The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1894-02-16

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The next day-no letter, and the next, /
,till no letter. Oh, the anguish Of hope |
ielerredI 4
The time had come now for me to go
to Long Beach, as | had promised him.
| would keep my word--no matter how
hard 1t might be, would go there. II
he--if that hideous prophecy had really
come true-at all events, would keep
my promise-my last promise to hlw
So went. Oh, the long, dreary. I'M er.
minable days, with only the moaotc nous
waters before me, the blue, hlue s sy and
golden sunshine always the SINE. 1t
made my heart faint and SICK. l had
written and written letter after letter,
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 50 the dreary, endless lays
dragged by, and / stilllived. heartbroken
and helpless Twill never more laugh
at superstition, never.
Last night l 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 | saw another
shadow mingle with my own upon the
moonlit beach. came to q halt and
saw ut my sids-~Will.
With wild cry attempted to grasp
his arm, but there was no one there.
Iwent 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 were warnings sent me of his
fate. Would Will havs ceased TO write
me-me-his beloved one-if he were
alive? | believe that l 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,
I y 9
| Sol have been sitting herein 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 can ever writer
i l 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 a third to
alight. They are bringing him slowly
up the walk to the house. He is evi-
IDENTIFY vary 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
t-oad gallery into my presence. Oh,
| pitying heavenl 1t is Will Will, pale
and spectral, a weak. frail invalid, but
/ Will all the same, II 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 be was
able to attempt the journey he had set
out to return to me.
1t was all ended now--that dreary
separation. Upon his thirtieth birth
day, oh, SO happy and hopeful, my Will
had come back to me, never to leave me
again!
1 II shall never more laugh at any one
for being superstitious," l said the next
day, gazing into the deep, dark eyes d
the loved one so happily restored to me
"Thank heaven that my superstitious
fears were not realized" !"
| have never been able to account fol
that strange illusion. To this day | can
not make up my mind what it was that
1 had seen.
But it was not Wills ghost, and thai
Is all care to know, after ll.-Torontf
Mail.