The record-union., 1897-08-23

sister, Marie, he had accepted the offer
and had gone.
Antoine listened to the roar of the
wind and the waves, and was
just about to form prayer for
the safety of Rolando, when suddenly
the wind died away, the sea seemed to
cease its thunder, and before him in
a wan cloud of light stood Rolando!
Antoine was near enough to the shore
to see the white foam of the tumbling
waves and also to see the tossing,
threshing masts of the half dozen little
fishing boats tied to the wha1'ves.
Rolando stood between him and these
things, and yet Antoine noted with a
sort of stupid horror that he could look
right through Rolando, and see the
waves and mast tops beyond. AS he
stood there, petrified with astonish-
ment and a growing sense of fright,
Rolando spoke: Don't be afraid, An
tone, it is me, Rolando, and l have
come to tell you something. I want
you to carry a message to my old
mother and to give her my blessing.
Tell her that the ship has gone down
and her son will never come home
again. Tell her that no one was
saved here Antoine shivered visibly-
and that only the Captain has not
been accounted for. Tell her also, An
tone, that if she will go down to the
big cove tomorrow morning she will
find my a-boots and my sea-chest."
The ghost might have said more, but
just then it turned it's head as if it
saw something, and said: Here comes
7
get to tell mother what I told you,
and give my love to Marie"
The ghost of Rolando then disap-
peared as suddenly as it had come,
leaving Antoine standing on the wet
sands, looking into the darkness where
it had been. Cold shivers ran over him
and he acted like a man in a dream as
he turned to his cousin, Vendome, who
had just come up.
Hello, Antone" said Vendome,
where are you going?"
II am going home" said Antoine, in
a strange voice. He went back slow
ly, stumbling along the way blindly.
He had never believed in ghosts, but
he knew too well that he had just met
one. He could understand the ghosts
message, but what had it meant by
claiming Vendome as it's cousin, when
Rolando of the flesh had no cousin?
Vendome was Antones cousin, and the
ghost had called him his. Was it Ro-
lando's ghost? Or his own. Or whose?
Marie heard a knock at her door, and
when she opened it man staggered
into the room and fell heavily upon
the floor Marie gave a little scream,
and then she recognized Antoine.
20 Antone," she cried, what is the
matter?"
Antoine spoke no word. His muscles
twitched now and then and his lips
trembled, but he seemed to be in a
strange stupor. Marie and her mother
managed to get him into bed and then
they sent for a doctor. The doctor
came after a long time, but when he
had examined Antoine he seemed great
ly puzzled He felt his pulse. looked at
his tongue, prodded him with his fin
ger and glowered at him with frown-
ing brow But none of these things
appeared to bring him enlightenment
or the patient relief. He gave restor-
atives, but they had no effect.
At last, towards morning, Antoine
opened his eyes and his lips and told
Marie and her mother Rolando's mes
sage Then, while they We're petrified
with astonishment at the strange tale,
Antoine closed his eyes. shivered slight
ly, and whispered: Here comes my
cousin. 1 must CO." and died-died just
as Vendome came hurrying to the
house, havin heard of Antone's
strange illness little while before.