Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1892-11-25

for u.s." exclaimed, as looked toward
tho window of the library.
"Oh, God - I heard Henry groan,
almost in the instant, and saw that his
face was ashen as the face Of tho dead.
while he stood gazing toward the window.
There, sufficiently revealed ia the
waning moonlight, was the figure Of a
woman, arrayed as for bridal; but it
fingered only for moment, and then
deliberately moved away.
IL paralyzed me. For an instant I
felt inclined to read in it an easy mock
cry OF my own egotism. =
Not for long. however q feeling akin
to anger soon steadied me, and said
to Henry:
''This is all an Internal piece OF hum
bug. my boy, and must and will be at
the bottom Of t."
We proceeded to the house and into
it, and into the library, where all was
silent as we had quilted it,
liz the gas Henry's first act was to
survey bis mothers portrait. Then he
made search for the mysterious paper.
1T is gone" said he, in awcd tones.
proposed that we should adjourn till
morning, so that We could have day.
light upon tho subject.
Immediately after breakfast Henry
made for the library and followed him.
Just then we heard the piano struck
by expert fingers in the adjoining room.
and a rich, low voice sing the notes of
an air which had never hoard before.
| felt that | could not listen to il and
stand, so strongly did the melody float
and finger, and hutter and die away.
Meantime Henry was wandering about
the room
"What can have come over the poem,
wonder?" | heard him say us he lifted
an ink bottle, book, docanter, and
looked under them all in turn.
wait moment for me-" said to
him as slipped out Of the room and
joined tho musician.
IL was his sister, Of course, and |
joined her just as she concluded the in-
formal or supernal melody, and knowing
not what bcttor to do requested her to
favor me by repeating it.
"Do you like il Z" she quickly asked.
1T is wonderful thing" | returned.
INLAY | ask whose arc the verses and
who is the composer p
"Thc verses are my mothers aud the
music is my own"
| was stupefcd.
"Do you possess written copy of
them 2"
'No; but could not forget them. I
feel so sorry sometime, for I have lost
the manuscript in her own handwriting.
Excuse mo for asking, Miss Todd;
but have you copy of those verses in
your own handwriting ?"
81 have not, Mr.. Winslow. | sang
them from memory"
''This is very extraordinary. [ certain
ly road those verses in manuscript last
evening"
Indeed /" she exclaimed, looking at
me curiously. "Most likely you heard
me sing them late. and that may have
cheated you into the idea played aud
sung them last night"
My first proceeding when | reached
my bedroom that night was to drink a
glass of brandy, my next to unite a
packet of fine starch powder, with which
! had armed myself some hours before.
A little later, when not sound was
heard in the house, you might have seen
me slip off my slippers, take up the pow
der. cautiously invade the hall and SOW
the entire floor Of it with tho powder.
When | entered the library | shut out
tho moonlight, which was playing the
mischief with my fancy. aud litihe gas.
| then seated myself 10 the chair which
faced tho hanging portrait of Henry's
mother, and | could SOC my own reaec-
ton plainly in its glass front.
Presently | detected series of slight
sounds in the distance, as Of some one
astir.' While my heated Imagination
was busily forging letters for my judg-
ment the library door opened slowly and
the moving image Of the portrait, draped
in white veil, made straight for the cur
tainod window, leaving ia its wake ut
every step the white Impress Of an I'M
mistakable reality.
| saw at once, Of course, that il was
Miss Todd who stood before me, but had
planet been at stake could not have
moved or spoken.
She opened the window shutter very
deliberately and the moonlight streamed
into the room, Transforming everything
and impartlng 10 her features and her
hgure an lndistinct aud shadowy beauty,
which was altogether spiritual and IN
vesturcd Of decay.
] saw her tako from fold Of her
thick veil paper. which she read over
IN the full light. could see her eyes--
that they wore look as il they saw
nothing nearer than tho land Of dark
ness. Her face was like the face of one
who had been dead.
! was trembling like leaf when the
figure moved straight toward me. and
holding forth tho paper said, in
strange, far of pleasantness of voice
SIS 1t not beautiful You may take
copy from il il you like, but do not
lose II again"
| started 10 my feet, and 10 nv as
constituent ! did not startle the beauti-
full sleeper, who had strobe away an
statel as she had come, leaving in INV
hand the simple manuscript, which I
held fast, MS II il might take wing.
When | went down stairs before
breakfast found Henry making a puz-
zled scrutiny Of mysterious foot prints,
the unaccountablo thing being that upon
the steps there were shown the foot
prints of a man and woman, and with
in tho library the evidence Of feminine
invasion only.
The light | was enabled to throw up
on the matter brought a smile 10 the
countcnance Of my friend that broadened
Dresontlv into m Iauoh