People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-03-07

cold, and was confined to her room.
So l was i'll at ease, not from love
alone, but from anxiety as we'll.
| continued my work in the library,
although it did not advance with the
same steadineSS as before. One day,
in listleSS mood, l took up a volume,
without knowing what it was, or what
l sought 1t opened az the "Amoretti'
of Edmund Spenser. | was on the
point of closing ii again, when line
caught my eye. | read the sonnet;
read another; found l could under
stand them perfectly; and that hour
the Poetry of the sixteenth century,
hitherto a sealed fountain, became an
open we'll of refreshment, and the
strength that comes from sympathy.
That same day, l remember well,
Mrs. Wilson told me that Lady Alice
was much better. But as days passed,
and still she did not make her appear
ance, my anxiety only changed its OBJ
ject, and | feared that it was from
aversion to me that she did not join
the family. But her name was never
mentioned in my hearing by any of
the other members of it; and her alb
sence appeared to be to them matter
of no moment or interest.
One night, as l sat in my room, /
found, as usual, that it was impOSSi-
bic to read; and throwing the book
aside, relapsed into that sphere of
thought which now filled my soul, and
had for its center the Lady Alice. l
recalled her form as she lay on the
coach, and brOOded over the remem-
brance till 4 longing to see her, al.
most unbearable, arose within me.
Would to heaven" said to myself,
that will were pOwer!"
In this occurrence Of idlenesS, dis
traction and vehement desire, | found
all at once, without any fOregone con-
clusiOn, that l was concentrating and
intenSifying within me, until it rose
almost to a command, the operative
vOlitiOn that Lady Alice should come
to me. In q moment more l trembled
at the sense Of Il new power which
sprung into conscious being within me.
l had no preversiOn of its existence,
when | gave way to such eXravagant
and apparently helpless wishes. l
now actually awaited the fulfllment
of my desire; but in a condition i'll
fitted to receive it, for the effort had
already exhausted HE to such a de-
gree that every nerve was in a con-
SciOuS tremOr. Nor had l long to wait
| heard no sound of approach; the
clOSet-dOOr folded back, and in glided,
open-eyed, but sightlesS, pale and
Saint-like, the Lady Alice. l Shudder-
ed from head to foot at what | had
done. She was more terrible to me in
that moment than any pale-eyed ghost
could have been. For had | not eXer-
ciSed kind Of necrOmatic art, and
reused without awaking the slumber-
ing dead? She passed me, walking
round the table at which l was seat
ed, went to. the couch, laid herself
down with a maidenly care, turned a
little to one side, with her face toward
me and gradually closed her eyes. In
something deeper than sleep she lay,
and yet not in death. l rose, and once
more knelt beside her, but dOred not
touch her. In what far realms of life
might the lovely soul be Straying!
What myteriOus modes of being might
now be the hOmely surroundings of
her second life! Thoughts unutterable
rose in me. eliminated and sunk, like
the stars of heaven, as an absent life
4 life that | loved by means of the
symbol; a symbol that l loved because
of the life. How long she lay thus,
how long | gazed upon her thus, l do
not know.
| knew that she was awake, some
moments before she opened her eyes.
When at last those depths of darkness
disclosed themselves, slowly uplifting
their white cloudy portals, the same
CONSERVATION she had formerly mani
tested, accompanied by yet greater
anger, followed
"Yet again! Am your slave because
I am weak" she rose in the majesty
of wrath and moved toward the door.
Lady Alice, l have not touched you.
l am to blame but not as you think.
Could help longing to see you? And
if the longing passed, ere l was aware,
into a will that you should come, and
you Obeyed it, forgive me-"
hid my face in my hands, overcome
by conflicting emotions. A kind of
StupOr came over me. When l lifted
my head she was standing by the
closet door.
Il have waited" she said, "tO make a
request of you"
DO not utter it, Lady Alice. know
what it is. l give you my word-my
solemn promise, if you like-that l will
never do it again" She thaked me
with a smile, and vanished.
Much to my surprise she appeared
at dinner next day. No notice was
taken of her, except by the younger of
my pupils, who called out:
Halo, Alice! Are you DOWN."
She smiled and nodded, but did moi
speak. Everything went on as usual
There was no change in her behavior
except in one point. l ventured the ex.
pertinent of paying her some ordinary
enough attention. She thanked me
without a trace of the ScOrnful ex.
preston l all but expected to see upon
her beautiful face. But when | ad.
dressed her about the weather, Oh
something equally interesting. she made
no reply; and Lady Hilton gave me a
stare, as much as to say, Don't you
know it is of no use to talk to her?'
Alice saw the look, and, coloring to
the eyes, rose, and left the room.
When she had gone Lady Hilton said
to me:
Don't speak to her. Mr.. Campbell,
it diStreSSeS her. She is very peculiar,
| vOu know"