The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-02-24

Ralph came home towards daybreak
| to fling himself upon the couch for an
| hours sleep, and when he awake his
wife slept by his side. He started up
and looked at her, almost doubling his
own senses. How very beautiful she
! was, her mouth with the just parted
scarlet lips, showing the pearls within,
one exquisite arm under her head, and
the long eyelashes curving upward
from the glowing cheek. Ralph touched
her hand and she awoke.
"Imogene. he said sternly, will you
explain this problem to me? Here have
| been searching for you these four
and-twenty hours and more, and now /
find you calmly asleep, without single
word to me to relieve my anxiety
Where have you been?"
Il have been away. was called away
on business"
On business? Very we'll. What was
the nature of that busness"
1T was a private matter which con-
Germs no one but myself" she replied.
a little haughtily-
Private business. Imogene, wife
should have no secrets from her hus-
band. do not wish to pry into your af-
fairs, but it will be better to confide this
thing to me at once"
II have nothing that | can cOnfide."
This is very singular, Imogene. l
warn you that the ike of this must not
occur again. If it does, shall be severe
" dispieased. Mark You that. My wife
must not subject herself to vulgar re-
mark
We will pass the subject il you
please, she said, in such manner that
he did not resume it,
AS the time passed Ralph Trenholme
Srew cold and reticent. All his old gen.
iality seemed to have died out of him.
He was never cross, but he was not af-
fecti1nate. He did not kiss his mother
and Agnes as he was wont, and though
he treated his wife with the most pune
tilious respect, she was to him no dear
er than any other woman.
Strange stories were afloat among the
ears of the master. At first they excited
only his indignation. He regarded them
merely as silly inventions of the elder
ly butler. who was Of Celtic origin. and
most ridiculously superstitious. They
said that at nights the doors of the
chamber where Marina had died were
heard to open and shut that ghostly
feet paced back and forth across the
floor, and that sometimes late at night
pale. spectral lights cleaned from the
dusky windows, far out through the
gloom.
Mrs Trenho.me was greatly dis |
tressed by these tales, and Ralph posi- J
lively forbade the discussion of the sub |
iect at any time in the house. He would
not encourage such foolish supersti-
ton. he said, Indignantly But soon he
was forced TO acknowledge that there1
was something at work beside imagin- |
alton. He was detained until late one
night in his study, which was in the |
east wing of the house, and only little |
distance from the chamber of blood. |
Through the dead silence came dis
tinctly to his ear the sound of a door |
being opened a door which creaked !
upon it's hinges, like one long disused. |
He remembered, with half-suppress-
ed shudder, that the door of that cham
Der creaked.
He sprang up, seized the lamp and |
hurried to the place. The door, which |
had always been kept locked since the |
was ajar. He entered the |
chamber and stood appalled, By what he
saw. In the center of the room, stand
ing just where the dark spot on the |
carpet showed that there the crime had |
been done, was tall, white figure, it's |
head enveloped in something misty and |
white, its right arm extended toward |
the empty chair where she last sat.
For a moment Ralph stood still with |
but only for a moment. He |
was man OF nerve, and he reached /
forward to seize upon the apparition-
to determine whether it belonged to |
the world OF shadows or of flesh and |
blood. But at the first step rush of |
air, cod as that from an inclosed tomb,
swept over him, extinguishing his
light.
The place was dark as Erebus. He
heard faint, shivering sigh at his very
elbow, then the soft closing of a dis
tant door, and all was still. He CROPPED |
his way out of the dreadful place, got |
another light, and went up to his wife's
chamber. She was sleeping soundly,
and he did not disturb her, but sat
down TO think over the strange thing
ne had witnessed. But the more he