The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-05-31
OUT OF THE MIST.

he had been adored by many women
Having much, much was permitted tt
him-to be capricious, to be fantastical
to have eccentricities, to carry self in
diligence to the utmost limit, even tt
be cruel.
1t was caprice which drove him from
London in the middle of the season an(
made him take little tumbled dowI
cottage near the village of Lowsteat
and live there alone, to the anger of hi
servants and the mystifcation of hi
personal friends. 1t was not all caprice
vanity came into it. His vanity wal
fiattered when he mystified people
That is easy to explain-their mystifica
ton implied interest There was yet 6
third reason. He was strangely practi
cal for one so idealistio; he had made G
contract with publisher to finish Ger
tain work in certain time. In the
country he would be able to work with
out interruption.
1t had rained all the morning, the
drops pattering on the loaded window
in which he sat, with his writing paG
on his knee. In the afternoon the raiI
had ceased. The sky was still gray
The empty moorland, the water drip
ping from the trees, the cry of the cur
lews-all gave the scene a certain mel.
ancholy. Toward evening the mist lay
thick and gray over everything. He was
sensitive to this melancholy of the
world outside his windows. Late in the
evening, tired of his work, tired of the
French novel he had been attempting
to read, he went out A laboring man
passed him in the road and said "Gooo
night" Marone asked him the way tc
the next village, Arnmore. The man
pointed to the track across the mool
and warned him to be careful not to gel
off it. People had been lost in the mist
Marone laughed, lit cigarette, and,
leaving the road, walked quickly along
the track.
There was not breath of wind and
there was no sound in the air. The
mist hung motionless. The things that
he passed seemed to jump up suddenly
out of it. A gorse bush or a stunted
tree would take almost human move.
ment in the tricky light. Two or three
sheep came close up to him ont of the
gray veil and as suddenly turned and
scampered away again. He walked on.
He had left the track for some time be-
fore he noticed that he had done so.
He lit another cigarette and stood
perfectly still. He had quick ears and
was ready to catch the least sound Of a
football or of wheels on the cart track
and to give the call which would bring
him home again. If he heard nothing,
he would still, he told himself, be pa
tient enough to stand there and go on
smoking while the cigarettes lasted. By
that time the mist would probably have
lifted-it would be new experience.
Suddenly, though he did not hear the
least sound of any footstep, he was con-
scious that somebody was coming to-
ward him. At little distance the fig
ure looked like tall column, vague
and shapeless. AS it drew nearer the
mist illusion passed. 1t was woman,
yelled and dressed in gray. AS it came
close up to him he saw it was very
young woman, and that the lines Of her
figure were beautiful. She stopped when
she was close to him, but did not speak.
The silence seemed almost uncanny. He
took off his hat.
"Do not let me brighten you," he
said 81 am merely harmless traveller
lost in the mist, and, presume, you
are in similar case?''
She laughed. 1t was pretty, music
al laugh.
''Oh, no." she said, 81 know the
moor we'll. and often walk here when
the mist is thick like this. Perhaps
San guide you.
1T is exceedingly kind Of you," he
said. 81 am sorry to give you SO much
trouble, but if you could put me on the
track which leads to Arnmore | should
be infinitely obliged to you"
"Arnmore?'' she said. 81 am going
there myself"
He smiled, embarrassed little.
MAY /, he said, exchange my es-
cort for your guidance?"
Yes" she said. Come with me.
We may as we'll keep each other COM
pany this lonely night. ("
And now an idea which had been
growing in his mind, vague idea of
recognition, became more clear and pre-
else. He had heard the voice before; he
was sure of it. 1t seemed to him to
come from some time of the long ago
some time of which he had kept no
souvenir.
"It seems a strange thing to say" he
said, "but / cannot help thinking we
must have met before. 1 am sure rec
ognize your voice. -
eyes, " she said, "we have met. You
would have recognized my face, too,
even in this mist, if were not yelled.
/ knew you at once. You are Charles
Marone. -
"Will you not, !" he went on, "at
least put back your veil? / am sure
should recognize you then and know
your name. Wherever we met before
it is strange enough that we should
meet again like this, at night on the
moor lost in the mist and you my
guide.
YES she said, sit is strange. You
shall see my face, but not yet. Perhaps
you will remember without that. Tell
me. can you remember 90 years ago2"
Vaguely" he said. II was young
man then-a wild ass of the desert.
But what have 20 years to do with it,
for unless my judgment is very wrong
you cannot remember 20 years agof"
"Why not?" she said.
because, he said, laughing, "you
cannot possibly be 20 years of age"
"Never mind, " she said. "Twenty
years ago you did precisely what you
are doing now. You went away to a
village to get some work done. y
every likely" he said "That was
when was up at Oxford. 1t is not i'm
possibl but l have no clear recollec-
ton of it.
She began to hum tune. The tune,
like the voice, came back to him.
~ remember now-an old mill, an
orchard behind it. 1 was in the or
chard. "
She raised gloved hand, in which
she carried some fast fading flowers.
"Smell these, she said, land they
also will help your memory"
Their scent was curious, harsh and
heavy; not sweet and refreshing.
II know" he cried. "They grew
there all among the grass, those great
red peoples. Now 1 recall everything
and could even have sworn that yor
were''-
"Who?' she asked softly.
Zone who 20 years ago had the grace
and the voice and the figure that you
have now."
Out of the gray mist came a row Of
low, white painted ratings.
HTat mo root q 1ittIa - she said