The Irish standard., 1892-10-22

NH ~
The parure consisted OF necklace
and a pair of earrings. lifted them,
flashing, from the case; clasped' the neck
lace around her throat she sitting mo-
tionless, and hung the earrings in her
ears A light that matched their mar
vicious CLEAN seemed to enter into her
eyes as | did SO.
.You and these diamonds We're made
for each other!" said: and bending for
ward | kissed her on the lips.
For more than minute she sat there
quite still, kneeling in front of her
we were looking straight into each
others eyes Then all at once trou
bled, anxious look came into her face.
She rose with startled gesture to her
feet.
.sHush! hush! did you hear?"
whats the matter" cried |. jumping
mp in surprise.
''Hush! some one cal]iny-calling
ne!'
Again that strange fancyl What did
it mean? could not repress certain
thrill at the heart as gazed at her 1t
was very weird and strange.
AS gazed a singular change crept
over her. Her face was now quite color
less, and it's pallor was intensified by the
blackness Of her mystical eyes. Those
eyes slowly grew fxed-immovable, as
il frozen. The lids trembled for mo-
ment, then dropped, then lifted again to
their widest extent and 80 remained.
Her lips, slightly parted, showed the
white teeth set edge to edge behind
them The rigidity descended through
her whole body; she was like a marble
statue. She breathed low and deeply
as one who is in profound slurnber.
'sKatel what has happened nl your
cried in alarm, Putting my hand on her
shoulder Her arm was fixed like iron;
she seemed to hear nothing feel moth
ing She was as much Beyond any
power Of mine to influence ber as if she
had been dead. The diamonds that gilt
tered OH her bosom were not more in
sensible than She
must confess that / was somewhat
unnerved by the situation. Kate was
evidently in some sort OF trance; bat
what had put her into that state. and
how was she to be got out Of it? For
aught knew it might be the prelude to
ct or other seizure of that nature, in
volving consequences dangerous If not
fatal In the bewilder1nent of the mo-
meut the only remedy that could think
of was colo water; to dash her with
water might be of use. and scarcely
make matters worse. About thirty PAGES
from where we were standing a small
Fill meandered among the roots Of the
trees and trickled at last in tiny
cascade down the ROCKY side Of the
gorge. Toward this ran, and, STOPPING
down attempted to scoop up some OF
the refreshing element in the crown Of
my straw hat.
Rising with the dripping hat in my
hands turned to go back. but the sight
shat then met my eyes caused me TO
drop everything and spring forward with
a gasp of horror.
Moving as if in obedience to some
power external or at least foreign to
herself as q mechanical figure might
move, steadily deliberately and yet
blindly, Kate had advanced directly to-
ward the narrow chas1n, and when
first beheld her she already seemed bal
ancing on the brink, Before could
cover half the distance that separated
us she had set foot on the long beam
which slanned the abyss, aud had be-
gun to walk along it. By the time had
reached the hither end she was half way
over, stepping as composedly and So
curely IA ii she were on an ordinary
sidewalk. though the slightest detection
from straight course would have sent
her down a hundred feet 10 the jagged
powders below.
Standing on the hither verge. every
nerve so tensely strung that seemed to
hear the blood humming through my
brain, watched the passage OF those
small feet which had admired that
nlorning as they peeped coquettlshly
from beneath her dress in the railway
carriage-i watched them pass. step
after step along that awful beam. |
suppose the transit must have been &C
co1npllsned III !ess than a minute. but it
seemed to the that was watching it for
hours. uttered no sound lest it might
rouse her from her trance and insure the
catastrophe that else she might escape;
] did not attempt to oyertake her, fear
full lest the beam should fail to support
our united weight. | saw her pass on,
rigid, unbending but sure of foot as a
rope dancer. and ut last saw her reach
the opposite side and stand once more on
solid earth. preserved from death as it
seemed by q miracle. | have no distinct
recollection of how followed: L only
know that few seconds afterward |
was standing beside her with my arm
around her waist.
| led her forward few PAGES out of
sight OF tho ravine. the mere thought OF
which now turned me sick. and brought
her to a plot Of soft turf, beneath 2 tree
with low, spreading branches The
trance was evidently passing away; her
limbs no longer had that unnatural
II