Evening star., 1902-01-04
ad become black; the evening was very


the world strange things happen: man in
the street will find himself able to hear
| what is said in the houses. though doors
| and windows are closed; whispers a long
way off viii be heard as though they were
| loud voices close at hand. 1t is not, there
| fore, strange that Isabel overheard without
the least intention OF listening a converse
| ton carried on in low tones some 40 or 100
| feet away, beside the fountain in the midst
of the square. There were no other voices;
| the square was silent; there were no foot
steps In it; on such an evening with an i'm
pending storm, people kept at home
This is part of what she heard. The
| voices were those of her friend Oliver and
| her companion Alice:
love you. Alice, love you-only you-you.
with all my heart and all my soul-only
| you
Isabel sat up and gazed out into the
| darkness. For a few moments there was
no reply, no other noise than the FLASHING
Of the fountain
Then Alice spoke Oh. she knew the soft
and murmurous voice. But they were
| words of loyalty.
| Sir she said. '.you must not say such
| thing You must not. Indeed, sir, if You
talk in this manner cannot stay and lis
"Aiice"' 1t was as If he took her hand.
MOI! It was as IL she pushed it away.
Oh Mr.. Mcnamara, you have told me
that you are bound by every tie of graft
tude to madam"
ut is true. By every tie. What then?
| And SO am /. Believe me, sir, would
rather cut Off my right hand than offened
or injure madam. She Is an angel of good
| ness
Isabel strained her ears at the open win
dow. Alice was loyal-was loyal. And
''She is-she is,'' he said "I acknowl-
| edge. Yet, Alice.I think of you all day
long"
You must think of me no longer Be
| sides, who am / that you should think of
| me? My father is a bankrupt-and worse:
he leads shameful life; he drinks and he
| begs. He left us without help and has
never tried to find work. And my mother
| is supported by madam's charity. You
| ought to look higher, Mr.. Mcnamara. You
are gentleman"
81 want nothing higher, Alice 1 want
| you
And there is another thing madame!
| 1 am quite sure--madam thinks about you
Isabel groaned with shame. 1t was true
| but that Alice should have perceived it,
| Thinks about me?'
| In one way, mean You must under
| stand Mr. Macnamara? Why-she is still
young; she is beautiful she is charming;
she is full Of kindness-cannot syou under
stand?"
"Alice-I can think of nothing but you
| This was all the conversation. Perhaps
| the wind changed; perhaps other things in
terfered; Isabel heard no more
She had heard enough; the dream of a
second love on which she had built SO many
hopes, was shattered. He would always
| world but Alice. What had Mrs Brymer
| said? That the girl would do her mis-
| chief.
Some womcn-smaller women-woud
| have reproached the girl: would have found
| some excuse for driving her away. Isabel
did not. She knew very well that the
| charms of eight and twenty cannot rival
those of eighteen, especially with a face
| all loVeltneSS and sweetness, such as that
| of the girl Alice.
She sat at the window, the room in da rk-
| ness and thought over this misfortune.
| Nothing could be done; the man must mar
| ry Alice; she must forget her dream, and
so. over and over again, repeating to her
| self the same words.
A little later. Alice came home, alone.
Madam! you are in the dark! Will you
| choose to have candles?"
Presently, Alice. One pair only. I do
| not want to read
! Her voice was constrained. "You have a
headache, madam. VIII You not go to bed?
| Shall l call your maid? May 1 undress
you? Let me do something for You,
| madam"
mo. Alice no. Send for candles only.
And you go to bed. Tell my maid that
| shall not want her this evening. l think
| that We shall have thunder before long
So, good night, good night, my child"
| Presently she heard the servants locking
| up the house and going to bed, but still she
| sat on, beside the window; her candles on
! table beside her, alone among the wreck
| and the ruins of her shattered hopes.
| She was in no hurry to go to her own
! room. The storm was working up; it would
| soon burst over her head; flashes of dis
! with low grumblings of thunder. She sat
| watching the square bursting into light for
a moment. and then falling back into dark
| ness impenetrable
| Suddenly, without any reason, with no
| warning, having heard nothing that could
| terrffy her, and being entirely unsuspicious
| or what might happen-the thing indeed
| Iarthest from her thoughts-she fell into {.
4 "a C1rrf fpba he
| chair; she leaned forward, peering into the
| twilight OF the room. imperfectly lit by her
| two candies; her limbs shook. her hands
! trembled, her cheeks turned pale 1t was
| large room, covered with a thick carpet
| on which footsteps were not heard; and it
| was in kind Of twilight, with it's two can
ales IN one corner. She tried to reassure
| herself: there was nothing; why-why-was
she seized by this strange and unreasonable
| terror?
Then the storm burst overhead. The
| lghtnings played about the square; the
| thunder crashed and rolled; the room
sprang into light, and-oh, mercifuI heay-
| ems! What was thato
Another flash lit up the room and she
| saw before her the dead man, the negro
| whom she had married! He stood In the
| room. facing her, the big black man. with
fiery eyes and cleaning teeth. Another,
| and third flash. The dead man had
drawn nearer.
Then Isabel. catching at the arms of her
cnalr. n rose to her feet. Speak, she said.
risen from the dead? What do you want
| with me?''
The dead man made no reply, but he took
| a step nearer.
Speak, Isabel cried again-swhy-why-
do you come from the dead?'
| why, said the voice from the grave
with chuckle. can a dead man laugh?
You are my Wife. You were married to me
In Newgate, when l was lying cast for
| DEATH"
oh! He speaks Tell me-ten me-what
| do you want?"
why, madam. you thought 1 was to be
hanged a-Monday. You were wrong Be
cause l was not hanged. They gave me
| respite, and sent me to Virginia-to the
| tations!'' p-'-
,..'oh: he is alive! Good heavens. he is
| aliye!'
(To be continued)
| Comments ON Cider
! From the Spectator.
A good deal has been said of late in the