The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-12-23


Raymond sat, watching the fadip1
glow of the embers, and thinking
with a troubled heart, of the strange
apparition that had so darkly over
swallowed the bright future of hei
daughters opening life!
The old clock had chimed "one" he
1ore she rose to seek her pillow. and
the moonlight lay in silver brightness
on the floor beneath the window as
she began to fasten the doors for the
night, when
Merciful Father in Heaven! what a
scream rent the stiffness of the mid
night!
And Alice, the next day, told Robert
ot her terror, when, reused from her
sIumbers by that unearthly shrek she
found her mother lying senseless on
the floor down stairs.
'Oh, Robert, she was like one dead,"
faltered the frightened young widow.
But Mrs. Raymond avoided the sub
1ect when her intended son-in-law oues-
toned her.
1T was Gnly a fainting fit, Robert"
she declared. II have been subject 10
them from my childhood up. You are
all magnifying mere trifle into alb
surd Importance
And Mrs. Raymond never told living
soul how she, too, had seen the death.
pale face, with the heavy black hair
swept backward, and the scar across
the temple, seemingly close to her
own, as she leaned out to close the
windown shutters in the white rain
Of moonlight.
There is fate in this marriage!"
she murmured, wringing her hands
Ii Will never come to pass while Wal
lace Burt's ghost rises from the dead
to forbid it's banns Death or disaster
will part my child and her lover yet"
But Mrs. Raymond's fears proved un-
real.
Alice and Robert were married in
due course of time, and she ventured
at last to breathe freely, as month af-
ter month glided by without a single
cloud to mar the brightness of her chill
1ren's lives.
1t was nearly year afterward that
Mrs. Raymond received letter direct
ed to her in an unknown handwriting.
with that instructive feeling of dread
Which had never left her since the
moonlight night in October so event
III to her daughters life, she broke the
zeal.
1t was brief note from DR.. -,
amous surgeon in New York, enclos-
ng another.
Wallace Burt's writing! My God!
7lll this dreadful mystery never cease
0 haunt me?" she walled.
Mother" began the letter, 'for you
'ere my mother once, in spirit and ten
erness, If not in letter, | am on my
eathbed now, or you would never
ear from me- You saw me that night
October-you know now that was
OF lost at sea, as all fancied! Would |
ad been-would l might have died.
in my Alice's love to the
Ist! | was rescued from the lonely
land where so many others of the
rev met an awful death by shipwreck
ld came to India. There | worked
y way home by slow degrees, reach
lg 1t only to hear Robert Greys VOWS
love-my wife's words of answering
nderness!
Il could not blame her-did she not
'lieve herself widow?-but that mo-
ent all the hope and brightness went
1T of my life! l could not proclaim
yself, to blast her happiness with. the
loWledge that | yet lived-but
uld not tear myself away He saw
e-you saw me! What you thought !
believed | never have known; but {
hen | saw her marriage in the news {
per, | knew that she was innocent [
ID unsuspicious as an angel Never I
deceive her-she is happier than ever Q
could have made her! When you read !
is, l shall have closed up all my &C. I
UNITS with this life-tbey tell me | l
We but twenty-four hours to live. a
my blessing can make Alice happier I
has it-but never tell her that | .
not perish at sea. Q
wv. b." 9
DR.. IS note said briefly: "The y
tent died in hospital last night. | u
ward this letter, as requested" >
Alice never knew how deeply and G
seldshly her first husband had loved
r-and Wallace Burt's ghost rests
acefully now in its lonely grave
cd literature n