Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-18

We both listened for few moments, but the
sound, was not repeated .
"Your fancy" my uncle remarked WIN
smile. "In such a place as this you VII hear M
many ghostly cries, if you give your maginaIG;;oh I;
rein. But don't let us turn in just yet' L We
some good news for you"
Wondering a good deal what the news Woul1,
be, followed him TO the fountain. lie lounu
a seat on a mossy boulder close to the stone-
work of the well, and leaning back against the
trunk of "a tree, proceeded to light fresh clgar'
as an indispensable aid to reflection
Who that has visited a scene OF deep beauty by
moonlight has not felt an awe stealing over him.
as if some unseen presence were by? Sucn n
presence seemed to be floating around us, wnns
pering that we were on haunted ground. was IL
the far-off murmur of cascade or the talnt
voice of some one calling for help that was wait
ed to ears?
So firm was my belief that the sound war of
human origin that / appealed to my UNCLE VINO
had been strangely silent
"Did you not hear a distant cry, as OF some
one in pain?"
81 thought SO, but it must be fancy. Let us
listen again"
We were silent for time, but there was no
repetition Of the sound. -,
"Some shepherds calling one another. he said,
resuming his cigar with laugh. eve are be
coming influenced by the superstitlons OF the
place"
He seemed to have forgotten the communica-
ton he had promised to make, so reverted to It,:
"You were going to tell me piece OF news
Think"
"AhI so T was. Gf you wouldn't mind turn
ing YOUR head from me, Frank; your eyes seem
to have an unearthly CLEAN by this light Ihanil
vouD Well, here is my news. Daphne had a
proposal to-day. You can guess from whom :,
"Is that your news? Then it is no news 1t all.
] know it already" 80,
az was present during the whole interview" l
gave him an account of how | came to play the
spv. adding: "How did you learn it?'
"She told me directly after parting from him.
Poor Daphne she was quite upset over 1t-cry-
ing, in fact"
''She might have spated her tears, l grumoied;
"His love was not so dsinterested that she need
ween. NV candid opinion is that the fellow IS
so mad over his art that it governs even h's
choice of wife and he selects Daphne oecause
hr thinks her figure will serve as a model for
some of his pictures" And L detailed 10 my
urcle those utterances of the artist that seemed
to bear out my opinion.
"a naive avowal, certainly. His mode of ;ove-
making was fine example of How not TO do
it' And so' he continued, after brief inter
val. Daphne still hopes and dreams that George
will return Absurd! thought she had given
up that idea long ago. However, let HIM nm! re-
turn He shall never have Daphne-neVer! -,
manner. and scarcely had he said it when a.
startled expression crossed his face, the cigar
drowned from his lips, and he looked nerVously
round in all directions -,
'NIv dear uncle, what is the natter? SAID |,
amused at his alarm
"Didn't YOU hear laugh?"
"A laugh? No! Why, you are becoming nerv-
ous!''
"Bab!" he exclaimed, picking up his c'glr
f,on, the grass after listening intently. You are
right. I am becoming nervous. Well, was on
the point of saying-
"That you will never allow George to marry
Daphne. Why?" l.
,,;ous9 A man who could desert her on her wed
Tnp-dav sending a cold note to -
she must never see him more forfeits her by that
very act He will never return, rest assured OF
that and l told Daphne to abandon the idea
"What was her answer" -
Clears Look around you, | SAID. lou VIII
coon find a worthier lover. Frank loves yon,
ond Won know it, And | launched out into your
nraiscs for between ourselves, Frank, there IS nc
ono to ,(hom I would more willingly give Daphne
than yourself
'yvhat did she say"
"She said that she could not so soon forget
George, but that if he had not returned oy
twelvemonth from the day he lett
'rThat is, next Christmas Day"
"Juet so: next Christmas Day. IT he had not
rotnrned nv then she would try to think nc
rnoro of him. What the devils that?' he ex
claimed with a suddenness that startled me.
The "airv tongues, that during the whole
time Of our conversation had never ceased tc
whisper mvsteriously, had now changed 10 Il Sc
ries Of deep and regularly recurring sighs proceed
;no from a cluster of trees on one side OF the
spring. - ,. ,,,o,o ,,,i
s,t staring at each other without either will ol
nower to move. Then, shaking off the spell thai
iav unon us, we rose and stepped on hp-toc tc
+be snot whence came the sound. Within th'
Gloom of dense foliage we caught the CLEAN o
scnoo+binc white Our eyes, unaccustomed II
frst to the darkness, could distinguish noth'n;
clearly. but gradually the object of our atten
t;on resolved itself into the seated figure of I
woman. I thought at first that it was the STATUE
of some nymph but the eyes, shining like stars
disneIIed This illusion Four steps nearer, and
cav. that II was our own Daphne. She seemed
petrified with terror. go -,
"Gcod heavens, Daphne!" cried her father
''Wbat are you doing here at this hour of night"
The only reply to this question was a contin
uation of the deep inspirations that had draw
our attention to her. Fright had deprived he
of the power of speech: ;,
"She is recovering from swoon, SAID m
uncle. "What can have frightened her? Daphne
dear tell us what is the matter. All is well now
1lon't he afraid. Tell us how long you have becl
here"
"How long? All! long time" she murmured
, sneaking like one in a dream.
, "Tell me what is the matter darling" he sai
lifting her, and stroling her hair with tatherl
, - 1o,aoss "NIv moor little grill"