Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1914-05-14

fancy no longer! The hours with her
lover might again sweep across her
memory undenied. She felt his arms.
his kisses. heard his whispers against
her cheek and smelled the perfume OF
Madonna lilies.
She drew the curtain and opened
the window noiselessly TO the light.
Only few hours ago she had been
singing to her harp In what wretched-
ness! She laughed softly to herself
The quiet night was full of his voice:
II love you! l want nothing but you'll"
How her pitiful error had tortured
and wrung them both! But tomorrow
he. too. would know that all was well.
A clear sound chimed across the
distance-the bell of the courthouse
clock, striking midnight. One!
Two! How often lately 1t had
run discordantly across her mood;
now II seemed q claimant watcher.
tolling JOY Three! Four!
Five! Perhaps he was
sleepless, listening, too. Was he in
the old library, thinking of her?
Six! Seven! Eight!
Nine! II she could only
send her message to him on the bells!
Ten! 1t swelled more loudly
now. more deliberate Eleven! :.
Another day was almost gone.
Twelvel 10y cometh in the
morning"-ran the whisper across her
thought. 1t was morning now.
Thirteen!
She caught a sharp breath. Her
ear had not deceived her-the vibra-
ton still palpitated on the air like a
heart Of sound. 1t had struck thir-
teen! A little eery touch crept along
her nerves and cool dampness broke
on her skin. for she seemed to hear.
quavering through the wondering ST.
lence. the voice of Mad Anthony. as
1t had quavered to her ear on the
doorstep of the negro cabin. with the
wellsweep throwing its long curved
shadow across the group Of laughing
faces:
"Ah sees yo' gwine ter him. All
heahs de co'ot-house clock a-strikin'
in de night-en yo' gwine. 8.
DON wait, don wait, III mistis, er
de trouble-cloud gwine kyah him
erway fom yo' When de clock
strike thuhteen-when de clock strike
thuhteen-"
She dropped the Powered curtain
and drew back. A weird fancy had
begun to press on her brain. Had not
Mad Anthony foretold truly what had
gone before? What II there were
some cryptic meaning in this, too? To
go TO him, at midnight, by lonely
country roadside, girl? Incredible!
Yet her mind had opened to a vague
growing fear that was swiftly mount
ing to thriving anxiety. That innate
superstition, secretly cherished while
derided, which is the heritage OF the
Southron-born bred from centuries Of
contact with mystical race, had her
in Its grip. Yet all the while her
sober actual common-sense was crying
out upon her-and crying in vain.
Unknown appetences that had lain
darkling In her blood, come down to
her from long generations, were sud-
denly compelling her. The curtain
began to wave in a little wind that
whispered in the silk. and somewhere
in the yard below she could hear Sc
lin nipping the clover.
She was to go or the "trouble-cloud"
would carry him away!
A strange expression Of mingled
fright and resolve grew on her face.
She ran on tiptoe to her wardrobe
and with frantic haste dragged out a
rough cloak that fell over her soft
house-gown, covering 1t to the feet. 1t
had peaked hood falling from its
collar and into this she thrust the
resentful masses OF her hair. Every
few seconds she caught her breath in
short gasp, and once she paused
with an apprehensive glance over her
shoulder and shivered. She scarcely
knew what she did, nor did she ask
herself what might be the outcome of
such an absurd adventure. She nei-
Their knew nor cared. She was swept
off her feet and whirled away into
some outlandish limbo of shadowy
fear and crying dread.
Slipping off her shoes, she went
swiftly and noiselessly down the stair.
She let herself out Of the door and,
shoes on again, ran across the clover
A hound clambered about her, whin-
ing, but she silenced him with whis.
pered word. Selim lifted his head and
she patted the snufIling inquiring
muzzle an instant before, with her
hand on his name, she led him
through the hedge to the stable 1t
was but the work Of moment to
throw on side-saddle and buckle the
girth- Then, mounting. she turned
him into the lane.
He was thoroughbred, and her tense
excitement seemed to communicate
|. itself to him. He blew the breath
through his delicate fiaring nostrils
and flung up his head at her restrain
| ing hand on the bride. Once on the
, Red Road, she let him have his will
| The long vacant highway reeled out
behind her to the fierce and lonely