The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-18
A MIDNIGHT SPELL.
EY VI. LoRING GUILD.

DEo" Willy S"le "SS waning was Soi1tJ
lit by the full, summer moon. From
bis position the young man could over
look the level green country at his right,
and the quiet sea at his left.
It;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 aud
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, aud, in the centre of the hollow
stood solitary tree. Its twisted, storm
whipped arms looked gauut and appeal
ing in the food of moonlight.
AZ sight of the tree the young man
made low exclamation and quicllened
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 heayed sigh of deep satisfac-
tion.
-: "+An oak! I thought so."
There was strange excitement in his
manner, and his hand trcmbled as he
took out his watch.
ga 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 his pocket a small, calf
bound volume, very Old and very musty.
He had recently found it among 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 unclc's death,
had rather wondered ot the odd bcqucst.
But the elder Carter had evidently seen
in the nervous, sensitive temperament of
. the young man that which would make
!. him u fit disciple of theosophy.
The package Of books, however, re-
manned 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 unclc'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 longea to grasp the
occult powers of which he read. In this
mood he first opened the little calf-bound
book.
Ian introduction in English announced
that it was a collection of incantations
/. from different tongues, whereby the
DTS of the dead, and even of the iv-
!, might bo controlled. The book was
b 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 WI ran he should love.
.. With much paSsstaking he had learned
to repeat the words, which meant
nothing to him. It had also given him
some trouble to master the musical into
nations on whose vibrt tions so much de-
pended.
When his watch pointed to five min
utes to twelve he rose. A quiver of ex-
&eitement 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 tie tremulous one of
summer night; save for the weird
chanting there was not dlstinguishable
sound. Evon 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 he went around. In the
distance q village clock slowly struck
twelve. Tho chant grew softer and
slower, and, at the last stroke, ceased.
Garter leaned dizzily against the old
tree
.Ior the first time, looking between the
dunes, he noticed the sea. Suddenly an
odd, numb sensation crept over him.
Out on the quiet moonlight water q
figure WAS moving. Slender and white
robed, it seemed to be walking upon the
water. Slowly it advanced, with an un-
naturally steady motion.
!. Browning Garter leaned heavily against
the supporting oak. Nearer and nearer
came the slender, white figure, and the
young man could see that it was &
womap's aud that ovcrlfs shoulders hun4
long, dark hair. She m0Tca slowly
across tile white sand of the beach and
entered the little hollow.
= Fo: o moment she paused, while thf
heart of the watcher beat wildly. Closei
then the figure came, and as it came ht
saw that the dark hair framed an intense
white face and dark, wilc-open eyes
: When but few feet away, she turned
her head, and 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
paunt oak and out of tae little hollow
Suddenly she disappeared, and Carter
with quivering limbs, sank to the ground
He would have followed her; but tn