The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-03-06

ray of sunshine fell across a dish of
pansies on the wlndow-sill making
them look like whimsical babyfaces,
an a-smiling The quiet, sunny room /
was certainly empty Of any human
form except my own.
Dropping my eyes to my book, / re- /
sumed my reading, when instantly |
something impelled me 70 look up again. |
and there before me, standing at tie OPP |
posite side of the table, between It and |
the fireplace and not five feet away,
was Frank He looked perfectly natur-
al in every respect lie was dressed In
a dark suit that was familiar 10 me.
His face wore the same pleasant smile
| used to know so well, but his eyes
though kind, had a strange, grave In
tentness in their steadfast look that
impressed me as an appeal
"As the fact of his presence flashed
upon me in that swift glance he spoke
to me: Dick, want Bess. want her
to come to me-
why do you want her to Gomez
asked DO you think 1t would be bet
ter for her to go to you than to stay
here? Have you any knowledge of fu-
ture evils that might befall her on
earth?
No, / have not he replied; but I
want her with me. I went to her today
and called her, and she lifted up her
hands and cried for "Papal" l know
she wants to come
"'But, said, poor Mary
81 know he interrupted, adding in
a solemn tone that awed me, yet she
shall be comforted. She shall find us
after a little
Well, | said, I will go to her and
tell her what you" then | was alone
There was no one in the room but
myself. What was the matter? Had
been dreaming? Impossible! My head
was a clear and my senses as keenly
alert as now while I am telling you
this.
Where was the presence with which
| had been conyersing a moment be-
fore. with all the calmness of ordinary
everyday intercourse between friends
and without the quickening of heart
beat?
Until then I had not realized any
thing unusual in the appearance Of my
friend before me, but as the fact Of his
amazing disappearance forced itsel
on my mind l must confess that colo
SILVER shook me.
HE was here an instant before; nov
l he was gone! How? Not through thu
p door, for that was still closed l opened
[ it and looked out into the hall. No on
was in sight. looked around the room
again; no one there He had not gon
4 through the window, for the shutter
I were still closed, and the dish of pan
7 sizes still stood undisturbed on the sill
d 81 dropped breathless and tremblin
$ into my chair What did it mean
Something on the side of the tabl
d where Frank had stood, caught my eyt
v looked closer; it was rose. | pickle
= it up. 1t was fresh, its stem still we
e and an exact counterpart in color an
e form of those in the jar, but l was SUI
70 that there had been no rose on tE
d table when | sat down. What did tn
II mean? Had Frank dropped it there {
d a token? Then | remembered the me
sage which | had promised to deliye
n 81 left the house at once, withol
* having seen or spoken to any one, al
IN went directly to the home whe
s. Franks widow lived. AS l rang the BIZ
she opened the door to me.
w "'Oh Mr.. Forster she said, I fe
sure you would come. Bess is i'll, and
a. am so anxious about her.
81 followed her into the room whe
r. the child lay in her crib in feveri
u slumber, the rose-fush of her chez
ct turned to a burning red, her han
an hot, her breath labored and as
"a looked at her my heart grew hea
of with foreboding. 1t must be true! H
father had called her to come to hi
and / must tell the mother!
mt "She must have seen somethi
cir strange in my face and manner, for S
he turned to me with quick appreht
". sion of coming trouble paling her ia
,rv "'What is it, Mr.. Forster? Do y
think she is
~ "FIer voice failed her, and she sa
'ob on her knees by the child and moan
he % my baby, must you go too?'
"Then she turned to me and said
~, a low voice, Mr. Forster, l almost
IN lieve that Frank has called her
come to him, for this morning, as
Tho lay quiet and l thought she was aisle
In she suddenly opened her eyes and lii
COG up her hands, calling out in sucE
0C9