The Galaxy, Volume 23, No. 2, February, 1877Various
History
The Galaxy, Volume 23, No. 2, February, 1877
Various
American literature -- Periodicals
Suddenly the terrible writing glowed upon the wall again, and he fairly
screamed with fright and horror:
MURDER!
He writhed and turned upon the bed in mortal agony. He stared at the
letters of the awful word with ashen lips and chattering teeth. What
hideous dream was this? Had his reason reeled? Could it play him
phantom tricks like this? Or was it an avenging angel from heaven
writing his crimes upon the black night?
"Great God! What was that?"
The writing disappeared, and in its place stood a picture of his
wretched victim and himself. Her fair, innocent face looked down upon
him from the darkness, and he saw his own form beside her.
He raved with real madness now. Great drops of perspiration gathered on
his face. He dared not face those beautiful eyes so calmly gazing at
him. Where had high Heaven gained such knowledge of him? How could God
punish him with such awful cruelty?
"Hell and damnation have come," he screamed in frantic terror. The
thunder rolled in deep majesty, and none heard him. The wind and rain
beat upon the house, and his ravings disturbed no one.
"Take it away! Take it away!" he cried in sheer madness and agony.
It would not move. The lightning only made the picture more startling
and awful. The sweet and beautiful face of Alice Green lived before him
in frightful distinctness, and his very soul seemed to burn to cinder
before her serene, unearthly presence.
It was her ghost revisiting the earth. Was it to always thus torment
him?
"Thank God! It has gone."
The room became pitch dark, and he fell back upon the pillow in what
seemed to him a bloody sweat. He could not sleep, and for some time he
lay trembling on the bed and trying to collect his senses and decide
whether he was in possession of his reason or not.
Suddenly there was a flash of light, and a new vision sprang into
existence before him.
An angel in long white robes seemed to be flying through the air toward
him, and above her head she held a sword. Beneath her feet was the word
"NEMESIS!" in letters of glowing fire.
The poor wretch rose up in bed, kneeled down upon the mattress, and
facing the gigantic figure that seemed to float in the air above him,
cried aloud in broken gasps.
"Pardon! For--Christ----"
He threw up his arms and screamed in delirious terror.
The angel advanced through the air toward him and grew larger and
taller. She seemed ready to strike him to the ground--and she was gone.
He fell forward flat on his face, and tears gushed from his eyes in
torrents. For a while he lay thus moaning and crying, and then he rose,
staggered to the wash basin, bathed his face with cold water, and crept
shivering and trembling into bed.
* * * * *
The storm moved slowly away. The lightning grew less frequent, and the
thunder rolled in more subdued tones. The wind subsided, but the rain
fell steadily and drearily. One who watched heard the clock strike
twelve and then one.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account