Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-01-17

He was here an instant before; now
he was gone, How? Not through the
door. for that was still closed. | opened
il and looked out into the hall. No one
was in sight. looked around the room
again: no one there. He had not gone
through the window. for the shutters
were still closed and the dish of pan
sizes still stood undisturbed on the sill.
Il dropped breathless and trembling
into my chair. What did it mean?
Something on the side of the table
where Frank had stood, caught my eye.
| looked closer; it was 4 rose. | picked
it up. 1t was fresh, its stem still wet,
and an exact counterpart in color and
form of those in the jar, but | was sure
that there had been no rose on the
table when | sat down. What did this
mean? Had Frank dropped it there as
a token? Then | remembered the mes
sage which l had promised to deliver.
Il left the house at once, without
having seen or spoken to any one. and
went directly to the home where
Franks widow lived. AS rang the bell
she opened the door to me.
"'Oh, MIR. Forster, she said. L felt
sure you would come. Bess is i'll, and
am so anxious about her.
Il followed her into the room where
the child lay in her crib in a feverish
slumber. the Iose-flush of her cheeks
turned 10 a burning red, her hands
hot. her breath labored: and as l
locked at her my heart grew heavy
with foreboding. 1t must be true. Her
father had called her to come to him,
and | must tell the motheri
She must have seen something
strange in my face and manner, for she
turned to me with a quick apprehen-
sion of coming trouble paling her face.
What is it, Mr.. Forster? Do you
think she is
Her voice failed her. and she sank
on her knees by the child and moaned,
o my baby. must you go too?'
Then she turned to me and said in
a low voice. Mr.. Forster. | almost be-
lieve that Frank has called her to
come to him, for this morning, as she
lay quiet and | thought she was asleep,
she suddenly opened her eyes and lifted
up her hands. calling out in such
glad. pleased way, Papa! Papa.
Papa." She looked as if she saw him
What do you think? Did she?'
Il told her then as gently as could
what / had seen and heard. and gave
her the message that had been given
to me by something that had worn
Franks face and spoken with Franks
voice.
She looked at me steadily while |
told her ali. and when l had finished.
all she said was. 'Bess will go too
And she did. 1t was only few days
before little Bess died, and we laid her
by her father who had so loved her,
and who had come back from that un-
known bound to call her to him. With
in a year Mary had followed them.
Now, Miss Evans. what was it stood
before me in the solitude of my room,
wearing the living scmbiance of my
dead friend. and speaking to me in his
own well-known voice? Was it dream
an illusion? am sure ii was neither
If ever | may believe the evidence of
my senses. then | must-I do believe
that it was Frank himself, drawn back
from that misty borderland' by love
stronger than death ITSELF and this be-
lief has been a great and comforting
assurance to me-"
They sat silent, Dicks face grave,
his look distracted from outward
things.
The birds were flying westward to
the woods where their nesting places
were. All the air was full of golden
glory. Across the swelling water
shimmering path led away TO the red
heart of the sinking sun. A fresh breeze
out of the northeast sent the long
waves rUnning 10 the shore to break in
curling foam-fringes on the pebbly
beach.
Out of the shadowy depths along the
horizon line grew a white sail, return
ing.
''See.' she said. pointing to it, Then
she held out her hand to him. smiling
gently-'I thank ou.'-The Criterion.
Iisnppearing Water.
DEVILS Lake in North Dakota, the
largest body of water in the state. COW
ers about $50 square miles. 1t is a
glacial lake, and once had an outlet tc
the south into the Cheyenne river.
through a channel which is now well
marked and empty. Observations for
the last nineteen years show an almost
uninterrupted sinking of the water
level. Groves of trees. which once
stood at the beach, are now separated
from it by broad strips of land. and
the shallow parts of the lake notably
the long arms and bays, have been left
quite dry.
Another change is in the water from
fresh to salt. This has taken place
within the memory of man and is in
some particulars producing serious re-
suits. Fish were found in great abun-
dance no to about 1883, but now prac.
tically none are caught.
The United States geological survey
has established benchmark near the
lake, and. under the charge of Profes.
sor c. M. Hale. of the state agricul-
tnral college. will make careful rec.
crds and a general study of the fiuctua.
tons of the waters.
An Ambition. Ma