The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-08-08

Is never IL your grocer ScnGS You
2s5 JAMES PYLE, New York.
the prettiest woman in the city of Mayeuce.
Everything was new 10 him In this life Of
luxury and pleasure, and he was happy.
A year after the marriage his fsther-in-
law died. and his wife, but lately n mother.
desired 10 retire for time to the country.
Harry bought n chateau mt some distance
from Father Cuffs house. and there re-
NAMED during the pleasant season. During
this Tine a lima faded away, dying without
apparent pain. She was buried with the
white wreath that Harry had attached 10
her window the night OF his departure.
The news OF her death effected Harry
rainfully. He felt that he had been the
murderer of this lovely girl. and his new
found happiness failed u give him peace.
One evening, as Harry was returning
from a long hunting excursion, he strayed
from his path and by chance passed the
house where Father Gulf lived with an old
servant Ii Was q beautiful autumn even
Ing, the light from the setting sun shining
obliQueiy acrosS the clearing. Harry sighed
and quickeDed his pace. lis walked very
fast as II be heard the old man. who
watched through the night. praying for his
son and daughter, and saying:
Harry, you have killed my two children
so will il be done 60 your
The forest was silent and mysterious in
the dim light and became every moment
DOEo Sum DER. lie iuUOD Nau UlUcully IN
throwing pale and fur;lye ray through the
branches. In vain Harry sought to drive
away the painful recOllections aroused in
his mind; in vain be recalled his wife. his
child, all the pleasures which surrounded
him; the memory of Anna and the happy.
innocent days of their love threw funeral
gloom over all his other thoughts.
Now and then light wind bore from afar
the perfume of the honeysuckle blossoms ia
the forest and it seemed also to him that
the wind breathed some measures, vague
and strange, of a song which was not IN
known to him.
He went forward then stood still, trem-
bling. 1t must be an extraordinary danger
10 make Harry thus trembe; he was the
bravest hunter of the forest Nevertheless
he did not raise his gun. for that which dis
mayed him was nothing human. He dis
tinctly heard some measures of a waltz
which he had once composed, and which
Conrad had played on the day when old
Gulf had blessed his daughter and her be-
tTothed
He made the sign of the cross and ad-
yanced. Some women were singing. He
held his breath to listen. The words sung
were some which he recalled having written
to this melody one night. when FAR from
Anna. BE had never shown it to any one,
and nevertheless it was thus sung:
At times when through the silent wood tread
II seems TO reach about me as a palace towers;
The chestnut boughs high arch me overhead.
Iowly flowers
You mark Of royalty in sight
No turDan folded as on head OF Eastern king;
Only the glory OF your har Of night.
Above your forehead fair, 70 which my fingers
cling
Although I've seen at many festival
The hair OF handsome darkeyed women made
with scintulsting Jewels which recall
The pnSing stars that glow within the nights deep
frame.
Yet fairer far the withersd eglantins
That All the happy day upon your tresses lies,
With your small foot's impression showing to my
eyes.
Harry had nearly forgotten the words:
and yet he heard the singers repeat them
without missing a single syllable. His hair
rose IN alright, vet he still continued his
course. and at turn of the path came upon
an open space surrounded by high chestnut
trees. and mysteriously illumin ated by the
moon.
He saw a strange spectacle as he crouched
10 thicket. Many maidens. attired in
white robes and crowned with flowers,
waited and sang together upon the green
sward; but their garments were whittier
than any material he had ever seen, and
their h0wery wreaths seemed luminous:
their steps we're so light that DO one could
say they really touched the earth; their
sweet and mysterious voices appeared not
In the least broken by their movements In
the waltz; their faces, above all, had a
startling pallor.
Harry now recollected the tradition of the
dance Of the Sylphs; young girls who had
been abandoned by their lovers and dying
unHedded, came at night to dance in the
wood in the moonlight. The waltz was IN
terrupted Tor moment aud Harry could
hear the sound OF his own heartbeats.
Some moments passed as they reaGjusted
their crowns Of flowers. then the singing
was resumed, and yet again 1t was the
waltz that he had composed which was
sung.
The white-robed maidens Joined two and
two Tor the dance; one remained alone and
cast about her a slow glance. as if search
Ing Tor companion; her figure was slight
and elegant; her dark hair was arranged
low upon her forehead; her deep blue eyes
were tender and melancholy; she was
crowned with white heather. 1t was ANIMAL
Harry felt that he was about to die. The
maiden advanced and took him by the hand;
her touch was as cold as marble. De had
not strength to follow her, but super
natural power carried him along.
The song was sung, the waltz went Oh,
and Harry, always drawn forward 10 spite
of himself. waltzed with his affianced In
turn, one after the other, the phantoms
came and took him by the hand and
waited with him. He became weary;
cold sweat gathered upon his forehead,
and be was as palltd as the dead. He was
sitting and wished TO cry out, but could not
control his voice. Then Anna took him
again In her turn, and still the movement
OF the waltz Increased, but Harry felt that
the white robe contained only the bony
form OF a skeleton. He looked at her: she
no longer wore the black hair; he saw a
hldeous deaths head, still crowned by the
white heather. He struggled, but the phan-
tom bound him in her arms and drew him
on into the movement Of the dance that
now had rapidly. not TO be imagined.
The next day there was found in the
forest tie dead body of Harry