Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1893-06-29
soft tapping Of she sea was unheard
in the little hollow.


/ Slowly Carter turned around the
tree, each time coming nearer TO
the rugged trunk, until he was so
close to it that he brushed il as he
went around. In the distance a
village clock struck twelve. The
chant grew softer and slower, and,
at the last stroke, ceased.
Carter leaned dizzily against the
tree. For the first time, looking
between the dunes, he noticed the
sea- Suddenly, an odd, numb SEN
sation crept over him.
On the quiet moonlight water G
ilgure was moving. Slender and
white-robed, it seemed to be walk
ing on the water. Slowly it advanc-
ed, with an unnatural steady mo-
ton.
Browning Carter leaned heavily
against the supporting oak. Near
er and nearer came the slender
white figure, and the young man
could see that it was a woman's.
and that over the shoulders hung
long dark hair. She moved slowly
across the white sand of the beach
and entered the hollow.
For moment she paused, while
the heart of the watcher beat Wild
ly. Closer then the figure came,
and az it drew nearer he saw that
the dark hair framed an intense
white face and dark, wide-open eyes.
When but few feet away she turned
her head, and Carter felt wave of
sadness roll over him. On the white
face was look of intense anguish.
Then the figure moved on, past
the gaunt oak and out of the little
hollow. Suddenly she disappeared,
and Carter, with quivering limbs,
sank to the ground. He would have
followed her, but the twenty-four
hours fast, with which he had pre-
pared himself for his experience,
told on him, and he was unable to
move.
| After some time his strength
came back, and he rose and walked
to where the figure had vanished.
lie saw only sudden fall of the
ground, and beyond a cottage built
| by some summer resident. All the
world seemed sleeping.
| A few days later Carter was
snatched from his dreamy life by a
party of young fellows who had come
down from the city, bent on max
ing the most of their vacation.
Their gayety grated on the nerves
of the mystic, who had been some
what unnamed by his midnight ex-
perience. Courtesy, however, forced
him to lend himself to all their
plans and to enter into all their
boating, sailing and fishing parties.
| On one of these he was presented
! to Miss Tremaine. Whether she
were pretty or not Carter could not
tell I; for she wore a veil, thick
enough to conceal her features.
But she had a low, pleasant voice,
and a wonderfully easy, unaffected
manner.
To Carter's remark that she had
been in none of the other sailing
parties, she answered that her health
had not permitted it.
'He hoped that 1t had been q
merely passing indisposition.'
Yes only a cold.'
The young man noticed tinge oi
constrant in Miss Tremaine's
answer, and that she Immediately
left the subject.
4 The party had started out in the
afternoon, for its members wished
to sail home by moonlight. The
supper on board was a merry one,
and Carter was surprised at the
hartiness with which he joined in
the general gayety.
1T really is better for me- he de-
cided mentally, 'to see more of peo
ple.'
AS the moon rose the party grew
quieter even the songs became less
rollicking. Suddenly the gay little
damsel to whom Carter was talking
saw his face change, while he stop
ped in the middle of his sentence
why, what is it p she asked.
Il But Carter did not hear. Ill
was looking across the boat to wher'
sat Miss Tremaine. She had taker
of her thick veil, and the face or
which the moon shone was the fac,
of his vision.