The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-08-14

ure, examining and re-examipiug tho
surface, which variously resemblod cu'-
ais and stalagmites, honeyconlbs nd
cells Nor did she tire. On the con; raiy.
so great grew her fascination that q
last she was held by il DIS if by SPELL
as bird might be hypnotized by a
snake. She would walk and walk around
it, sing to it. indite poems in its honor
and call it by endearing names.
One day Miss Mignonette read won
| derful account in averacious newspaper
concerning frog which had been found
alive in marble block. She was star
tied. What if her cone contained some
animal-a bear-a undergraduates
what! This girl had some sense. She
actually reasoned. She felt that if it
contained anything the mysterious OBJ
ject must be something higher, nobler
than she, to 80 fascinate her.
Should she smash it and end the mys-'
terry? No! Why spoil forever her idol?
Again and again she caressed it, but
always one end Of it, Suppose the end
toward which she was SO irresistible
drawn were the head?
Miss Mignonette, after reading the
frog story, grew so crazcd with the
possible romance of the situation that
she at last became possessed with the
Dellef that there was man inside.
What If it were true2 He could not be
dead-no. only in trance. He must be
nd h.
the idol Of her dreams, for whom she
had searched the world. Her future
lord had been found at last. Dame Ma
ture had granted her prayer and in the
most romantic way ever conceived, yea,
uncomfortable even to the widest flight
ed novelist, had enabled her to find her
lover in stone
She would break the seal-the long
seal that had hidden him from the
world. She would dress to receive him.
There should be no one else present He
should awake from his long dream from
the invisible world, should open his
eyes on her loneliness, should awake to
life and the world in her arms
She arrayed herself gloriously. Her
dark hair was arranged with white
bands about it. A simple flowing gown
of white enveloped her form, and over
it was the faintest white fabric Of illu.
sion, so delicate as to deceive the eye.
Her brown eyes, large and long dashed,
shone with joy. Her feet were incased
in tiny sandals. The nails Of her deli
cate fingers shone pink hued, like the
shell Of pearl. She was arrayed at
last, ready with endearing terms to re-
ceive her lover from his case of stone
1ncandescent lamps shed soft, mellow
glow over the room on to the cone, en-
HANGING the glorious beauty of the girl.
With a sharp chisel she began to in
dent crease tho entire length Of the
cone. Gradually the crease deepened.
Often she placed her ear to the opening
trying to catch some sound, some move
ment. The opening arrived at depth
where the cone could be split open with
out injury to the inmate. She inserted
several chisels, and with hammer gen.
tly began the splitting process.
As the tomb began to open she paused.
She was scared. The man would really
be as in death. How could she revive
him unless he Immediately came to life? |
Suppose he were completely dead. What
could she tell the authorities that which |
they would believe and not convict her
as a murderess?
Gradually her courage came back.
She would save him somehow. Had not |
nature granted her prayer and sent her
a husband in the most mysterious, TO-
fashion? Surely the power which
sent him to her to be rescued would en-
able her to restore him to life. She gave
several taps, and the cone divided in
twain.
In the morning they found her in the
museum in dead faint. She did not
revive for many days Beside her were
Two halves of the cone of siliceous sinter.
The occupant which lay beside her was
the limbless trunk Of a dead tree
Exchange.