The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-01
Gossip For Home People,.

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| last when ne was again admitted TO her
| presence. he was shocked al the changed
| appearance. The sad face of her mother
warned him some awful secret lay like
! a leaden weight on the hearts OF that ap
parently happy household. and in the do
nestle closet was CHASTITY skeleton which
ruled that little domain The poor dis
tracted girl was a wreck OF what once was
Joyous life and youth She had aged al
most beyond recognition, and the lustre-
less eyes and sunken cheeks betrayed al
TOO plainly the yawning gates OF the tomb.
Trembling with her shattered nerves and
worn with sleepless nights, she tried TO
smile as she welcomed him. With look
which all understood she babe the rest
10 leave the room Alone she tried 20 tell
her strange and w1erd secret, and she
might have finished had not the presence
closed forever the chapter of misery. loos-
ened its cruel grasp and freed the pent-up
spirit OF one who had suffered death num-
berless times. and for whom the final
death was welcome release and ben
eficent savior. She tried 10 tell him that
tElE SAc HEOle THAI Ae1LCT Szlc
was very nervous An the preceding day
a strange dread had weighed her down,
and for what she could not tell or attempt
70 explain. For the first time IN her life
she had experienced real and ominous
uneasiness. At night. being left alone. she
felt this unaccountable phenomenon 20
be uncomfortable and had sat down 10
write. hoping the diversion might drive
away the dismal sensation Of approaching
calamity and woe.
While writing. she felt presence bend
ing over her shoulder. and hurriedly turn
ing her face upward beheld a feminine
arm reaching down over her shoulder and
thu long index finger pointing directly in
front OF her Only an arm from the Shout
der down was visible. and on the fore
finger of the hand was a gold band ring
set with pearls, which she at once reoog-
nized as one she had the year before given
a girl cousin, to whom she was deeply
devoted. with a cry OF Gbject fear. she
fell forward. her head on her writing desk.
in dead faint When she finally was
aroused, she found the presence gone and
then noted the last line of the unfinished
sentence, and which she was always con-
WINGED she never touched, either tho
scrawling line or the blot. This was about
II o'clock at night. and the next morning
the shocking news was received that At
precisely that hour the night before her
beloved cousin had died. the result OF q
runaway acoiden. In which she was hurled
into pile OF stones by the roadside For
many weeks the poor sufferer Kept her
secret, and not again did the presence re-
visit her until those times she was writing
the other letters mentioned.
The night of the stroll Il had come again.
the result of which IS told. 1t was always
the same except the last time. Always
just an arm with the finger pointing for
ward and the welIknown ring, which, by
the way, had been buried with her. On the
night referred 10, the arm was uplifted,
as though warding of approaching dan
ger. and the long finger. this time bony
and without flesh upon it, pointed up in
stead Of forward. The arm, too. was par
TALLY clothed in white. and seemed 70
come down out of a thin cloud, vapory
and waving. At first nothing else was
visible, but just as the kissing moan had
escaped her on that fearful night, the
cloud lifted and she beheld first the whole
horrifying scene of the runaway; then the
form of her cousin standing upright, with
her arm appraised and the skeleton finger
pointing menacingly upward. and behind
her stood the grinning. CHASTITY skeleton
form Of death with both arms flung around
her.
While the almost crazed girl was telling
her strange and narrowing tale TO him
whom she trusted as knowing her best.
she suddenly stopped. made a desperate
effort to rise from her couch. and cried:
See, Seei There it comes again. On!
take II away and save me! OH Help
helpv
She sank back upon the pillows which
received that tired, aching head for the
last time. YEARLY she opened her eyes
for one long look into the faces of those
who had hurried into the room at her cry.
A convulsive shuddering Of her whole
wasted frame. one frightened fearful gaze
upward, a slight foamlng froth az her
mouth, tinged with blood. and with one
last awful sigh she closed her eyes. and |
over the distorted face spread the sweet. |
peaceful smile OF a liberated soul. and |
she was at rest, as she seemed to sleep.