There was strange excitement in his
manner, and his hand trembled as he
took out his watch.
"a quarter of twelve. Ten minutes
TO wait. The incarnation takes bu
five"
Rather impatiently the young man sat
down at the foot of the old oak, and
took from n;s pocket a small, calf
bound volume, yery old and very musty.
He had recently found it among a lot
of old books which had been left him by
his great-uncle, a man of much mystical
learning, who, in earlier times, would
doubtless have suffered under the
accusation of witchcraft.
Carter. at the time of his uncle's death,
had rather wondered ot the odd bequest
But the elder Carter had evidently seen
in the nervous, sensitive temperament of
the young man that which would make
him st disciple OF theosophy.
The package Of books, however, re-
mained untouched until one afternoon,
Carter, from sheer laziness, was seized
with desire to examine the box. Rather
TO his own astonishment, he found him
self attracted by the mystical medley
which he met; and presently went to
work to study conscientiously that which
had found so great place in his uncle's
life.
In such reading he had spent the last
six months, until his somewhat poetical
character became more than ever i'm
practical, and he longed 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 collection of incantations
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
incantations 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. A quiver of ex-
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
a summer night; save for the weird
chanting there was not dlstinguishable
sound. Even the soft tapping of the sea
was unheard in the little hollow.
Slowly Carter turned around the tree,
each time coming nearer to the rugged
trunk, until he was so close to it that he
brushed it as be went around. In the
distance vii age clock slowly struck
twelve. The chant grew softer and
slower, aud, at the last stroke, ceased.
Carter leaned dizzily ss.zinst the old
treA