St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-19
tersely put it, he had not himself seer
her.

II looked up from the dim old page
with all odd sensation of dizziness
upon me, which had something of a
horror in it, but the next moment my
skepticism rushed back like an icy
stream over my mind, and pushed the
book from me with an impatient scOrn
of its superstition so thinly yelled and
wonder at my own mOmentary credul-
ity. As | walked to the window to cool
my burning. aching head, old Durham
came in, glancing curiously at me. Il
don't believe a word of it, | said
abruptly. He picked up the book and
replaced it on the shelf. MOP" he said
carelessly. We'll, shall we get to bust
ness now, Mr.. Brenner?' Not to-day.
The truth is, am not well. My head
aches and I've a roaring singing in my
ears Then, in spite of myself, said,
Who was Ovid Arnold?'
ITO tell you that would be to give
you sequel to the story of Lady Whit
taker, but to put it briefly, Ovid Arnold
twenty years ago was young man of
these parts, the son of rich parents, and
as handsome and good a lad as lived.
One day he fell in with the woman you
have seen-they say it is only to those
of certain temperament she appears
and went mad about her, haunted her
steps, and one morning was found in
the old graveyard dead, with the print
of a Woman's fingers on his throat
"'Pshaw!' 1 exclaimed, with uncalled
anger and an insane desire to throttle
the old man. whose face | seemed to see
IL dream and whose voice sounded a
long way off, faint but clear. | flung
myself out of the Office and rushed into
the street, just in time to see the
woman who had enthralled me pass on
with her firm, graceful step. | fol-
lowed closely, eager and determin ed,
and yet feeling as if was some one else,
for the swimming in my head grew
worse and the ground somehow seemed
to rise and fall as l rushed along. L
caught the woman as she paused at the
gate of the burying ground and put out
my hand to stop her. Stop | cried
loudly. Stop, l say, and tell me who
and what you are. Woman, ghost or
devil, which?'
"She turned her witching face to me,
her black eyes cleaning with light
unholy, while her red mouth smiled
coldlY and yet invitingly. Then seemed
to lose all power over myself, and III a
frenzy Of madness and love | Sprang
toward her and wrenched the high frill
of muslin and lace she wore from about
her throat, and across it, white and
beautiful as it was, the cruel. purple
mark of the rope, which had choked the
life from her fair body! Well,
well, | cant help the recollection NOV
ing me still, AT the sight, staggered
back, the exquisite, evil face seemed to
bend over me closer, and then conscious
ness was gone.
when l came to myself my head lay
c 10 G
bathing my face. Where is she? was
Gone, thank GOdv returned the old
man fervently. There, lie still mo-
ment longer till your strength comes
back to YOU
How came you here?' | asked, feel
ing filad of the support he gave me, so
weak was still.
i saw when you left the office that
you were i'll, and fearing for you follow
ed as quickly as | could, though you
went at such pace could not over
take YOU He paused for moment,
and added softly, as if he would not
have offended me, Thank God, came
i'll time-just in timeH
Il closed my eyes, not caring nor
needing, for the matter of that, to ask
his meaning. Well, cart passing Just
home, where lay for days in delirium,
raving, | suppose, of Judith Lady
Whitaker. When | was able to travel
| left, throwing up the business which
had taken me there, and never more to
return. That's the story, JIM EX-
plain it for yourself, and if out of the
bare facts l have given you, you can
spin me out rational solution, l am
your debtor for life"