Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-11-08

/, Roses spinet stood beside the door OF
the withdrawing room. How many
carols had we sung to it's musicl As
passed my foot struck one of the legs,
and the rickety structure groaned as II
it were coming to pieces. | thrust out
my hand to steady it, but at my touch
the velvet covering of nhe lid came oil
snd the tiny gilt oia.aments ratified
downward.
! BY now the full moonlight pierced
I the window and quivered on the floor
As gazed on the tremulous pattern u
changed into quaint devices of hearts,
daggers, rings and thousand other TO.
kens. All suddenly another object
glided among them so quickly that J
wondered whether my eyes had been at
fault-a tiny satin shoe, stained crimson
across the lappets. A revulsion OF feel
ing came to my soul and drove away al
my fear. had seen that self same shoe
white and unsoiled twenty years before.
when vain, vain Rose danced among
her reapers at the harvest home. And
my voice cried out in ecstasy: "Rose,
heart of minel Delight of all the worlds
delightsw
She stood before me, wondering.
amazed. Alas, so changedl The red and
yellow silk shawl still covered her shout
ders; her hair still hung in those eldritch
curls. But the beautiful face had grown
wan and tired, and across the forehead
were drawn lines like silver threads. She
threw her arms around my neck, and
pressing her bosom heavily on mine
sobbed so piteously that / grew afraid
for her and drew back the long masses
of hair which had fallen forward, and
kissed again and again those lips thai
were too lovely for simile. Never came
word Of chiding from them. Love"
she said, when she had regalned her
breath, "the past struggle was sharp ana
torturing-the future struggle will be
crueler still. What great love yours
was to wait and trust for so long! Would
that mine had been as powerful! Poor,
weak heart that could not endured"
The tones of wild fear throbbed
through all her speech strongly, but yet
with insufficient power to prevent her
from feeling the tenderness Of those mo-
ments. Often timorously raising her
head from my shoulder she looked
around, and then turned with soft,
inarticulate and glad murmur to hide
her face on my bosom. l spoke fer
yently; told of the years spent away
from her; how, when working in the
diamond fields, she had ever been pres
ent in my fancy; how at night her name
had fallen from my lips in my only
PRAYER; how had dreamed of her among
| the greatest in the land-the richest
and dare swear the loveliest woman In
the world.
| grew warmer STILL All the gladness
which had been constrained for so long
now burst wildly from my lips; myriad
of rich ideas resolved into words which,
being spoken, wove one long and deli
cious fit Of passion. AS we stood to-
eether the moon frightened and filled
the chamber with light like the days.
The ridges of the surrounding moorland
stood out in sharp relief.
Rose drank in my declarations thirst
ily, but soon interrupted me with a
heavy sigh. "Come away" she said
softly. II no longer live in this house
You must stay with me tonight. This
place is so wretched now, for time. that
! in you and me has only strengthened
love, has wrought much ruin here"
Half leaning on me she led me from
the precincts of Breton hall. We
walked in silence over the waste that
crowns the valley Of the Whitelands,
and being near the verge of the rocks
saw the great pine wood sloping down.
ward. lighted near us by the moon, but
soon lost in density. Along the mysteri-
Gus line whore the light changed into
gloom, intricate shadows of withered
summer bracken struck and receded in
mimic battle Before up lay the
Priests cliff, The moon was veiled
here by grove of elms, whose ever
swaying branches alternately increased
and lessened her brightness. This was
place Of notoriety--a veritable Col
gotha--a haunt fit only for demons.
Murder and theft had been punished
here, and to this day fireside stories are
told of evil women dancing around that
Druids' circle, carrying hearts plucked
from gibbeted bodies.
Rose" | whispered, "why have you
brought me hereY
She made no reply, but pressed her
head more closely to my shoulder.
Scarcely had my lips closed than y
sound like hiss of half strangled
snake vibrated among the trees. 1t grew
louder and louder. A monstrous shadow
hovered above.
Rose from my bosom murmured
"Love is strong as DEATH Love is strong
as DEATH"
locked her in my arms SO tightly
that she grew breathless. Hold me,
she painted. "You are strong"
A cold hand touched our foreheads, SO
that benumbed we sank together 10 the
ground, to fall instantly into dream
less slumber.
When | awoke the clear gray light OF
the early morning had spread over the
country Beyond the hall garden the
sun was just bursting through the
clouds aud had already spread a long
golden haze along the horizon. The
babbling of the streamlet that runs down
TO Halkton was SO distinct that il seemed
almost al my side. How sweetly the
wild thyme smelledi Filled with the ten
der recollections of the night. without
turning ! called Rose Pascal from her
sleep.
"Sweetheart, sweetheart, wakenl wax
enl waken. See how glad the world
loolss-see the omens OF happy futurer
No answer came. sat up, and look
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