The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-05-01

knowing where the matches we're. Bah
received it with IN incredulous air, but
gave me the matches and watched NJ.
down the Kitchen. stairs.
did not stop ~ instant on the low.
or floor but hurried through the din.
ioe.room and up to ny own chamber
again, whore I locked the door and
went and looked At Bertha sleeping as
If she never meaot TO wake any more.
AT first thought I would Just
walk up aud dowo till daylight, but .f-
ter 40 hour bad passed and everything
continued quiet, I changed my mind
aud concluded to lie down awhile and
Keep my eyes open. But despite this
resolve, they soon closed, and about
midnight, ah l suppose, I fell asleep.
l woke up suddsply-it seemed as it
some one had shaken me into CON.
sc'ousnees, it was 80 forced upon me. I
10y still and found that my heart was
beating violently, though I was not
ablo to tell why, and after little time
l began to hear some one whispering
close by my pillow, 80 close that my
blood ran cold, aad my flesh crept At the
sound. There was one remarkable
thing connected With it. was quite
near enough to detect words, but not
one syllable was audible, only the tones
OF two distinct voices could be distlu.
guished, and they rose and fell in 40
eager rasping way that was dread.
tul to follow without catching their
meaning. At last one of the voices
said, II will, I WILL" aud then .gaio it
uttered the audible words, "This night,
before the day Breaks" and then fol.
lowed . low groau, faint and hopeless,
a. If it were the expression of exhaust.
ed dissent.
A cold, death.like air blew over me.
sprsnz up aud saw that nay door was
open and the dutter of a striped skirt
passing it. The faint, grooming sound
seemed to remain close beside me, yet
l heard the cracking Of a loose board
under the foot of the woman who went
down, and in the awful stiffness of tue
htuss the muf1ed sounds she made
rose like startled ghosts. The dining.
room door opened cautiously, aud yet it
ereaked = little; then another door IN.
closed. Oh, how clear and still the
air seemed, every whisper came up as
distinctly as if it was uttered, at my
ear, and my blood curdled, and my
flesh orept as followed each sound.
The footsteps had crossed the small
apartment which Bertbs and I had OK.
plored that very day. They were paus.
Jog now, and an awful quiet rejgned
only broken BY the low moan that came
from my very side a. it seemed. Even
that fell away, aud al the world seem.
ed listening. A heaving, rustling sound
rose toward me; something seemed te
struggle and beat the cir ; there was ,
gurgling, easping noise that died out,
and came again 10 spasms, then . ter.
rible silence followed, broken only
once by a low, shuddoriug sigh that died
out slowly, as if it bore a human life
upon its tone.
l do not pretend to compute tim.
correctly, but it seemed Is if a grea,
pause came after this, aud then thu
steps moved about below, briskly bu,
softly ; aud I heard other sounds as o.
shifting furniture. Whatever else il
was that watched and waited in tha
room beside myself, now seemed t
moan and shudder what the woman
had said she would do was done, ane
she was coming up again, her steps, Al
distinct and firm as any I ever heard
sounded on the stairs, and she drev
nearer and nearer. 1 felt that I shoult
die if beheld her. I tried to shut my
eyes, but horrible fascination hell
them open, and she came to the door
way asd looked 10, the very woman Q
the picture, Whitehead and hideous
with the frightened Cain.msrk on he
brow. I only needed one glance a
that olenched hand to tell it had done
murder. She held it up aud nodde'
toward me with her teeth set in he
under lip, and her eyes drawn bideous
ly close together. Then she passed BY
and I saw the striped dress GROSS m
sisters threshold.
| Whether it was this dreadful sigh,
or tho sound of horror that echoed clos
beside me-, cannot tell, but sudde
blindness smote my eyes and . oonvu
sion like that Of suHocatiou seized me
fell back, and after that knew n
more until broad daylight shone int
my room, and Bah and Bertha wer
bathing my head with ice water an
consulting about sending for = pbysi
clan. .-....
"The idea Of you being sick, Mary,
cried Bertha, "you can't think ho,
frightened l was to have B.b call m
when 1 WAS dressing, aud say that 20
really must be i'll. She came up fo
tho keys you know, aud found you ly
ing half ont Of bed, with your clothe
on, aud.a wild look about your wide
opea eyes. We tried to wake you an
could not and I'm 80 glad you've com
to, and look al right again.
In the few moments that pssse
while Bah and she talked to me, I hs,