Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-10-26
A STRANGE STORY.

One spring twilight, in the year 1898,
man, young and handsome, sat writ
ing in the chamber of secluded house
not far from the old Electoral palace of
Mayence.
Suddenly he dropped his pen with a
startled cry. The face of a woman, dim
and yet perfectly distinct, had appeared
between him and his work. He looked
: up. 1t hung fowerlike in the air above
him. He rushed toward the open win
dow-it was there, smiling sadly in the
fading light. Adam Lux stretched out
his arms passionately to the vision.
,"Ah, you come to me againr' he said.
who are you? Why do you pursue me?
Beautiful shadow, whittier shall go to
find your substance? Do you exist in
the flesh, or are you only a spirit-de-
lusive as maddening?
''Adam-Cousin ADAM" girls voice
called from the court below; ''leave your
stupid writing and come down to me!
1t is I-Maagarethe!'
Adam Lux passed his hands across his
eyes. The voice Of Margarethe dissolved
the spell which held him.
His dream maiden vanished. He de-
Scended corkscrew stair to court full
pf shadows, where a girl dressed as for
fete stood dabbling her plump hands
in the fountain.
You have forgotten my birthday,
cousin" she pouted. ''Of late you think
of nothing but liberty, fraternity, equal
ity, like those mad folks in Paris who
have cut off the head of their king"
Pardon me, did forget! am buta
sorry lover, Marguerite.
She sighed deeply.
"You are no lover Of mine, Adam.
Ours is betrothal of hands, not of
hearts. You care nothing for love-"
) He took turn across the court. He
had "a fine face, with dark brows arch
ing over violet eyes, and flaxen hair
slightly powdered. A strange smile ap-
peared on his lips.
Il love--not flesh and blood, Marga-
rethe, but a phantom, a shadow" he
answered, with his eyes full CT dreams.
Listen! 1t came to income night as l
was walking in the gardens of the Elec-
toral palace, woman's face, white as
marble-white as one of the garden
lilies just blown; in the chin deep
dimple; about the perfect mouth an ex-
preston Of sadness and gravity; face
with great eyes Of unfathomable dark
ness, fringed with lashes as black as
night, and hair dark also and lustrous,
the full rich curls, tipped with auburn,
falling against a neck like column of
pearl
"Oh." cried Margarethe in dismay,
''how very beautiful she must bel
Surely there is no woman like that in
all Mayence!'
True" he answered, nor in the
world, fear. 1t is the ghost of some
Greek goddess that has entered my
brain and will not be dislodged. To-
night she came to me again in the cham
ber above stairs. 1t was your voice that
frightened her away"
Tears stood in Margarethe's eyes. She
was jealous and perplexed.
..It was wrong of me to tell you these
things" he continued. ''You are mere
child, Margarethe, with the heart of
child. Come, let Us talk of other mat
ters. A great honor has been conferred
upon me by the people of Mayence
have been chosen deputy to go to Paris
and request the annexation of this city
to France"
''Parisv' sobbed Marguerite. That
is long way off! When will you go?
..Tomorrow-by diligence"
"You will never, never come back.
Adamr'
sHeaven only knows" he answered
quietly.
Lux was an ardent Republican The
mission to Paris suited him we'll. His
handsome head was full Of other and
more dangerous pbantoms than dream
maidens. On the following day he
kissed poor, weeping Marguerite goodby
in the old court, and started for the
French capital, where Jean Paul Marat
WIS then at the height of his terrible
power.
lux took lodgings in the Rue st.
Honore and hurried to the convention to
solicit, in the name Of German repub-
Ecans, the annexation of his native city
to France. The chamber Oh that day
was iu,l of tumult. Marat-hideous,
loud mouthed-preaching massacre and
anarchy, was the leader of La Montague.
AS he ranted il the tribune, Adam Lux
looked at him in disgust. His head was
too large for his body; his lean, sicl,ly
face was unspeakably repulsive He
wore patched and dirty waistcoat, cot
ton velvet trousers stained with ink,
shoes full of nails and tied with pack
thread, a ragged shirt, and greasy hair
confined with thong. On his deeply
cleft mouth sardonic grin appeared
continually. His look was full of inso-
lence and power.
ga monster in body and in soulP'
thought Adam Lux, who found the ex-
terna1 aspects of liberty in Paris far
from pleasant.
July came. One hot and breathless
night Lux left the convention in a de-
jeeted frame Of mind. He felt Knocked,
deluded, discouraged. A score of high
and naughty heads had fallen since
morning into the sack Of sawdust at the
foot of the guiliotire. He stopped on the
Pont Neuf to look at the sunset behind
the trees Of the Champs Elysees. That,
too, seemed a vast streak of blood.
With Il shudder he turned and walked
away to the gardens Of the Palais Royal.
There the young deputy began pacing
ai.nlcssly about, absorbed i'll unhappy
thought. Presently he heard light
step. A woman was advancing toward
him under the galleries. Adam Lux
saw IL face Young and of amazing beau
ty, the skin like alabaster. the splendid
eyes unfathomably dark, a mass OF
chestnut curls, with auburn tips, clus-
te,.in0 arainst-a a dazzlin1 nAnk It uHas