The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-25

Now. to my great surprise, she asked
me to take seat. 1T seems ungra-
cious," she remarked, that in my own
house | should be so inhospitable as TO
keep you standing. Aud yet it is not
my house; it is yours.
Obedient 10 her command. for such |
felt it to he. | resumed my seat, and
to my delight, She took a chair not far
from me. Seated. She seemed more
graceful and lovely than when she stood.
Her shapely hands lay in her lap; soft
lace fell over them, like tender mist
upon n cloud As she looked at me her
eyes were raised.
"Does It distress you that this house
should now be mine!' | asked
''Oh, no, no." she answered, with ami
nation; Il am very glad of IL The
elderly couple who lived here before you
were not to my liking. Once year, on
Christmas eve. | am privileged 10 spend
one hour in this house. and although /
have never failed 10 he here at the APP
pointed time. it has been years, as | told
YOU, since | saw Il fire on that hearth
and Il living being in this hall. | knew
you were here. and | am glad of IT. 1t
pleases me greatly that one is living here
who prizes this old place as l once
prize it, This mansion was built for
me by my husband upon the site Of II
smaller house. which he removed. The
grounds about it, which | thought 50
lovely are far more lovely now. For
four years ! lived here in perfect happi-
ness, and now one hour each year some
thing of that happiness is renewed"
Ordinarily / have good control of my
~
moment | seemed to have lost all pow
or over myself; my thoughts ran wild. TO
my amzement. | became conscious that
/ was falling in loye-in love with some
thing which did not exist; in love with
a woman who once had been. 1t was
absurd: it was ridiculous: but there was
no power within me which could pre-
vent ii.
After all, this rapidly growing passion
was not altogether absurd. She was an
ideal which far surpassed any ideal |
had ever formed for the mistress of my
home. More than that she had really
been the mistress of this house, which
was now my home. Here was vision
of the past fully revealed to my eyes
As the sweet voice fell upon my ears,
how could L help looking upon it as
thing real and loving it.
l think she perceived my agitationi
she looked upon me wonderingly.
II hoped very much" she said, that
you would be in this hall when l should
come down tonight, but l feared that
/ should disturb you, that perhaps
might startle Or"
| could not restrain myself. / rushed
Il l. Il ;,fo toI
sionate earnestneSs.
''Startlr or trouble me-" | exclaimed
ooh, gracious lady, you have done but
one thing to me to-night-you have made
me love you. Pardon me; cannot help
it. Do not speak of impossibilities, OF
of passionate rawlings. of unmeaning
words. Lady, love you; may not love
you as you are, but | love you as you
were. No happiness on earth could equal
that of seeing you real--the mistress OF
this house, and myself the master"
She rose, drew back little, and stood
looking at me. If she had been true
flesh and blood she could not have acted
more naturally.
For some. moments there was silence,
and then terrible thought came into
my head. Had / a right to speak to
of something that had been? She had
told me of her husband; she had spoken
Of her daughter; but she had said no
word which would give me reason to be-
lieve that little girl was fatherless when
her mother led her around the hall and
explained to her the family portraits Had
| Oeen addressing my Wild words of
passion to one whose beauty and grace,
I,alN
to another? Had / spoken as / should
not have spoken even to the vision of a
well-loved wife? / trembled with apprc-
hension.
Pardon me-" / said. ''if | have been
imprudent. Remember that | know sc
little about you, even as you were"
When she answered there was nothing
of anger in her tone, but she spoke soft
~, and with, l thought, a shade OF
pity.
you have said nothing to offend me,
but every word you have spoken has
been so wild and so far removed from
sense and reason that / am unable to
comprehend your feelings
''They are easy to underestimate | ex'
claimed. Il have seen my ideal Of the
woman I could love. love you: that
is all! Again say it, and l say it with
all my heart: Would you were real
Would you were real.'
She smiled. | am sure now she I'M
derstood my passion. / am sure she ex-
pected it. / am sure that she pitied
me.
Suddenly a change Of expression came
over her face. beaming interest shone
from her eyes; she took some steps to
ward me.
Il told YOU" said she, speaking quick
ly, that what you have said seems tC
be without sense or reason, and yet il
may mean something. / assure you that
your words have been appreciated.
know that each one of them is true anC
comes from your heart. And now lister
to me while | tell you" At that mo-
ment the)infernal clock upon the land
place struck one. 1t was like the crash
of doom. / stood alone in the great
hall
The domestics lin that old house sup
posed that | spent Christmas day alone
but they were mistaken, for wherever
went my fancy pictured near me the
beautiful vision Of the night before. She
walked with me in the crisp morning
air; led her through the quiet old rooms
and together we went up the great stair
case and stood before the clock-tht