People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-03-21
THE POR7EN2.
I
A Story of the Inner Vision Of the
Highlanders, Commonly Called
the Second Sight.
By GEORGE MACDONALD.
CHAPTER X.-(Continued.)

AT the same moment Alice started
from her sleep, and, springing to her
feet, stood an instant listening. Then
crying out, in an agonized whisper.
1.-The horse with the clanking shOew
she flung her arms around me. Her
face was as white as the spectral moon
which, the moment l put the candle
put, looked in through a pane beside
us; and she gazed fearfully, yet wild
ly defiant, toward the door. We cluns
to each other. We heard the sound
come nearer and nearer, till it thunder
ed right up to the very door Of the
room terribly loud. 1t ceased. But
the door was flung open, and Lord Hill
ton entered, followed by servants with
lights.
l have but very confused renem-
brance of what followed. l heard 4
vile word from the lips of Lord HI
ton; felt my fingers on his throat;
received blow on the head; and l
seem to remember a cry of agony from
Alice as l fell. What happened next
| did not know.
When l came to myself l was lying
on a wide moor, with the night wind
blowing about me. l presume that l
had wandered thither in a state of I'M
consciousness, after being turned cut
of the hall, and that | had at last
tainted from loss Of blood. | was I'M
able to move for long time. At length,
the morning broke, and l found myself
not far from the hall. l crept back a
mile Of two, to the gates, and having
succeeded in rousing Alice's old nurse
was taken in with many lamentations
and put to bed in the lodge. l had a
violent fever; and it was all the poor
woman could do to keep my presence
secret from the family at the hall.
When | began to mend my first ques-
ton was about Alice. | learned, though
with some difficulty-for my kind at
tendant was evidently unwilling to tell
me all the truth-that Alice, too, had
been very i'll; and that, a week before,
they had removed her. But she either
would not or could not tell me whera
they had taken her. l believed she
could not. Nor do l know for certain
to this day.
Mrs. BlakeSley offered me the loaa of
some of her savings to get me to Lon
don. received it with gratitude. ard
as soon as l was fit to travel. made my
way thither. Afraid for my reason, if
had no employment to keep my
thoughts from brOOding on my helpless
ness, and so increasing my despair, and
determined likewise, that my failure
should not make me burdenSOme on
any one else, l enlisted in the Scotch
GrayS, before letting any of my friends
know where | was. Through the help
of one already mentioned in my story.
soon obtained a commission. From
the field Of Waterloo, rode into BruS-
sells with broken arm and u saber
cut in the head.
As we passed along one of the streets,
through all the clang of irOn-ShOd hOofs
on the stones. around me. | heard the
OminOuS clank. At the same moment |
heard a cry. 1t was the voice of my
Alice. l looked up. At barred Win
dow | saw her face; but it was terribly
changed. | dropped from my hor e. As
soon as was able to move from the
hospital, | went to the place and found
it was lunatic asylum. was permit
ted to see the inmates, but discovered
no one resembling her. l do not now
believe that she was ever there.
For years and years l knew not
whether she was alive or dead. l
sought her far and near. | wandered
over England, France and Germany.
hOpeleSsly searching; listening at tables
d'hOte; lurking about Warehouses;:
haunting theaters and churches: often.
in wild regions, begging my way from
house to house; | did not find her.
Once | visited Hilton Hail. found il
all but deserted. l learned that Mrs.
Wilson was dead, and that there were
only two or three servants in the place
Sometimes l condensed my whole
being into a single intensity of will
that she should come; and sustained It.
until tainted with the effort. She
did not come. l desiSted altogether at
last, for l bethought me that. whether
dead or alive, it must cause her tor
ture not to be able to obey it.