St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-08-14

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and each day paused before a massive
cone Of white sinter, the solidity and
great beauty Of which she admired so
much that it became monomania with
her. The cone was about seven feet in
length, with diameter of two feet, and
looked as il it were a classic Ionic COL
umn.
At least Miss Favre concluded she
could not live without the cone. In her
frenzied admiration of it she forgot to
search for man Of her romance. She
hired the stableman to take trusted
force of men, steal the coveted object at
night and bear it away to Livingston,
Mon, by means Of relays Of horses and
stout vehicles. The men conveyed it by
unused paths, avoiding the routes where
officials were stationed, and got it safely
to Livingston, where it was carefully
packed i'll long box and shipped to
New York at q total cost of $4,000,
half OF which went to the stablemen.
Miss Mignonette accompanied her
treasure, and on her arrival at her SUI
perb mansion on West End avenue had
it unpacked aud artistically displayed
in an aesthetic, well lighted upper room
which she had converted into sort of
museum for the exhibition of her tro-
phies collected while travelling. Here
she spent hours daily admiring her treas
ure, examining and re-examining the
surface, which variously resembled COR
ais and stalagmites, honeycombs and
cells Nor did she tire On the contrary,
so great grew her fascination that at
last she was held by it as if by a spell,
as bird might be hypnotized by
snake. Shswould walk and walk around
it, sing to it, indite poems in its honor
and call it by endearing names.
One day Miss Mignonette read a 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 snake-goodness-
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 so 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 crazed with the
possible romance of the situation that
she at last became possessed with the
belief that there was man inside.
What if it were true? He could not be
dead-no, only in trance. He must be
young and handsome Yes, he must be
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,
inconceivable 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,
sbone with joy Her feet We're incased
i'll tiny sandals. The nails of her deli
cate fingers shone pink hued, like the
shell of Il pearl. She was arrayed at
last, ready with endearing terms to re-
ceive her lover from his case of stone
Incandescent lamps shed a soft, mellow
glow over the room ON to the cone, en-
HANGING the glorious beauty of the girl.
With sharp chisel she began to in
dent a crease the 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 q murderess?
Gradually her courage came back.
She would save him somehow. Had not
nature granted her prayer and sent her
husband in the most mysterious, TO-
mantle 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 imbless trunk of dead tree. -
Exchange.
Mark Twain In South Africa.
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