Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-07-22

| but if it were indeed so the sign came
and went like shadow, leaving no
trace behind. With despair in his heart
/ he broke forth into that song of triumph
which told in the original legend of the
completion Of the miracle and ended in
a succession Of falling notes.
| Egliniog looked at the child, and across
its body at Elspeth Vaughan. The at
/ tempt had failed The power, which in
the shadowy days had wrought the Won
| der. was fled forever or had passed into
| some purcr heart than his. There was a
pause, in which the stiffness of the room
and of the sleeping world outside grew
oppressive.
What wolld that woman say whom
he had wronged so bitterly, and who
stood there so still with her stricken
| face? What would she do? 1t seemed
as if hope or despair had changed her
| into stone. At last Elspeth moved. She
advanced, and lending over the chair
cradle raised the child and went swiftly
toward the door As she lifted the latch
she turned and looked back at Egliniog.
Perhaps. in her eyes. he made a mean,
masqueradiny figure. sitting there in his
mumming robes. and ell tie violent
faith which had been in her heart
burned out forever. But lie never for
got that form. with its burden pressed
TO its breast, silhouette,l BY the brilliant
lights of the room against the black
background Of the outer darkness. nor
the face with its lurid beauty and that
| frown of hatred and contempt for him.
self upon it, which seemed wholly mad
in its intensity.
The door closed, and he was alone
The incoming Of this woman, of whom
he had hoped TIN rough two years that she
had passed altogether out of his life, and
her outgoing seemed like some horrible
vision which. after a few minutes OF
wal;efulness, would be no more renlem-
bered. But the robes upon his shoulders,
with their lying elnblems of purity and
strength. the harp at his side, the chair
in front of him, Of which the cushion
still bore the impression Of the little
body that had lain there, told him of the
reality through which lie had passed
and the danger which it portended. The
inspiration had gone from him.
lit is all over with me-" he said.
Why did she come back and bring my
sin upon my head? saw the look in
her eyes. There is no mercy. Tomor-
row all viii know what am who set
myself above my fellows. NJ power
mas gone rrom me, ana snau be no mora
seen."
But Egliniog was mistaken. In the
dark night outside something had hap
pcled of which he did not know. Scarce
iy had the cold wind of the hill blown
against the face OF the child than it
awolic from its deathlhe swoon, and ut
tering low cry clutched with weak
fingers at its mothers breast. At that
unexpected touch Elspcth Vaughan stag
gered and came near to falling, but sho
quickly recovered and set off at a run
through the struggling houses upon the
ridge toward the main street of the vii
laGe.
On the morning after this strange in
terview the bard of Sainton awo!lo with
a heavy heart. His power was gone. In
few hours, he reflected, his sin would
be known. He could see already the
change in the faces of the country peo-
pie as they looked at him.
These bitter reflections were cut short
by loud knocking. Had the time al
ready come? Egliniog walked to the
door and threw it open. Upon the
threshold stood a breathless messenger,
who begged linn to come with all speed
A woman and child lay very i'll at one
of the beerhouses in the village. With
out immediate aid one or both Of them
must die. Tho doctor went hurriedly
forth on what his dazed mind told him
would be his last GRAND Of mercy.
He had come to the determination
that when his fall was known he would
leave the place where he had labored
ell his life, and in his own bitter
words on the previous night be no moro
seen. When an hour afterward hecamc
forth from the beerhouse, his whole ap-
pearance was changed. The gloom had
passed from his face; he walked with the
assured step CT . man who in the midst
| of danger had found an unassailablc path
to safety.
Within the noisomc howell to which he
had been called the doctor had found
Elspeth Vaughan and Ter child lying
side by side upon pallet bed. A glance
had told him that the child had passed
out of the insensibility which even to
himself had seemed TO be death. 1t was
sleeping now a calm ard hcalthful sleep.
But with the mother it was otherwise.
The strain and despair of the night had
broken her down She lay tossing in n
state of semidelirium. yet ever striving
with a care. pathetic in the midst of her
own suffering, rot TO touch nor disturb
the child.
AS he walked home across the hill be
pondered what the end would be Of the
unexpected tanglo in which lie found him.
self. An hour ago ruin seemed to be
looking in his face Now all the roads
led to safety. IfElspeth died. he would
provide for the child at distance, and
the danger Of discovery would never
arise. If she lived, would she not be
bound to him by a strong bond of graft
tude for having restored to her the child
| which had seemed to be dead? He knew
her well enough to be sure that her su-
perstitious nature would regard the
event of tho previous night as a miracle
wrought by some supernatural power
which he had inherited. But he had him
self no such delusion.
The agony which he had passed
through few hours ago lifted the cur
tain If sham with which he had sur
rounded his life and had given him a
glimpse of reality and truth. already fad
ing away as he began to regain his old
assurance. He knew that the child could
only have been in a swoon 50 deep as 10
seem to him in that hour Of sudden agita-
ton to be death itself. Nature it was
who had recalled the little fellow to life.
and not Egliniog. the bard, with bis
mumming robes, his twanged harp and
wild assumption of occult power.
Elspeth Vaughan did rot die. She crcpt
slowly back to life. and the difference
from Egliniogs calculation was that,
though she lived, she never recovered
/ her reason. At first it seemed as if sha
had only escaped from death to the liv-
ing grave Of an asylum. but gradually
the more violent symptoms Of her mania
passed away, and she fell into that pa
thetic condition which receives from the
country people the kindly euphuism Of
innocence. Yet she was not altogether
imbecile. The worldly practical side Of
her brain was blottel out forever. but