The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-28
THE WHITE FACE.
I was recovering from an unusually sharp
attack of influenza, followed by fever.

discover Nle must lSptdleu village IN
England. and rest there; that is the only
prescription that 1 can give YOU" said my
doctor. rising from his chair. You want a
complete change of scene. Good-byer'
The Doctors words brought to my mind
the picture of a little village lying among
hills. il was but hazy recollection-a
recollection. it seemed. of long years ago,
for + could remember neither the details of
the picture nor the name of the village.
As leant back in my arm chair-for 1 was
stiH weak after my recent iIness-I tried
TO recollect when and where had seen this
picture. but 1t was useless; l only knew
that The scene was in Devonshire, and far
remote from town or railway. This was
unsatisfactory, for the picture, though so
family impressed on my mind, had in some
strange way fascinated me greatly.
Then 1 began a systematic hunt through
portfolios. but it was a fruitless search,
until suddenly recollected that a guide to
Devonshire lay in my bookshelf. In the
center Of this guide there was placed a
slip Of paper as a marker, and there in that
very place I found what 1 felt convinced
was the word painting of the village 1
sought; moreover. there was the description
Of a little trout stream that dubbed it's
THE very place for me-" 1 exclaimed,
joyfulIy; for 1 never felt happier than when
/ had a rod in my hand
The name of the village also attracted
one. Dormerly, yes, there was something
in the sound that seemed to promise rest
and quiet, both of which 1 needed. So 1
decided that this village should be the rest
ing place that my doctor had prescribed
1t was hazy summers day in July when
] arrived at Dormerly; all the villagers
except the very old folk, who remained
sitting in their doorways-had gone out into
the fields, hay-making; from the farm win
dow, at which 1 was standing 1 could see
them plunge their forks into the hay and
pile it upon a wagon that moved slowly at
intervals
All was very still; below me lay a great
house dog in front of his kennel basking
in the sunshine, he was apparently ssleep,
and his head rested on his forepaws; a long
line Of ducks waddled leisurely across the
yard, and cattle stood knee deep in a shady
pond.
In the cool of the evening strolled
through the village; there was the little
gray church half hidden among the trees,
row of matched cottages close by with the
village green in front, and just across the
green there was a large red brick house,
the lower part of which was hidden by a
wall thickly covered with ivy, and a strag-
Cling yew tree threw dark shadows upon the
upper NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. that perhaps gave
the house so melancholy and forlorn an ap-
pearance.
Leaving the village behind me I climbed
through the bracken on the hillside and
passed through fern-carpeted woods, until
the Iengthening shadows and the setting sun
told me that the day was drawing to a
close.
1t was dusk by the time 1 reached the
village and lights were twinkling from the
cottage windows. but all the upper windows
of the great red brick house were wrapped
in darkness, and the lower ones, as have
said before, were hidden by the ivy wall
L looked know not why'd second time
at one of the upper windows. / seemed to
have an instructive feeling that something
unusual had met my eye so l looked again.
Through the bows of the yew tree l could
dimly discern face of startling Wilderness;
/ could not see if it was that of a man or
OF a woman, only that it was intensely
white. At that moment light flashed from
the window, filling the whole space With a
rudy glow and a hand drew down the
blind.
1 walked on silently and thoughtfully and
even after / had reached the farmhouse
still unused upon the amazing witness of
that face.
The next morning was aroused early by
the lowing of cattle in the farm yard; /
leaped out of my bed, threw up the window
and looked out. The dew lay sparkling upon
the blades of grass that Sprang up between
tAe cObbles of the yard, and the sun was
bursting through the morning mists.
1t was the work of but a few minutes to
dress. to be out Of the house and out into
Revealing in the delights of an early rise
in the country-a delight so keen to towns
men-I passed the red brick house all for
getful of the white face. the remembrance
of which did not come back to me until my
return, when L was close to the house. ana
then suddenly the recollection OF what
had seen the foregoing. evening returned.
There in that upper window, ] could see
the white face gazing down upon me, ana
] saw that it was beautltul 1ace-tne
face of a girl carved in pure white marble
the hair was parted in the center, the
Curls rippled down on either side low over
the forehead, the lips were half opened IN
a cherubic smile, and though the eyes were
sightleSS | could see that they also must
be very beautiful
nothing think of nothing, care for nothing
but the beautiful marble face.
A whole week passed by. every day ,d
every day going to and from that stream,
] had seen the white face looking down
from the WINDOW or the feu DLlSA HOUoS'
Yet all this time 1 had never seen soul
PASS through the gates of the house. nor
any appearance of life at the windows, eA,
cept on that first evening when haho
had drawn down the blind before my ewes.
But one day. when the afternoon sun
was shining full in at the window, L saw
that the pink glow while falling upon the
white face. caressed also the fair curls
of the girl who stood at the window.
l saw that the girls face and that Oh tne
ca I- TiiS This moment 1 had thought that
nothing could be more beautltul than tne
sculptured head, but now Knew "i'ho"'
a doubt that l was wrong. -, II.
True there was the same ripping mar
curling low over the forehead OF each race,
hut i'm life it was golden; there We're the
same lips, tenderly curved as Cuplu poW'
but the lips of the carving We're not IoS3'
nor were it's ewes of the cleareSt Dlue.
on returning to the farm L nasteheu 70
ask the tenant If he knew who llVeu AZ .lle
red brick house; it was the only reu MUSE
in the village. - 49,, tho
farmer relapsed into Stolid silence. Ile
expression on his face betrayed no iii'eleSe
in anything beyond cows ana plo"s.
You Know which house mean? said:
raising my voice as if addressing ue ,
man. The large house overloohlnS t ttle
green. there. You can see 1t through 'ne
slowly the connection of red brick Win
this house dawned upon the farmer.
"Ah. Won house, he said with denperdT
tion ITO be sure, TO be sure. Mnen
come to think of it there be two that hve
tbare. there's Mr.. Vernon, he lives there
and there's Miss Vernon, his carter she