Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1891-04-09
The package Of books, however, re-

Garter, from sheer lazlness, was selZao
with a desire to examine the box
Rather to his own astonishment, he
found himself attracted by the mystical
medley which he met and presently
went to work to study conscientiously
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 poetical
character became more than ever i'm
practicable, 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 announc.
ed that it was collection of incanta-
tions from different tongues, whereby
the spirits of the dead, and even of the
living, 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 c ,me,
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 loye.
With much painstaking he had learn
ed 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
depended.
When his watch pointed 10 five min
utes to twelv, he rose. A anlyer Of
excitement ran oyer 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 dis inguisha-
bic 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 went around. In the
distance village clock slowly struck
twelve. The chant grew softer and
slower, and, at the last stroke, ceased.
Carter leaned dizzily against the old
tree
For the first time, looking between
the dunes, he noticed the sea. Suddenly
an odd, numb sensation crept oyer him.
Out on the quiet moonlight water Il
figure was moving. Slender and white
robed, it seemed to be walking upon
the water. Slowly it advanced, with
an unnaturally steady motion.
Browning Garter leaned heavily
against the supporting oak, Nearer
and nearer came the slender, white tig
ure, and the young man could see that
it was il woman's and that over its
shoulder hung long. dark hair. She
moved slowly across the white sand of
the beach and entered the little hollow.
For a moment she paused, while the
heart of the watcher beat wildly. Closer
then the figure came, and as it came he
saw that the dark hair framed an intense
white face and dark, wide open eyes.
When but few feet away, she turned
her head, and the young man felt Il
wave of sadness roll over him. On the
white face was look of intense anguish.
Then the figure moved on, p st the
gaunt oak and out Of the little hollow.
Suddenly she disappeared, and Carter,
with quiyering limbs, sank to the
ground. He would haye followed her;
but the twenty -fours' fast, with which
be had prepared himself for his expert
ence, told on him, and he was unable
to move.
After some time his strength came
back, and he rose and walked to where
the figure had vanished. He saw only
a sudden fall of the ground, and beyond,
a cottage built by some summer resi-
dent. All the world seemed sleeping.
A few days later Carter was snatched
from his dreamy life by party of young
fellows who had come down from the
city, bent on making the most Of their
vacation. Their gaiety grated on the
nerves of the mystic, who had been
somewhat unnamed by his midnight
experience. Courtesy, however, forced
him to lend himself to all their plans
and to enter into all their boating, sail
ing and fishing parties.
On one of these he was presented to
Miss Tremaine. Whether she were
pretty or not Carter could not tell for
= 7 Il. L