The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-08-09


their puzzling manifestations about
wondering, flesh-incumbered mortals-
on that night slipped from my bed
room few minutes before u o'clock,
and with a fast-beating heart / felt
my way down the stairs, through the
hall to the long parlor which opened
upon it.
1 reached the door, felt for the knob,
gently turned it, and opened the door
noiselessly. AS l did so | could have
sworn that someone glided behind it.
was in darkness, but involuntarily
l turned my head toward the door. Had
not someone closed it? I could have
swooned with terror. Nonsense! At
all events, it was as bad to retreat as
to go forward now.
Again I turned my head to listen.
My knees touched at last the marble
shelf which held the mirror; I stopped,
and struck match upon its under
surface, lit the candle with which /
was provided, raised it well above my
head, and looked into the mirrors
depths.
No sound Of joyous awe escaped
from my lips-hardly, while that look
Of fascinated horror filed my eyes. My
knees gave way like props suddenly
withdrawn. 1 should have fallen, but
that strong mans arms were about
me; my head fell, perforce, upon his
breast, being unable to sustain itself.
In heavens name, control yourself"
he whispered, and neither face nor
voice was Charley's.
This adventure ought to have cured
me of all desire to keep unhallowed
Halloween trysts; but on three success
sive anniversaries I looked in the old
mirror at midnight. / might ask, as
did on the first occasion. what did I
expect? and repeat what I said then;
that it was piece of childishness. But
to renounce it seemed like renouncing
Charley. I did it half playfully, half
Loyalty, wistfully too, as a sort Of me-
mortal service to his image, which still
lived in my dreams and threw its ra-
dance over my reveries. AS the years
went by the sentiment assumed a tinge
Of superstition, and the little midnight
service became obligatory.
What had become Of him? I knew
not; darkness and silence had swai-
lowed him; but the sea sometimes
yields up its dead, and was it not just
possible that beside the antique mirror,
where he had promised to meet me,
laughingly swearing that he never
broke his wcrd-was not it just posi-
BILE some message, some revelation
might come to me?
October had come again, the fifth
since Charley had left me. He had had
almost five years to cultivate an aura
and collect his auriferous deposits.
"See here, Charley I said, as the
last night Of the years sweetest month
was waning, Il am going to give up
mysticism for matrimony. I'll have
to marry to get rid of this awful habit
Of expecting the 3lst Of October. I'll
have to accept Tom Allin in self-de-
fense. There's insanity in this mad
ness.
I got up from the lounge on which
I had thrown myself face downward,
and, despite my bravado, there were
tears Of desperate longing in my eyes.
The clock was striking the last quar-
ter before twelve. looked disheyeled,
and felt forlorn, and yet, contradic-
torily, there swept over me something
like an emotion of hatred for him when
thought that in all likelihood he was
gay and happy and heart-whole, while
was on the eve Of my yearly de-
Yotional ceremony-my dark and
trembling pilgrimage downstairs. The
futility, the imbecility Of it made me
heartsick.
pressed my fingers to my eyes
fercely as if to wipe his features from
my retina. In vain; I shuddered with
delight, for he seemed to be right there
beside me, and every trail and charm
that had won my soul appealed to it
resistlessly again Indeed it was as if
the eloquent page one has learned to
love had revealed fresh features, sub
tier meanings, in type and text.
glanced at the clock; five minutes
gone. I threw Of my wrapper, as
sumed a Louis Quinze gown and stuck
bunch of roses Gan offering from my
pis aller, Tom) in my corsage.
One minute Of 12I
Heavens! Suppose I should be too
late; suppose he had come and gone
looked in the mirror, and, not seeing
me, vanished! And yet, II fell down.
stairs and broke my neck Charley
would be my murderer. To save him
from this ghastly responsibility mod
Grated my speed. II I had been in
blooners I would have slid down the
banisssrs.
was in front OF the mirror now,
and tew1 clock doomed u. I was
so excited that its reverberations shook
me like a rough hand. l could scarce
Iy hold the candle Ut was blessed, by
the way, but up above my head I car
Tied 1t at ease, while my eyes searched
the mirror; and, believe it OF not, from
its clear depths, as if from the waters
Of the past, looked Charley.
"Rose!" and the voice was Charley's.
"Oh, Charley and the arms that
enfolded me were Charley's.
A brief interval, all that life ever
yields us, was given to rapture, and
then realism ramped upon the scene.
Remembering my first trying vigil, /
murmured with awe:
How did you get in?"
Just as I did four years ago.
-Four years ago"
Fact. I never break an engagement
with lady, even my sweetheart; but
I am as polite as punctual Cat times),
and as another gentleman had you IN
his embrace on that occasion very
CONSIDERABLY Gas 1 thoughD retired. l