The Washington times., 1894-05-06
The Black Pines
Of Brainepd

U
reach civilization.
One day while was there storm rolled
up from the underworld, an angry, pitiless,
aggressive storm that sent a fell-terrible bolt
Of fear to every heart.
had been reading ''The Imp Of the Per-
verse" in the original manuscript of Poe, that
had been kindly presented me by Hon.
Robert D. DUNN, now of Upper Sandusky,
Ohio. 1 had been reading 1t, say, with in
voluntary shudders, when the room was sud-
denly lit by fierce, red electric light. fol-
lowed by a crack of thunder that brought me
to my feet and ELECTED scream from Nora,
the handmaiden, who was sweeping the hall
way without.
"Howly Vargln!" she moaned. "An' its
mesilf that's kilt dead intoirely thish toime
Oi fale it in the bones O. me. Bad cess that
OF liver left the ovid dart! Musha MushaI
an what shell Oh liver do now, avick?''
II opened the door and looked ut the
comely little lass. She was sitting on the
floor, rocking herself to and fro, wringing
her hands and wailing to herself"
Tut, tutr' l called to her, cheerfully.
"You are all right. Thunder never killed
any one yet."
"Och!'' she responded, rising to her feet,
'clear out O. that. Didn't me brithers own
wife's cousins husband, Dinny O'Shea, pace
to his sowl, be kilt dead by t'under?''
''Well, Nora,"I answered, ''anyhow, you
are q very saucy young corpse, and the next
time you are killed by t'under hope you
won't harrow my nerves with shrek like
that Of a banshee."
"a banshee. is it?" she began. and seeing
that terrible TRADE was coming shut the
md laft har t~, karr
aginary auditors.
L walked over to the window, Heaven.
how it did rainl And the very devil seemed
to possess the pines. They flung their black
ish branches back and forth, as though they
were reaching out for something, they knew
not what. Many and many a time since that
far day 1 have shiyered rs l recalled the
black pines of Brainerd. They have haunted
my dreams. They have waved their funeral
plumes before me in my waking hours. They
are like no other pines on earth. They are so
darkly green that the behoder at distance
calls them black. Tall. stately, ominous are
these pines-not branching out like their ever
green fellows elsewhere. but trimmed to the
shape of Lombardy poplars. They stand like
sable sentinels at every crook and corner of
BraiDerd. They overshadow the town. They
enguiph it! Yes, and they add a new, an aw-
full. an overwhelming horror to death, for out
in the burial-place of Brainerd they grin and
grasp at the sod above the tombs! Yes,
The hell horror of the black pines OF Brain
erdi Wicked enough when June is in the
air, with song, light. and fragrance inter-
blent. but to be fed from with an unwhisper-
able awe on a day of wrath like the one of
which speak.
"H'eXcuse me sir
turned and saw the bright, little English
beIl-boy.
"H'excuse me-" be went on, "HI knocked.
but you didn't h'awaser, so hi thought you
was hout"
''well?" questioned kindly.
There's man wot says e wants to see
you hin the 'orlce."
SHOW him up, answered.
The kid vanished, and few minutes later
he ushered into my room one OF the strangest
men l ever met in all my travels He had
hardly turned "a. His dress was of the very
latest cut. He wore a boutinirre-a gera-
mum, backed by the glossy leaves of cape
jessamine. A small diamond sparkled in his
blue silk scarf. His face was free of beard as
that OF an unborn babe: but his hair 1t was
yellow as gold, and glinted even In the dull
ligh. Of my room with glory l cannot name
And what eyes he had-eyes that pierced
through every atom OF my sense and soul.
Great, lusteriul. black eyes. with a red flame
in their depths like that OF the star opal.
Take a seat, SIR" 1 said. in an embar-
rassed way, although l was the host
He took a chair before the fire. pushed
glass of Burgundy before him. Of which he
drank, Offering me, in return. a fine Habana.
Il know YOU he said. speaking for the
first time. ..Have you forgotten BERTHE
B, son of the judge, back there at K,
Ohio. where you used to edit paper?'
''Is it possiblei' l cried, seizing him by
both hands. co. how old am getting to be,
So you are the little BERTHE who was in tine
habit of running out to meet and greet me as
went back and forth from my Officer
NO! | am not that laddy now: / never will
be that laddy again" he answered. the tears
coming.
40. come, GOMEZ I interjected, "none of
US will ever be again''--
'It isn't that" he went on. sit isn't because
can never restore the old day when l was a
little laddy back there in k, but be-
cause
He paused. His utterance was punctuated
with q sob.
Mr.. Kernan." he cried, suddenly rising to
his feet and resting his hands upon my
shoulders, ''for the sake of God be good to
me,''
Certainly. Bert, 1 responded in startled
voice; but sit down and tell me what Is the
Natter
Il came here" he said. falling back in his
chair, three days ago. l didn't know a soul
in the place never had been here before. l
" stil L IuuSl meet WIKI some
acquaintance or would become raving dis
tracted.''
But why did you come-on business?''
Il came because the imp of the peryerse,
of whom Poe tells US, demanded it,
Ispang TO my feet; a nameless fear clutched
at my heart with bony fingers
'The imp-of-the-perversei' was all l was
able to say
''Yes. he went on with a sad smile. not
noticing my agitation; 1.-THE devil. you know.
thar makes us do the very thing that we had
better leave undone."
He went to the window. He staggered
back. and muttered huskily. .'She is out there
in the pines-the back pines of Brainerd,
o, the pines! The pines. The pines!
/ rushed to his side .My dear bow"
questioned, what is it? Tell me, and will
help You if / can
He was silent for space, while the wind
went raving by and the rain beat DEVILS
tattoo on my windows and the lightning
spiintered the cloudrack into fragments. and
lhunders came with a clash like the crack of
judgment morn, and the pines-the black
pines OF Brainard-withered like so many
souls in perdition.
"fou knew Vivian H, back there in K-?"
began Berthe.
'.Yes."
81 was betrothed to her.
'.Yes"
''Then 1 met a devilish young creature. who |
ured me TO destruction. Fool. fool. fool |
hat l was And Vivian was so contding all |
The while; She never suspected
.'Well?''
'The young adventures who has ruined |
ny life came to me one day and told me / |
must wed her. that was the father of her |
;hild. You know l am wealthy offered !
her money. She laughed scornfully No. |
she Missed; 1T is you, not your money, 1 |
want and will have. You are engaged to |
Vivian Il. l hate that girl. will go to |
lell, but l will be even with her vet. She |
shall never be your wife,
''All my love for the beautiful wretch turned |
o hatred then and there
This ends it, l said. $50 your way.
md leave me to 60 mine Vivian will be my