Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-08-17

out making a sign and did not answer.
He repeated his question, saying he
troubled her only for her own good.
She remained silent. and it was evil
dent his words conveyed nothing to
her
Perhaps she doesn't understand
French" said friend
she understands nothing at all. said
Pontus, sadly. Il fear she has lost her
mind in the horror of the catastrophe.
But it does not matter; she has fallen
from heaven and she is at home here,
mad or sane. God sent her to me, and
l will guard her"
And he kept his word.
Days, months, years passed. The I'M
known lived silently, without words
and apparently without thoughts. She
loved to be out of doors and mixed with
other people, seeming by all exterior
appearances TO be like them. At the
table of the marquis, in this family of
refined ancient race, she carried her
self with the grace and dignity of one
accustomed to a similar world and
Pontus often said, This child is great
lady"
In spite of the most thorough inves-
LEGATIONS not ray of light, even the
faintest, pierced the mystery 1t could
not even be conjectured what the boat,
lost at the coast. had been. nor who
TINS woman was who accepted placidly
the care of strangers, showed neither
sadness nor joy, had no desires and
nVed, uncOnsciously, the life of a
beautiful white bird in a cage of gold.
Little by little the marquis grew at
tached to her. His house was large and
he refused to have her confined in a
hospital repeating that she was his
charge and sacred TO him above every
thlng. And sometimes when he
watched her walking in the park of the
chateau, Pontus would grow very sad
ana murmur, IF this beautiful girl
had soul how | would love her" And
Pontus. who was then in his Both year,
refused obstinately TO marry-on ac-
count of the unknown.
And so he grew older, and with the
NNAiiV 81 uCCDcl utlduCUUly. HOW
ever IN his voluntary seclusion there
was some sweetness. The woman
seemed to like to be near him, though
her manner was like that of a petted
animal. She ran to him when she saw
MIN and looked at him with her clear
eyes, in which shone fugitive light of
recognition and devotion. But the next
moment she would run away again.
OFTEN into the woods, where she wan
dered about all day, returning always
at dusk. for she had a great dread of
the darkness.
One stormy night in November she
shuddered at the sound of the wind
from the sea and moaned softly. with
her hands clasped to her breast in an
attitude of deep sadness. A little la
ter she uttered a hoarse cry and fell
TO the floor unconscious. 1t was just
twelve years since she had come to
life i'll the chateau. Pontus, very much
alarmed, hurried TO the village for help.
\ doctor was summoned, and returned
with him in great haste. The patient
was examined and the case diagnosed
as quick consumption. She had car
ried the germs of the fatal disease in
her system for some time. Pontus was
in despair.
One morning in the winter the I'm
known passed quietly away, in the arms
of the marquis. At the supreme mo-.
ment the mysterious sick woman
seemed to regain her reason suddenly.
She looked about with eyes frightened
but comprehensive. which seemed tc
say, Where am /? Who are these
men," She opened her lips to speak
at last in her native language, but
death, jealous of the mystery, sealed
her tongue with his icy touch.
The marquis, inconsolable. had had
engraved on her tombstone the epitaph:
''Tacita Transit"