The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-05-17


check, like breath from the grave.
! Iturned my eyes, and there before me
/ In the cold moonlight stood Will-my
husband.
With a wild incredulous cry Of delight
and rapture. funp my arms about him
-only to grasp empty air! No ono was
there! Will was Sone!
! fell to the gallery floor and lay there
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 aud gazed wildly
about me- What did it mean? | 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 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-my 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. It
made my heart faint and sick 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 wei
ded? And SO the dreary, endless days
dragged by, and still lived, heartbrokeu
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 saw another I
shadow mingle with my own upon the
moonlit beach. came to a halt and
saw at my side-Will.
With wild cry attempted to grasp
his arm, but there was no one there.
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 l feel that my
darling is no more; that the visions /
have seen were warnings sent me of his !
fate. Would Will have ceased to write
beloved one-if he were
alive? / believe that l shall see the
phantom once again, and then-then-I
hall go, too, for / feel that it is his
'pirit that has come back for me.
y y ,
So have been sitting herein the morn /
ng sunlight thinking of the past. Can {
me wonder greatly that my pen lies idle
nd utterly refuses to produce the love
ales of others? is not my own love story
IS sad a one as l can ever write?
| hear the sound of wheels and glance
istlessly from the open window at my t
ide. A carriage has stopped before the a
ate. Two men are assisting q third to U
light. They are bringing him slowly q
p the walk to the house. He is evil s.
emily very ill., Why does my heart p
hrob Sc weakly? | am too weak to .
tand-to take step forward. Oh, ! " N
yill not allow myself to be deceived by n
lad, vain hopes!
They reach the house at last and as
st the feeble form up the steps of the >,
-oad gallery into my presence. Oh, :
tying heaven 1t is Will-Will, pale
nd spectral, weak frail invalid, but
Vill all the same. 1t is some time before
fully recover from this trance of happi-
ess, and then the truth is made known.
e had been very i'll with brain fever. No
le could write to me because they knew
othing of me or my address, and he was
wing in delirium. AS soon as he was 4
de to attempt the journey he had set
1t to return to me.
1t was all ended now-that dreary
paration. Upon his thirtieth birth
", oh, so happy and hopeful, my Will
I'd come back to me, never to leave me
,ainl th
81 shall never more laugh at any one ra
r being superstitious, said the next a. a.
y, gazing into the deep, dark eyes of m
e loved one so happily restored to me. it
Thank heaven that my superstitious IN
ars were not realized"
| have never been able to account for 70
at strange illusion. To this day can dir
t make mp my mind what it was that pc
lad seen. Si
But it was not Wills ghost, and that
all ! care to know, after all.-Toronto
all.