The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-07-02

! Meanwhile the others continued
tn ie1 ghost stories, the wind howled
WlCnout, While the city church bells
One, two, three hours had passed:
midnight had arrived, and Inez re-
turned to her boudoir; Bernino did
not retu1n-he did notcome. althouoh
he might have been back in less than
an hour.
"He must surely have been too
coWardly to gop' cried the girl, as,
closing the book she had in vain en-
deav.ored to read, she went to her
couch.
| After turning out the lamp and
drawing the heavy curtains she fell in
a slumber-- light, uneasy slumber.
The clock struck IL in the tower.
Inez heard in her sleep the slow mon
otonous deep strokes and half opened
her eyes. She thought she heard, to-
| gether with them, her name uttered,
but distant, very distant, and by an
anxious, stified voice. The wind was
bowling without the window,
1T was but the wind" she thought,
and with her hand pressed upon her
heart she endeavored to calm herself.
But this beat louder and louder. The
oak doors to her chamber seemed to
turn upon their hinges with creaking.
piercing sound.
| First one, then those more distant,
all IN order, some with faint, short
sound, others loud and long, hal r-rais
lng-then silence-a terrible silence.
Tiled with strange sounds; the silence
OF midnight with the monotonous rush
otWater far away, the distant bark of
dogs, strange voices, unintelligible
words, the echo OF steps that came
and went, the rustic of sweeping
draperies, stihed signs, together with
painful shudderings OF horror, all in
dlcatlng the presence of something
which can mot be seen, but whose.
presence is known Notwithstanding
the deep darkness
Trembling, lnez put her head out OF
the curtain and listened an instant
she thought she heard thousand diff
ferent sounds. She passed her hand
over her forehead and listened again
nothing, deep silence.
She thought she saw shapeless fig
SAA 10 1AioN . LII CUll OuCCClO1loy OuU hItu
she fixed her attention upon onepoint
nothing deep impenetrable silence,
'Bah" she exclaimed, and again
placed her fair head upon her pillow.
cam [ as easily frightened as those
poor FOOLS whose hearts quickenwhe
they hear a ghost story?'
She again tried to sleep, but In vain
She lifted her head from her pillow,
paler, more uneasy and fearful than
before. Now it was surely no, longer
a fancy Theheavy broeaded curtains
had surely rustled as they parted and
slow steps were heard approaching
upon the carpet. The sound OF these,
steps was muffied, almost inaudible,
but continued; and together with them
was heard rattling, as OF wood OR
bones They approached nearer,
!, nearer-almost at the side OF the
couch. Inez gave.a shrill shrek, threw
herself under the quilt hid her face.
and held her breath.
The wind howled upon the balcony,
the water, in the distant fountain fell,
and fell with the same monotonous
sound; the bark OF the dogs was
brought to, her ears by every blast.
J.. and tine city's church bells, far and
near rang, with their deep sound, for
the souls of the departed.
Thus passed anhour, two, the night,
a century, for this might seemed to.
Inez an eternity. At Last day broke.
and Inez, calming her fears dared to
open her eyes asthe sunbeams, enter
ed the room After whole, long
might OF watching and horror the
clear and bright light OF day is very
beautiful. She stepped upon the floor,
and was ready to laugh at her fears,
when, suddenly, a cold sweat broke
out over her body, her eyes stared
= wildly, and a deathly paleness> over
spread her countenance, for. out OF
the window she saw, lying at the gate,
covered with blood, with the trinket
In his hand. Bernino-dead.
| Wllen the frightened servants a lit
tie later entered to inform her OF the
death Which her cousin had met with
his fight with the wolves, they found
her crouching- motionless,. gripping
with both hands the ebony bedpost,
with white lips and stiffened limbs,
| dead.
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