Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-08-03

near waters. French? English? al
O mysteryl 1t had carried its fla
to the depths Of the sea.
"The woman win tell us sale
Pontus. And the next day he wen
to her bedside. She looked at hin
with eyes large, beautiful and clear
but empty Of comprehension. Sh,
, was young and very pretty, with
hands delicately and finely shaped
lie asked her where she had come
from, where she was going, who
she was, in phrases gentle and court
eous, for he was already moved by
her tragic beauty. She listened with
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 a friend.
"She understands nothing at all, !"
said Pontus, sadly. 81 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 / will guard
her"
And he kept his word.
Days, months, years passed. The
unknown lived silently, without
words and apparently without
thought. 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 a refined
ancient race, she carried herself with
the grace and dignity of one accus-
toned to a similar world, and Pom
tus often said; "This child is a great
lady"
In spite Of the most thorough in
vestigation, 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 this woman was who ac-
cepted placidly the care Of strangers,
showed neither sadness nor Joy, had
no desires, and lived, unconsciously,.
The life of beautiful white bird in
a cage of gold Little by little the
marquis grew attached to her. His
house was large, and he refused to
have her confined in a hospital, re-
peating that she was his charge, and
sacred TO him above everything. And
sometimes when he watched her
walking in the park of the chateau
Pontus would grow very sad and
murmur: IF this beautiful girl had
a soul how / would love her!" And
Pontus, who was then in his thirty
sixth year, refused obstinately to
marry-on account of the unknown.
And so he grew older, and with the
years came deeper melancholy.
However, in his voluntary seclusion
there was some sweetness. The wom-
an seemed to like to be near him,
though her manner was like that of
a petted animal. She ran to him
when she saw him, and looked at
him with her clear eyes, in which
shone a fugitive light of recognition
and devotion. But the next mo-
ment she would run away again, often
into the woods, where she would wan
der 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 soft
ly, with her hands clasped to her
breast in an attitude of deep sadness.
A little later she uttered a hoarse cry
and fell to the floor unconscious. 1t
was just IL years since she had come
to life in the chateau Pontus, very
much alarmed, hurried to the vii
lage for help. A doctor was sum
moned and returned with him in
great haste. The patient was ex-
amined 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 winter the I'M
known passed quietly away in the
arms of the marquis. At the SUI
preme moment the mysterious sick
woman seemed to regain her reason
suddenly. She looked about with
eyes frightened but comprehensive,
which seemed to say: "Where am /?
Who are these men?" She opened
her lips to speak at last in her ma
tive language, but Death, jealous of
the mystery, sealed her tongue with