Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-03


Is the sunlight in life that makes its shadows
only the stronger and biacker.
met Nell. 1t was the old story. We were
married and we bought a cottage in the coun-
try. near enough, however, for me to go into
town every day. l suppose ought never to
have married with my nurses dying words
ringing in my brain. At any rate / ought to
have told Nell all about myself. but I persuaded
my conscience that my nerves were only weak
that my new life would build me up; that the
30 on. Fool that was!
Things went well for while, and my cup OF
happiness was full when little girl, her moth.
ers image, came into our household. All, yes
those were happy days, too happy to last
| knew 1t. The inevitable must come some time
And for me the day came when the old instinc
tive dread attacked me with redoubled vigor
Something warned me Of coming evil l knew
| as well as know what am writing that some.
thing terrible was hanging over me like Damo-
eies sword. Fate often prepares one for the
blow by such premonitions. struggled against
the thought with all my power and tried to
drive it from my mind by extra work in the
office, but everything went wrong. The day
was oppressively hot. My head ached and
was irritated and unwell
When reached home that night I sat down
by myself to fight it out alone. knew what
was coming; it was one of those fits. Ny blood
seemed to be getting hotter and hotter each
moment. Nell came and put her arm around
my neck and asked me what was wrong. How
could tell her now when had not done 90 al
| first?
For heavens sake" cried. "leave mel"
| "But what is the matter2 Can't help you:
Do let me try" she pleaded.
shook my head and begged her again to go.
felt that 1t was near at hand. The fit was
coming surely; it was almost on me-
Wildly / cried-no, screamed: IF you love
me, Nell, go! Go, I impiore you, ere it be
| TOO fspisb a1
The red mist rose: deepened until it seemed
like a blood clot before me- / saw not; know
not what did. There was timid cry. The
| red mist passed Nell, the woman loved, Law
on the floor. One hand clawed the hard, pol
ished wood, and then all was still. l stood
ashast, unnamed, trembling from head to
| foot. Whose fault was it that she had fallen
| backward and struck her head-that pretty
head-against the iron fender? What red
| marks were those on her smooth, white throat?
| Who had dared to hurt my Nell? Why did she
lie SO still? Was she dead? Nell, my Nell.
dead! All, no, it could not be. No. no.
! knelt on the bare floor and took her hand
l kissed her forehead. her cheeks her lips, but
she did not move. How long 1 knet there
cannot say. The summer twilight deepened
into darkness and through the unshuttered
windows the moon peered, and its light fell on
the pretty head, and on the dark stain. too.
under it. While knelt the hand in mine grew
cold and heavy.
All at once the truth flashed on me like a
| blow, and dropped the white clammy fingers
with shudder. Then the reaction set in.
rose from my knees a changed man. had lost
my self-control. my calmness. had no heart.
/ no sorrow. / was beside myself with fear, or
| whatever it was. for l can find no ADEQUATE
word: How was ITO explain the affair? They
would say that had murdered Nell and had
not; no. before Heaven had not. How was 1
| to explain it? Need it be explained? NV quick
thoughts halted at that question. All, there
was the way OF escape l must hide the body.
| and believe | smiled as thought of spot
had heard of i'll the woods where discovery
would be we'll nigh impossible Yes. l smiled
as thought of it and ccmpiimented m self for
remembering that haunted ravine with its
stagnant pool. In fererish haste procured a
blanket and wrapped the body in it. How
heavy it was. Lifting it to my shoulder |
crossed the hall on tip-toe. opened the door
noiselessly and stole out into the night
can see to this hour the hedge the gate
through it. the shading trees and the stars over
head. and the very fragrance OF the hower beds
passed seems to hang in M nostrils as think
OF that night. l was not afraid of meeting any
one, 1t was 50 late; and besides, our cottage was
| almost outside of the little village.
Suddenly. as passed the last house thought
saw something move A cold chill ran over
me and the hair on nv temples stitched l
glanced furtively over my shoulder Nothing;
no one. Only my shadow and the shadow of
her. That black Silhouette drove me wild. II
appeared to be living Nemesis as it glided be-
side me. and it seemed to whisper those awful
We rls. Your father adman-ravingr'
came to the woods. and finding the little
path entered the gloom, half running. Sur
rounded as was by the trees I could not HELM
glancing from side to side with a vague feeling
that behind each gnarled, moss grown trunk
some one lurked, watching me. Here and there
moonbeam came through the thick motionless
foliage and only added to my fear, for then I
could see that shadow ut my side and those
words would come humming back.
paused at length for breath drenched with
perspiration; but now that my stumbling foot
steps no longer broke the silence not n sound
reached my ear, and all the while those hideous
words rang i'll my brain. / could not stand il
And blindly in that. dim broken light dashed
on down the stony path.
The scene grew wilder and wilder until at
last l stood Oh the edge of the ravine. Grim
trees with knotted and lank spectre-like limbs
fringed the steep slope and cast their ghostlv
shadows over the bare gray rocks that gauntly
jutted out from the beds of dropping ferns and
rank vegetation Down below in the dark oozy
soil, where here and there a fallen trunk Law
slowly rOtting in the mud. with the fungus and
withered creepers still clinging to it, the black
pool cleaned in the greenish-siver moonlight.
The sickening air and the loathsome weirdness
Of the place chilled me to the marrow had
never been there before. 1 shivered as looked.
NO wonder. twas haunted. 1t might have been
an entrance to hell itself.
All the dark tales had heard about the place
rushed through my mind with thousand other
fearful fancies. l was frightened now at the
sound Ut my own footsteps. sought the little
patches OF moss and grass that lay between the
stones, and trod as lightly as possible. SO that
the stiffness might not be broken. Fearing to
look behind or on either side, / hurried down to
the edge Of the pool, and, pausing only long
enough for breath, with an effort tossed NV
burden into its very midst.
dull splash-a violent rocking Of the slmy
water and the body disappeared. but even be-
fore the noise OF its plunge had died away it
rose again to the surface and saw that the
blanket had slipped off tho face and that the
eyes were open. The sickly moonlight fell full
on the beautiful upturned features. Those
dark brown eyes were looking at me and I
thought reproachfully. The wavy hair curling
on that white forehead glistened in the light.
Those lips appeared to move. :,
Then slowly the body sank into the black
depths, growing darker and DINNER as il went.
but the moonlight seemed to follow that face
and l stood spellbound as gazed at those
open eyes. Down, slowly down they sank, but
still seemed to see them. Down. down, then
suddenly hoarse echoing croak came from the
pond. It sounded like fiend's laugh. I
started. turned and ran.
Numberless demons were at nv heels. in
front OF me l saw those eyes; all round me I
henrd that croaking. On, on I ran until I
tripped, and there was blank
When came to myself my senses were in
vhirl; my temples felt az il they would burst
It was late in the afternoon, knew by the slant
~ ~~I<