The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-05-27
(Continued.)

walked about the house from room
TO room. with the lawyers letter In my
bosom G was afraid by this time even
TO trust IL under lock and key), TIL the
/ oppression of my suspense half maddened
me- There Were no signs OF IAura's re-
I turn. and thought OF going out TO look
/ for her But my strength was ex-
| hausted by the trials and anxeties OF the
morning that the heat Of the day quite
| overpowered me; and, after an attempt
10 get 10 the door. l was obliged 10 re-
/ turn TO the drawing room and lie down
on the nearest sofa TO recover.
! was just composing myself. when the
! door opened softly. and the Count looked
In.
"A thousand pardons. Miss Halcombe.
he said; II only venture 10 disturb you
because I am the bearer OF good news.
PeTcival--who is capricious In everything.
as YOU know-has seen ft 10 alter his
mind, at the last moment. and the busi
ness Of the signature is put or for the
present a great relief 10 all Of US. Miss
Halcombe. as see with pleasure in your
face. Pray present my best respects and
Fluctuations when you mention this pleas
ant change Of circumstances TO Lady
I Clyde
! He left me before | had recovered my
tastonishment. There could be no doubt
I that this extraordinary alteration Of pur
| pose in the matter OF the signature was
due To his influence: and that his discov-
! cry OF my application 10 London yester-
day, and OF my having received an an
swer to IL today had offered him the
means Of interfering with certain success.
l felt these Impressions: but my mind
seemed 10 share the exhaustion OF my
body. and l was In no condition TO dwell
on them. with any useful reference 10 the
doubtful present or the threa atening flu
ture. tried second time 10 run out
and find Laura; but my head was giddy.
and my knees trembled under me. There
was no choice but 10 give IL up again
and return to the sofa, sorely against
my will.
The quiet In the house. and the low
murmuring hum OF summer insects out
side the open window soothed me- My
eyes closed OF themselves: and l passed
gradually into a strange condition. which
was not waking-for ! knew nothing OF
what was going on about me: and not
sleeping--for l was conscious of my own
repose. In this state, my fevered mind
broke loose from me- while my weary
body was at rest: and. In a trance. or
day dream OF my fancy know not what
TO call it--I saw Walter Hartright. L
had not thouhgt Of him since I rose that
morning; Laura had not said one word
10 me. either directly or indirectly. refer
ring TO him-and yet. l saw him now, as
plainly as II the past time had returned,
and we were both together again at Linn
meridge house.
He appeared TO me as one among other
men. none OF whose faces / could plainly
discern. They were all lying on the steps
OF an immense ruined temple Colossal
tropical trees-with rank creepers twining
endlessly about their trunks. and hideous
stone idols glimmerng and grinning at
intervals behind leaves and stalks and
branches--surrounded the temple. and shut
out the sky. and threw a dismal shadow
over the forlorn band OF men on the steps.
White exhalations twisted and curled up
stealthily from the ground. approached
the men In wrea tbs. like smoke. touched
them; and stretched them out dead, one
by one. in the places whore they lay. An
agony Of pity and fear for Walter loosened
my tongue. and mplored him 10 escape.
Come back, come back" l said Re
member your promise To her and me.
Come back to us before the Pestilence
reaches you. and lays you dead like the
rest
He looked at me. with an unearthly
quiet I'm his face
Wait" he said. Il shall come back.
The night when ! met the lost woman on
the highway was the night which set my
sign that Is yet unseen. Here lost in
the wilderness or there. welcomed back
in the land Of my birth am still walking
on the dark road which leads me and you
and the sister of your love and mine to
the unknown Retribution and the inevi
table end. Wait and look. The pestilence
which touches the rest will pass me-
| saw him again. He was still in the
forest; and the numbers of HIS lost COM
f,ap ha
temple was gone. and the idols were gone
and in their place. the figures OF dark,
dwarfish men lurked murderously among
the trees. with bows In their hands. and
arrows fitted 10 the string. Once more i
feared for Walter. and cried out TO warn
him. once more he turned 10 me, with
the -immovable- quiet in his face. An
other step he said ION the dark road.
Wait and look. The arrows that strike
the rest win spare me-"
| saw him for the third time. In
wrecked ship, stranded on a wild. sandy
shore.
The overloaded boats were making
away from him for the land, and he alone
was left 10 sink with the ship. cried
to him TO hail the hindmost boat. ana 10 !
make n last effort for his life The I
quiet face looked at me I'm return. ana /
chsngelcss reply. Another step on the
Journey. Wait ard look. The sea which /
browns the rest VIII spare me.
| saw him for tho last time. lie was /
kneeling by the tomb OF white marble I
and the shadow OF a yelled woman rose 4
out OF the grave beneath. and waited by
his side The unearthly quiet OF his face
had changed 20 an unearthly sorrow But F
the terrible certainty OF his words re-
tnqined lhe same. Darker and darkcr.' /
he said. further ana further vet. Death .
takes the good the beautiful and the .
spares me. The pestilence I,
that wastes. tho arrow that strikes, tho .
sea that drowns the grave that closes .
over love and hope. are steps of my jour
ney. and takes me nearer and nearer to .
tho end"
Ny heart sunk under a dread beyond
words under a grief beyond tears. The
darkness closed round the pilgrim at the
marble tomb: closed round the yelled .
woman from the grave. closed round the f
dreamer who looked on them. J saw ana .
heard no more.
1 was reused by n hand laid on my
-L..ALa..-- L