The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-05-04

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be ended. and I, away from her balefnl
presence, could burst the chains that
bound me and be once more man. As
threading my thoughts she slipped one
white hand into mine and in a sort Of
dreamy whisper. she began:
"Alee, do you believe in pre-exist-
ence? lido, and somehow tonight feel
as though ! could look back into that
state and see myself Many times I've
been in the same place, before, always 3
jungle, deep, dark, impenetrable. I see
great dead white and scarlet blossoms
whose Odor makes the very air heavy
with a languorOus perfume. feel that I
am there yet see no one until a man with
white drawn face approaches near my
hiding place. Then all at once l feel 8
tremor steal throughout my being, fierce
fire bests down upon my head. 1 clasp
my body round that human form, and
then see the man enfolded in the coils
Of 4 writing, venOmous cobra that
springs from the branch above his head.
Alec, am that cobra?
@Iuvoluntarily shudder; her picture
was so. vivid. With a son laugh she
went on.
-You need not shGdder. I find some
thing most enchanting in that picture; it
is the way to Kill, crush in fierce en-
brace-and life is soon extinct It is as
I should do as if you were false
''Her eyes giittered as she fastened
them on mine, and the slim fingers twist
ed eonyulsively."
at IS as l should do" she murmurei
''but not the man, oh, no, that punish
ment would be, too small. A death Ike
that, crushed in my lingering embrace,
would be but heaven 70 the man, bot
through the woman ne should suffer"
@My thoughts fiy 70 Bessie and saw
then-oh, 50 clearly-whAt fool I have
been TO allow myself 10 be dragged into I
the net Ofsuch woman, but on the NOR
row We would part and then it would be 4
50 much easier TO break the news ofmy /.
engagement by letter, and IS I was soon !
70 return 70 North America what harm
could come Of IL It was only an episode /
in the life on shipboari. We parted for
the night, she more loving and tender 4
than her wont, yet with a peculiar (
stealthy waichf1lness Of my actions that 4
made me nervous. In the morning all I
was hustle and activity, and in the confu- /
sion we exchanged bat few hurried
words and psrted-I with = promise of I.
many letters lingering on nay lips and /
she with An odd little metallic laugh that
rings through my dreams 10 this day. I
put of telling her of my engagement,
even by letter, until had word that Miss
Marvin was about 10 join me. owing TO
my stay being prolonged Then knew
that / must no longer conceal the fact and
sat down and wrote 70 my steamer CON-
panion full explanation Of my Affairs
and arose from my desk with huge
weight OF my mind and my conscience.
The moments seemed weighted, 50
slowly did they pass until the word reach I
ed Us that the Mariposz was lying at
anchor in the lower harbor. Besides my
future wife, my bride 70 be, was only IN
hour away. No lover Was efer more ar
dent, and it was a not long before I was
rushing Ike a madman down 20 the
wharf to greet my darling. There stood
with the burning southern sun beating
down on my unprotected head unheeded
for fereer and more ardent flame was
consuming my heart as thought ofthe
happiness II store for ne. With the
breaking of OF my relations with nay
southern steamer acquaintance q new life
seemed to bound through my veins and
an eagerness I could not conceal caused
me to pace up and down in restless i'm
patience on that soorching wharf
-Yod can imagine when I tell you all
this what my feelings must have been
when just as the majestic vessel was with
in sight a voice at NY elbow startled me
with lis well known intonation, and
turning discovered that my hope 10
escape from the awful enehsntment OF
the steamer was q feeting and evanes-
cent fancy. Before ne, with her eyes
dArting FIRE. the lips moving in the slow,
cruel smile, stood the woman Lad
thought so far away.
"Your white northern dove IS c ming,
see? Does II not seem 4 fitting climax
that I, the cast-of plaPing Of an idle hour /
should be on hand to witness the warm
greeting and the loving kiss, the burning
words Of welcome, and knowing GlI. 70 /
realize what l have lost. Your letter
was 50 kind, 50 Just, how could 1 DO
oiheTHise than be on hand 70 share your
Joy and witness her triumph You
writhe, yol turn your eyes about, ah,
now, my friend, again see the jungle,
sgain 1 see the wan white tortured face,
and now I know tit Is yolrs-yours,
and an there, but where, but where" "
~With a swift sudden movement IS the
steamer drew up TO the pier she vas
gone-gone ike phantom as silently
and curiously as she appeared and with
a cold perspiration starting from every
pore stroye - be al ease and greet my
bride.
That night-ah, shall ever forget
it? Bessie ard had clasped in hand,
sat OF the moon-lit verandah dreaming
those dreams that lovers love to dream
untilist last a silence sweet and tender had
fallen upon US. At the end Of the mar
row pebbled ualk a dark clump oftropi-
cal plants stood out in weird relief against
the dazzling Whiteness Of that sultry
night. One nightingale burst into song,
and a mandolin player il nearby cafe
strummed a sweet minor air.
AT last our revery was broken by
the approach Of my servant, who in a
whisper beggei pardon for the intrusion,
but said lady waited for re in the little
room had turned into part library, part
den and set apart for my especial use.
With a lingering kiss on the sweet lips
upturned to mine, left her and went il
to the house.
"My God that night Finding no one