Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-02-04
CHAPTER VI-Continued.

scanned this closely, and In the marine
intelligence saw marked paragraph.
read:
"WRECKED. The schooner Morning
Star, on the Florida coast, in q gale. The
all-fated vessel was bound from London
to New Orleans. All lives saved but the
first mate. two seamen and passenger,
who having heroically stayed on board
10 the last helping off the others, were
swamped in the last boat half way be-
tween the wreck and the shore The
passenger lost was one Albert f. Arold,
who was bound for America to join his
wife and child in enc of the Southern
States"
After reading this thought struck
me. Burton Arod's mother had been
all El Muza and had married in Eng land
while on visit to re atives in that
country. Could she be the one whose
husband was thought to have deserted
her, and was the Albert +. Arold men,
cioned in the paper her husband coming
To her? I found out by further
conversation with the negro that
She initials in the name of the
senoras husband were A. f.: so
| settled my mind upon this point, and
came to the conclusion, from the old
mans story, that the phantom lady was
mo other than Burton's sweetheart; also,
that the people of the villa had consid-
crcdBurton's legitimacy as resting under
a cloud, and that for this reason the
match between him and the fair Ieyna
mad been opposed and thwarted by the
young lady's parents.
The sun was setting in u blaze Of gold
and emera d and purple, throwing it's
many tinted lights up against the few
slight Clouds that were floating lazily
along the sky, and Il gentle Gulf breeze
iust stirred to tremble tho ripe leaves
apon the trees, as | left the negroes
sllanty and started musingly back toward
sho solemn villa.
had partakon Of supper at the eX-
slaves humble board, and had learned
much of the Montnni history from his
honest lipS-much more than need tell
here.
Engaged in deep thought, | strolled
ON toward the gloomy old house. 1t was
growing dusk when l reached the shad-
0w of the building. | entered, went up
stairs and sat down upon an antique sofa
at the end Of the hall near n large
double window where | could look out
Upon the Ids and country beyond, and
watch them as they slowly disappeared
in the deepening gloom of night. In the
hush and listlessnesS OF the place and
the Influence Of the soothing darkness
/ fell into II pleasant sleep.
CHAPTER VII.
THE PHANTOM LADY APPEARS TO BURTON.
Words warm with the eloquence and
ecstasy of love and of woe, addressed in
IL wild, passionate vehcmence, by a
manly voice to tho phantom lady, SO |
surmised), echoing through the grim old
house, startled me from my sleep. l
arose and started down tho hall, but
stopped midway as l saw the library
door swing open and Burton step tor
ward. His face was pale and set as If
his soul within were wrenched with q
pain of sorrow so deep and unspoakablc
as to even render emotion inanimate
and still knew by his looks that his
phantom sweetheart had appeared to
aim, and that the voice which had
awakened me was his, He STROBE for
ward to the landing of the stairs, then
suddenly stopped. How grand he looked
there in tho hall, standing SO erect and
solemn in the moonlight. No bronze
statue standing lone and stately upon
ITS marble pcde tai, in ancient ruin, in
she shadow of princely grandeur, could
have presented more striking picture.
| Almost expected to hear another out
burst of eloauence, accompanied by
some spiritualistic manifestation wilder
and more beautiful than l had yet seen;
but. instead, Il groan echoed from the
Statuo-liko form and it began to totter
forward. l leaped to Burton'S side just
an time to save him from precipitate
fall down the stairway, and to convey
him down its dark and crazy flight out
into the air.
"Is that you, Eal?" he asked I an
swered atlrmatively.
"Dd you see hero" was his next ques-
zion replied that had seen no one,
having been as eep In the hall until
awakened by his voice.
We both sat down on the front veran-
da ratings and taking out cigars smoked
xhem in silence. Burton brooding and
dreaming, and wondering what would
come next 1t must have been late in
the evening when the silence was first
broken 1t had become tedious. and |
ventured to ak Burton what the subject
of his profound med taton could be-
Pointing toward a wooded dell half
mile away, which | could just family
discern through tho moonlight he ALI
swered
Down in yon valley, where tho wood
bine and the ivy cling to the noble trees
lies the grave Of her who would have
been part of my life II she had lived
Since her death, years ago, have not
lived only in appearance She was my
soul, my existence, Upon her every
word hung as upon tho breath Of life.
Into her eyes looked as into q lustrous
sea upon whose balmy waves | should
oe borne away to lands Of everlasting
benediction. Her raven tresses, lightly
Ealing about her queenly bodice, were
as RAYS of sunshine to my vision. She
was my world, my heaven. Her very
foo steps sounding filled me with an ex-
,auisite delight hat was sort OF insane
ecstasy We were cruelty parted by aer
parent and before | could arrange TO
secretly convey her hence she died Of
broken heart and | had rather died
These miserable years have been 4
period Of quasi-madness--a strange and
wilde ed dream, part Temporal, part
spiritual. To-night the spirit o. my