Middletown transcript., 1904-08-06

warned, desperately.
4 Pas In tout, said Gratien, patiently
"a quick death and an unexpected one
| by heart-disease, has long been the ID
heritance OF the Vicomes Of Lorraine,
He bent over me as bespoke, and julie
came forward at sign.
| ] remembered but little Of what fol
lowed after swallowed the contents o
Gratien's petit verre, perhaps because til,
action of the narcotic was SO swift, and
was so soon in that terrible world O
dreams begotten by opiates. have reae
OF fowery visions which spring from sucf
doses, but mine were not like this. Ipass
ed through one horror after another un
till they reached the eliminating point o
hideousness when found myself beating
the walls of that last narrow prison which
in the end is each mans cell.
Most frantically did | writhe and, al
well as the cruelty close space would per
NIT, hammered against that lid which
knew would never rise to admit the bless
ed, blessed light Of the common sunshine
/ had so long despised.
As the knowledge Of my awful fate
was born keenly in upon me, as my hands
tore at my own flesh, my pent soul bub
ling at my very lips for escape-I awoke
Awoke in stately room and wide, Q
room filed to oyerf1owing with such clean
and wholesome air as man might
breathe ioyonsly; awoke to stretch oui
iany trembling arms and find that my
dreaL was onlya shadow from that hei-
lish possibility which | had 80 happily es-
capped.
AT first, in the food Of delicious relief,
/ could only Lie there and breathe and
breathe.
Moonlight poured in from two great
| windows, falling in twin pools on the
floor besides the velvet pail on which 4
lay. With this mingled the dim radiance
from the two silver lamps which burned
at my head and feet. Moon-ray and
lamp-ray were alike reflected from half Il
dozen ieweled orders which were fastened
on my breast; but my own face, becausd
OF a great stand of flowers beside me, wa /
largely in shadow.
On my breast were pinned decorations
doubtless belonging to the house Of Lorl
raine, which had been added as Las /
tribute to the last scion of that ancien
family.
Outside the wind stirred family, cast
ing titfully against the window sprai
from the climbing roses; then a footfal
light as the wind, approached, and hui
riedly | refolded my hands in the senI
blance OF one at rest forever, and hal
closed my anxiously watchful eyes. q
There entered slender, womanlE
figure, clouded all IN black except fcr eli
glory Of her red-gold hair that would neN
subdue itself to mourning hues, but rathe
caught the moonlight and made a halH
round her troubled, beautiful face. Shh
had interrupted her vigil to 20 in scare
Of more flowers, and now came slowlf
toward me with four or five great rel
roses crushed against her breast.
"You never loved the white foweraj
dear heard her whispering, "aad yoa
shan Nave the crimson you always pro
ferred M
Closer sl{e crept and closer, to Till
subtle music of her own low tones. But
at my side, composure left her and shE
flung herself on my breast, her head lyN
ing on my shoulder and her roundeI
bosom heaGng against mine with till
violence of Her sobs, while lay breath
less, striving for marble stiffness lest 4
should too rudeiy startle her by stirrinH
too soon Hi
One hand was still clasping the crimsoEl
roses, the other stretched out and caugl
the pillow where my head rested; other
wise she might have touched the warnt
Of my neckf and face and have learned th
truth. | felt the breath from her MOUTH
fresh and pure as the breath Of thu
flowers themselves.
Presently the agony Of her sobs ceased;
she grew quite still, and. not daring to |
delay.longeA I whispered as softly i / |
could,
Instantly she raised herself xa still
hung ofer lie, ! felt her tremble with
the terror q one whom the supernatural
has touched
"Alix r ! breathed again.
"Brotheran she gasped. did you call
to me from heaven--or are You living?"
Il live, | answered, quietly, in COM
posed tones, opening my eyes full on her.
II am quite safe Y
She did not scream out her joy as other
women would have done; she gave no
vent to il at first in words, but, clasping
her hands. she gazed down on me with
such a holy exaltation in her face that |
felt greatly ashamed, as though / had
spied upon an angel.
Raising myself on one elbow. / smiled
up at her, meeting her gaze, fully and
bringing my own face into the light
Yes, live,n repeated, "and I have
much to tell you, dear Alix. !"
She bent toward me fearfuily.
Charles" she gasped, you died once,
and death has 90 changed you-you are
not the same, my brother-you are not
The same II
saw the terror growing on her, the
serror that Strung from her instant per-
,eption that whatever might bethe phys
cal resemblance, it was not her brothers.
'pirit which spoke with her Herexqui-
ute perceptions were not to be deceived.
She rose TO her fnll height, shrinking
Jack from the pail where | lay as though
The feared she knew not what.
Instantly I arose also. as much myself,
hank God, as ever. and slipping an arm
'round her, drew her very quietly down
beside me on tile pail, and as we two sat
here told her choosing my words as
veil as could, that her brother was we'll