Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1905-02-23
THE GIRL WITH
THE GOLDEN HAIR
By vioco

student, evidently not more than twen-
". chatting as ii they had known each
for years and not for only a few
hours The train stopped at Cologne
and they We're idly looking at the de-
parting passengers when the older sud
denly turned pale at the sight of Il
girl with golden hair who
passed by. He soon recovered. now
ever. but as he saw that his companion
looked at him in surprise. he said as
the train started:
You nus think it strang that l
was startled at the sight of that blond
girl. but | will tell you the story and
met her before and the sight of her
now means nothing good.
she WAS the governess of my sister.
but her hair was brighter then and she
was still more beautiful and she had
q peculiar red mark on her forehead,
which was there by my fault. She
had come from England. and when l
Irised.
I'm the most natural n she
told me that she had expected my
proposal. AS soon as we had met the
first time she had known that l would
influence her hole life and that it
was fate that she would accept me.
and so she did, without hesitation.
hiooilS me Iull on the Ups.
'But | soon got tired of her. only
because she loved me too much. 1
spoke harsh words to her and she cried.
once h eNasperated me ST that l
picked up a heavy bronze candle stick
and threw it at her. Ii left a red mark
upon hel forehead. Without "A word
of repreach. she look ed at me with eyes
filled with tears and left the room.
Without knowing why. "A terrible e
IL Of Zoos. -
that something awful was to happen.
And did anything h%appen""
while | sat there in the room. still
trembling with fear. l heard voices
outside and my sister Catharine came
rushing in crying that her g%overness
had drowned herself. She had taken
I; boat. rowed out on the lake and de-
hberately jumped overheard.
'Of course she was saved?"
The lake had a Whirlpool and a
mysterious outlet, and. though the
whole force of laborers and servants
looked for her body for TIVE days 1t
was never found. | need not tell you
that l was on the verge of despair and
blamed myself for her death. | saw
her every night in my dreams and at
last even at daytime. and always with
that terrible mark on her white fore
head.
wv ShSN hllS ll1N NltIt Ip
been anything between us, so they
were unable to understand my melan-
choly. which grew worse every day,
and irrestibly drew me toward the lake.
At last my father said that l must be
sick and insisted that l should make
d; long trip and see new people and
new countries. Though / had no de-
sire to go anywhere. l agreed TO go.
Three days afterward l found myself
on hoard an PynrpSS train intended
to get off at one of the first stations
to visit my aunt before leaving the
country. The train was due there
about midnight and during the evening
l fell asleep-"
And missed your station""
NO. a few minutes before we We're
due l woke up and lookr around me
to see if any other passengers had come
IN. and so doing nearly tainted. Near
the door on the seat opposite me sat
the English girl staring at me. The
red mark on her forehead seemed to
have grown larger. The train stopped
at my station. but l did not get out. l
was so paralyZed. and We rolled out
into the dark night. Shortly after
ward the young girl got up. looked at
me in d threatening way and disap-
peared. When the conductor came to
the window next time / asked him if
he had seen her. but did not receive
any answer. rs his head fell off and
rolled down the embankment.'
But how"
"A second afterward we ran into an
other train and all the cars in our train
We're smashed into kindling wood. |
was the only passenger who escaped
alive and unhurt. but for a few
bruises. but l felt sure hat the girl had
appeared before me to prevent nae
from leaving my train. hoping that /
be killed in the accident. Since
then | have been living in a continual
state Of terror. Every time l see IA
gill my heart commences
to beat as if it would break my ribs.
hut weeks passed after the accident
and | did not see her.
One evening. however, I arrived late
at a Swiss hotel. Nearly all the rooms
We're taken and l had to take a small
on the top floor. l had hardly
entered it when l felt an irresistible
desire to take a walk in the fresh air.
The halls were dark and l lost my way.
/ found an electric button and pressed
it %furiously. a chambermaid appeared
and showed me to my room. When we
had reached 1t l looked at her. 1t was
the English girl with the terrible mark
on her forehead. She looked at me
too with an angry expression. lifted
her hand threateningly and disappeared
the door. Like a /
rushed after her. slamming the door
and turned the key. and with my last
strength l barricaded 1t
with "A heavy wardrobe. i dared not
sleep. but laid down on my bed to wait
daylight. The hotel was on fire.
Half dead with terror. l tried to push
wardrobe away from the door, but
could not move it an inch. The
that l must perish in the
flames almost made me insane. ran
TO the window and jumped without
landed on a fat waiter who
was killed. the weight OF my falling
body broke his neck.
Il was sick for weeks afterward. and
on the fourth day, just after dusk. as
was tossing on my bed. she came
again. This time she wore the dress
Of a nurse. Her hair was bright and
n her blue eyes as beautiful
as when I kissed her the first time.
The red mark on her forehead was
arger than ever Sc sat down on nv
and prepared some medicine for
j knew Immediately that she in
ended to poison me / jumped up and
'aught hold of her arm. shouting at the
OPP of my voice. A physician came
n and l told him that the nurse had
.ried to poison me. Then he. too. COM
nenced to shout for assistance. The
girl had disappeared but hundreds of
people came rushing in
And what became of her sinceo"
THAT l have never been able to find
because l was put into an insane
n only escaped yesterday"
The vOupp 9f1dapf hoot 4, .,,l--