The herald., 1893-11-12

fell to the gallery floor ana lay cners
like dead woman.
When opened my eyes, the moon was
shining down upon me, Just as calm and
cold and imperial as ever. | struggled
to sitting posture and gazed wildly
about me. What did it mem? | was
not at all superstitious, yet felt that /
had seen my husband that night, just as
truly as | had ever beheld his face in my
life.
The next day--no letter, and the next,
still no letter. Oh, the anguish of hope
deferred!
The time had come now for me to go
to Long Beach, as l had promised him.
| would keep my word-no matter how
hard it might be, would go there If
he--if that hideous prophecy had really
come true--at all events, would keep
my promise-iny last promise to him.
So went. Oh, the long, dreary, inter
minable days, with only the monotonous
waters before me, the blue, blue sky and
golden sunshine always the same. 1t
made my heart faint and sick. / had
NA1tbNtt anu n4AbbCu ictLEI dibtI lCpttI.
Still no response | felt that he was
dead. And no one could tell me, be-
cause how could his friends in the far
distant north know aught of the south
ern woman whom he had secretly we'd
ded? And SO the dreary, endless days
dragged by, and still lived. heartbroken
and helpless. will never more laugh
at superstition, never.
Last night saw him again. / had
gone down to the beach in the moonlight
and walked slowly and sadly up and
down the white stretch of sand at the
waters edge. All at once l saw another
shadow mingle with my own upon the
moonlit beach. came to halt and
saw at my side-Will
With wild cry attempted to grasp
his arm, but there was no one there.
III went back to the house and passed
the night in pacing up and down the
floor like mad woman.
Today is his thirtieth birthday, or
would have been, but / feel that my
darling is no more; that the visions
have seen We're warnings sent me of his
fate. Would Will have ceased to write
me-me-his beloved one--if he were
alive? | believe that shall see the
phantom once again, and then-then--I
shall go, too, for feel that it is his
spirit that has come back for me.
So have been sitting here in the morn
ing sunlight thinking of the past. Can
one wonder greatly that my pen lies idle
and utterly refuses to produce the love
tales of others? Is not my own love story
as sad one as I can ever write?
hear the sound of wheels and glance
listlessly from the open window at my
SIDE. A carriage has stopped before The
gate. Two men are assisting third to
alight. They are bringing him slowly
IDENTIFY very i'll. Why does my heart
throb so weakly? | am too weak to
stand-to take a step forward. Oh, /
will not allow myself to be deceived by
mad, vain hopes!
They reach the house at last and as
sist the feeble form up the steps of the
broad gallery into my presence. Oh,
pltyAhS ilIpftu' ~ ID w III w LIZ puiO
and spectral, weak, frail invalid, but
Will all the same. 1t is some time before
fully recover from this trance of happi-
ness, and then the truth is made known.
He had been very i'll with brain fever. No
one could write to me because they knew
nothing of me or my address, and hewas
raving in delirium. AS soon as he was
able to attempt the journey he had set
out to return to me. '------1-
It was all ended now that ;dreary
separation. Upon his tlirtieth birth
day, oh, so happy and hopeful, my Will
had come back to me, never to leave me
again!
~ shall never more laugh at any one
for being superstitious, / said the next
day, gazing into the deep, dark eyes of
the loved one SO happily restored to me.
"Thank heaven that my superstitious
fears were not realized"
have never been able to account for
that strange illusion. To this day 1 can
not make up my mind what it was that
l had seen.
But it was not Willis ghost, and that
is all care to know, after all. Toronto
Mail. M &