The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-04-13

went on. II was not eavesdropping. l camo
down again to write a note to you. that I
might send it to you early in the morning.
l have no need TO write it now. l must
apologize. Lady Dorothy. for having made
you the recipient OF my unwelcome atten-
tons"
l lifted my hand 10 my throat. 1 tried to
speak, did not understand what he meant.
The words died on my lips. Oh, how strange
people are now that l have come in touch
with them again, A great wave Of feeling
came surging over me that 1, who had
longed for two long weary centuries to
nave touch once more with the living, had
better have remained in the company of the
poor knave in the western wing.
The man called k~ilhampton turned to the
other man whom l had found in the room.
Murray" he said. Il must do you the JUS
tice to say that L heard every word that
passed between you. and must exonerate
you from all blame in this matter. AT the
same time. Lady Dorothy. so far as I am
concerned, is free from this moment"
The man called Murray made a step for
ward. "Kilhampton, 1 swear to you he
began.
You needn't swear. 1 believe you with
out it. Lady Dorothy. 1 Will bid you fare
WELL"
There was an instant's pause. oh. my
heart beat SO hard It choked the words that
came tumbling to my unaccustomed lips.
~ ~ wit III. AhoA NO4 hdNc ulS.
carded the ring that 1 gave you. You will
doubtless send ii 10 me in the morning"
He never waited for my reply: he turned
and went. And l stood there not compre-
bending. not exactly understanding-oh, no,
not then understanding at all.
Don't you think, Lady Dorothy" said
Murray. that you had better go back 10
| your room?'
1 looked at him. I wrung my hands in
my distress Would you explain to me-"
1 said. would you explain all that that
gentleman said?'
THAT gentleman? lord KilhamptonT'
rs he Lord ~kiihampton? l don't know. I
have seen him about the house. He spoke
as If he knew me. He said he had given
me a ring. l have no ring. Look!" And I
put out my hands to show him that there
was no jewel Of any kind encircling any one
of my fingers.
He never gave you a ring2 Oh, yes,
Lady Dorothy. indeed he did, L can vouch
for it. for l saw it the first day that you
wore it"
But you have never seen me before" I
cried.
Il have never seen you beforei My dear
Lady Dorothy-oh. this must be looked into.
Let me go and rouse your father and
mother. Let me fetch K~ilhampton back
again. She must be walking in her Sleep
he said. He spoke as if to himself.
Il am not walking in my sleep. You can
AOl clIh iN laIAltE dE4C InCJHeE- 1ney W
been dead 200 years and more" =
This is horrible." he exclaimed.
He was already at the door.
DC You mind waiting here until I re-
turn?'
Yes. I will wait"
He seemed to be gone some few minutes.
You know we poor ghosts have no great
knowledge OF time.
Presently. I heard them coming back. I
heard Murray's eager voice. "Oh. out Of her
senses my dear fellow. She's a walking in
her sleep: she's not rational 1 thought
she was until you had gone out Of the room.
she says her father and mother have been
dead 200 years"
turned and looked at them as they came
in. Lord Kilhampton came straight across
the room to me. Dorothy he said. you
don't feel we'll"
Yes. 1 feel as I Always do. 1 was 50 happy
when I found-that-I could speak and hold
communication with-with this gentleman.
But he says you gave me a ring. You never
gave me a ring. 1 never had a ring In my
life."
Indeed I did give you a ring last week,
Dorothy"
NO. 1 held up my hand to show him
that it was ~rinsless.
He caught at it. That Is not Dorothy's
hand. Look. you know her so well. Murray.
The fingers are quite different. She had a
long third finger. This 10
the shape of the nails.
Who are you%"
Il AMI AMI was Dorothy
Dorothy Trench. Not my Dorothy
Trench? It's not the same hand. Murray.
/ tell you 1t isn't the same hand. And her
clothes-Dorothy hasn't got a dress like
this. This is a fancy dress"
Lady Dorothy was wearing a blue dress
last night at dinner"
Yes. a blue dress. Not like this. not this
color. 1t isn't the same. Who are your
Il told you I was Dorothy Trench once"
But who are you nowT'
Il suppose 1 am Dorothy Trench now"
what do you mean by your father and
mother having been dead for 20 years?'
"Of. don't you understand? l was that
Dorothy Trench who was killed at the foot
Of the stairs there. I have been wandering
about this house unseen. unsupported for
200 years. / can't get over to the other side.
where my near relations are, and so I have
been lowering about for go years until to-
night. And then I came down here-I think
I came to look for the Dorothy Trench that
lives now-the girl 1 saw you walking with
in the gallery only to-day: the girl who was
talking about me. Don't you understand"
You don't mean that you are a ghost?"
We'll. II think / am myself. I am not
dead. because l am here; I am not alive. be-
cause nobody has seen me for go years. and
1 thought this gentleman" stretching out
my hand toward the other man. I though.
this gentleman would heip me. L never
knew till to-day why / was SO lonely. why
I could not go where all my near relations
went when they left this planet. 1 know
now. though l don't exactly know how the
knowledge came to me, that 1 have been
earthbound. You see. I was killed. mean
Il can't explain it. but II somebody would
love me Just a little. it would help me 10
get out Of this terrible condition. and to.
70 onward to my own people"
His face changed. Nay" he said: that
seems q pity. Since you have come. can't
you stay altogether
Tho suggestion broke the spell. With .
cry. I turned and fed back to the gallery.
where / had lived In loneliness for two long
centuries. I sped straight to the place where
a desk stood. Yes. there was pen. ink and
paper. But the time had gone by. 1 could
not trace a single word. 1 felt weak. ex-
hausted, powerless. and some strange voice
came to me, saying: Rest for a little
while. Dorothy Trench. Later on the power
will come, so that you can write down your
story. and then you will rest again.
and in that time Of peace you win be
waited over to the other side"
Next w~esk-"Dcdsing the Interviewer" by
Walter f. Pine.
80 $1,000 -