The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-06-19

tied it with white ribbon. She dressed
herself all in white and over her head
threw n square tulle. Then she left her
house, taking lantern with her, and
stole toward a side door of the main en-
trance and tried key in the lock and
entered in.
The place was dry with dust. and dust
rolled beneath her feet as she climbed
the stairs, and spiders crawled along the
balustrade and up the walls. She passed
the big chamber and the little chamber
and stopped at the linen closet. Open
ing the door she saw piles of clothes
and sheets and towels and pillow cases,
once white, but now powdered gray, as
though a snow of that hue had fallen on
them.
She lowered her lantern and beheld
across the sill stain of blood, and with
in, on the floor, deeper hue; but she
did not shudder; indeed, smile fitted
over her face-a pitiful, tender smile.
Poor little Martha Penny!" she said
and without quiver or cry she en-
! tered in and shut the door behind her.
A small, round window, high up in the
wall, let in little gleam of moonlight, a
broken pane admitted breath of air;
but amid the wooden blankets at the
further end moths burrowed She could
see their tracks and a curious smell that
fingers in moth eaten wool made the air
heavy. Already her lanterns light at
tracted insects that come through the
broken pane above to futter about it.
She closed the slide and now looked like
very ghost herself-all white IN the
faint moonlight.
She listened intently. Soon she heard
1. 4 i Il F..11 Co.,
upon the stairs, feet in the passage with
out the door. Some one began to pace
slowly up and down.
Martha said voice: "Martham
Then there was silence. Then again,
"Marthai Martial"
1t was mans voice which spoke.
Now it went on:
"They say your ghost haunts this
house. have come here so often and
heard nothing, saw nothing, Martha
give me some sign that you hear me-"
The widow lifted her hand and tapped
lightly on the door.
There was a little cry without, then
"Martha" came again, and now the wild
ow spoke:
"You call Martha. She is here. For
once, and once only, she is permitted to
listen to you. Who are you?"
"The man who loved you-Jack Par
ker," replied the voice. May l see you
Martha-angel Martha-may | see you?"
"If you swear not to mOve-not to try
to touch me" said the widow.
81 swear" replied Jack in a choking
voice.
The door of the linen closet moved
slowly. The man on his knees in the
passage without saw a white draped fig
ure with long braids of hair hanging be-
low its waist.
MY God!" he painted 'Do l see you
again, Martha?"
81 am Martha Penny" replied the
window, in short whisper. ''Why
have you called me?n
"To ask your forgiveness" the man
replied. "Without it am lost in this
world and the next. Speak to me, sweet
angel; tell me that you know that | did
not kill you with intent to do so. Let
the world think what it will. Tell me
you know it was not sO-that you knew
it when you fell there, where you stand
now-tell me so and save my soul!n
"When | fell, =" the faint voice whisp-
cred, 'when the blood gushed from the
wound you gave me | believed that you
had shot me purposely. In this belief
lost my consciousness. Yes, when |
seemed to die thought you had killed
me-"
But now?" asked Jack
"Oh, unhappy man. replied the
spirit, might after night | have heard
you swear by all that is holy to your in
nocence. ! do not doubt you now. BE
at peace. We shall meet again and |
forgive you.n
With cry the man flung himself up
on the floor, and great sObs burst from
his bosom. ,..
"At last!" he gasped, "at last. Oh,
dear angel, at last. Oh, God be praiscd!''
The white figure came nearer to the
fallen man; it bent over him.
Jack" it said in more earthly tones,
81 am SO glad that you did not mean to
kill me. Poor boy, you were always
handling that revolver recklessly, but
you know you threatened me. l loved
you, Jack, but could not marry you,
your mother was so proud, and yet she
had been so good to me, poor little Or
phan. So | swOre to myself that would
90 away and never see you again unless
she called me back. That is why | re-
fused you, Jack; that is why"
Thrilling and chilling, Jack lifted him
self upon his elbow and stared into the
yelled face.
Certainly am really mad at last" he
said.
But the voice, now even more distinct
and full Of earthly tenderness, went on:
mo, Jack, no, you are quite sane,
qnite sane. Remember how the body of
poor Martha Pane was spirited away.
Have you never thought that perhaps
she was not dead, though that stupid
old doctor in his dOtage declared her so?
Jack, poor Jack, she was alive. But
when she came to herself the horror that
she felt at your trying to kill her was
very great. And yet she did not wish to
give any evidence that would send you
to prison. She resolved to fly The old
negress helped her away, and lied to
cover the act. Jack, am no ghost, l
am alive, am flesh and blood. Touch
my hand, give you leave. Poor Jack,
poor fellow, how you have suffered all
these years.
"As they suffer in Hades, " he said and
humbly put his lips to the hem of her
robe.
81 worked hard for awhile, then nice
old man married me" F." she went on.
'He was kind as a father, and have
lJJle DOy. AN u WIDOW now, anu L
came back to see the old place. | live
in the wing that the agent had to let, and
night after night l heard you through
the partition, weeping and praying for
forgiveness, swearing that you did not
mean to harm me. And | meant that
you should only think my ghost forgave
you. But IL could not help telling the
truth, dear Jack, once saw you so near
me and so broken hearted"
Then indeed Jack grew bOlder and
dared to touch her hands and to lift
them to his lips. He was thankful and
humble, as though heaven vouchsafed
him vision of angels, and he left her at
her door as he might have parted from
ono. But after all she was living wO-
man, he man who loved her, and ere
the autumn leaves fell they were we'd
Mary Kyle Dallas IN FTreside COmpdn-
ion.
AN EYE FOR BEAUTY.
II ever a man likes to have pretty