Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-03-27
THE DEVIL STONE.

It was in the dusky, tepid twilight Of
particularly hot, vaporous, drowsy day
at Aix-les- -Bains. in Savoy, that pass
ed through the hotel garden and prepar-
ed to take languid stroll through the
streets Of the little town. was tired Of
having nothing to do and no one to talk
to- The other people staying at the Ho-
tel de Europe were mostly foreigners,
and apart from that entirely uninterest-
ing, and. as to my father, he was almost
a nonentity to me at present till his
course" was completed From early
morn to dewy eve he was immersed in
the waters, either outwardly or inward
ly or both, and beyond occasional
glimpses of him arrayed in a costume
resembling that of an Arab sheik being
conveyed in pomp and sedan chair to
or from the baths 1 was, figuratively
speaking, an orphan until table d'hote.
AS crossed the veranda some one
rose from long chair, and throwing
his book down said: "Where are you
going, Miss Durant? May go too?"
''If you like" answered politely
but indifferently. II am only going to
look for spoons"
"Vor''-
"Spoons I am collecting, you know.
It is something to do, and one can al
ways give them away when one is tired
Of them.
So we sauntered along side by side,
and as we did so l began to feel less
bored and more reconoiled to the trou-
BILE of existence, and finally amused and
interested and flattered.
For this quiet looking, middle aged
man, to whom my father had introduo-
ed me two days before as an old friend
med up as rather handsome, clever
perhaps, conceited possibly and married
probably" was making himself agree
able as only cultivated, polished man
Of the world who wishes to make ia.
vorable impression can, and gradually
I found myself acknowledging that his
dark, intellectual face, with its crown
Of waving, iron gray hair, was some
thing more than handsome, and that his
cleverness was sufficient to carry him
beyond oonceit, while it did not set him
above very evident enjoyment of a
girls society and conversation.
He had already learned most Of my
tastes and occupations and drawn from
me, by a magnetic sympathy, some con-
fessions as to my inmost thoughts and
aspirations, telling me i'll return that he
was travelling wearily in search of rest
authoritatively ordered by his doctor,
and he was deploring his lonely
bachelorhood, when my attention was
attracted by some quaint spoons half
hidden among other old dull silver
things in forsaken looking little shop
to which our wanderings had led us
through narrow. dingy byways. II won
der how much they are,' l said, and
asking me to wait outside Colonel
Haughton disappeared into the obscure
interior. Iremained gazing through the
window for moment; then, impelled
by what idle impulse l know not, I
walked slowly on.
The sound of easement opening just
over my head and feminine laugh ar
rested me- and looked up. It was a
curious laugh, low and controlled, but
with malicious mockery in it that
seemed fit ending to some scathing
speech, and just inside the open lattice,
her arms resting on the sill and chin
dropped lightly on her clasped hands,
leaned the most beautiful woman have
ever seen. 1t was but glimpse of au-
burn hair in a white forehead, of eyes
like brown pansies, and parted lips that
looked like scarlet petals against the
perfect pallor of her rounded cheeks,
but it is photographed forever on my
: brain, for as looked mans hand
and arm, brown, lean and supple, with
the nervous fingers, on one Of which
green stone flashed, clutching poniard,
came round her neck and plunged the
dagger, slantingwise, deep down into
her heart The smile on the beautiful
lips quivered and fixed, but no sound
came from them. and the eyes turned
up and fixed, and as she swayed toward
the open window the spell that was
upon me broke. and with shuddering
cry l fed. On, on-blindly, madly,
desperately-with no sense or thought
or feeling save an overwhelming horror
A red mist seemed to close around me
and wall me in, and as. | fought against
it | felt my strength fail, and all was
dark and still.
Somewhere in the darkness voice
speaking, the touch of hand on my
face, glimpse of light, sense of pain
that some one else was suffering, then
consciousness and memory. My fathers
anxious face bent over me, and his
voice, as though from distance, said:
''Theo, are you better, dear? No, don't
get up-rest and take this. ;" And sink
ing back I vaguely understood that I
was in my own room at the hotel, and
that stranger, a doctor no doubt. was
present He enjoined absolute quiet till
he saw me again and asked that he
should be informed at once if there was
any recurrence of fainting. Later when
was in condition to explain orr
gin of this attack he would be o to
prescribe for me- The light of dawn
was struggling through the curtains,
and knew that l must have been un-
conscious for many hours With the
effort to Danish all recollections of the
terrible scene / had witnessed came
lethargy and later deep and dreamless
sleep.
Some days of seclusion and rest par
TALLY restored my health and spirits,
and began to feel that what had pass
cd had been a sort of evil dream. o ter