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

CONCLUDED FROM LAST WEEK
Before We could meet she had faint.
ed again, aud I was almost beside my
sell with alarm and distress. I wonder
now that l did not call Miss Leonie or
Bah, but some inexplicable ieeling re-
strained me, and I made the chamber
as light as I could aud again carried
my sister into it and tried to revive
her.
She came to her consciousness sigh
ing deeply, and when I fouad that she
was able to speak aud undersssnd me,
I asked what had caused her terror,
and tried to assume calm, soothing
manner toward her.
She looked around as if endeavoriug
to collect her scattered ideas, stopped
and thought deeply autil her delicate
brows were knitted with the iatensity
OF the effort, and then said simply and
provekingly, II cannot remember any,
thing, it is all q blank since We sat
.stairs at tho window together"
knew that everything further said
about it would only awaken her alarm,
aud therefore I pontrolled my own
feelings as we'll asI could, and gave her
a good dose Of some sleeping powders
the doctor had ordered when she was
first taken i'll.
I bad no idea they were 80 powerful
or should have been more cautious IN
administering them. Bertha had no
sooner got her hair arranged than she
began to nod, and I had to make short
work Of the rest Of hor night toilet.
She had scarcely laid down in her bed
before she was sleeping soundly.
. l had forgotten about our plan Of
sleeping together in my loom. Bertha
had got into her bed, and being now
asleep there, I could not think Of wax
ing her to make a change.
Yet I did not quit like the idea Of
lying alone either, and Bertha's room
iu spite of its bright light looked too
gloomy and too full Of that terrible
woman's picture to tempt me to remain
in it with her.
opened the communicating doors
between our chambers and sat down to
read just within the threshold Of my
own room. / did this with . firm de-
termination to stop thinking Of tho fig.
ure that had frightened me iu tho par
lor until I should grow calmer aud
more reasonable about it. I did no,
6nd the volume interesting, which was
owing to my going over the words Of
each page without receiving . shadow
of their meaning. At last came k
| the conclusion that l was only making
| myself more nervous by the effort, and
| bad laid down my book and began te
loosen my hair, wheu l heard = quioh
decided step pass out Of Bertha's room
and CROSS the hall toward the stairs. Il
sounded exactly like Bab's, and I be-
came exultaut at the discovery.
"That girl is trying to friehten u.s.
| l thought, aud I tip.toed ont after bel
| with all the has'e and secrecy I couli
assume, determined to catch her 1t tht
act. The gas was lowered, and l hat
| to hold BY the bslustrads Is guide
yet heard the descending steps plain
ly, though Icould net sec Bab's fgur'
io advance of me. However, I follow
I'd the sound until it was lost in one o.
tho lower rooms, 1 could not tell which
for the doors we're oil closed when
reached them, aud yet I had not b arc
a sound like the turning OF handle o.
the creaking Of hinge.
Bab's room was at the further end o.
the extension, and just above the kitch
en- the thought struck me that vosle
60 there at once, and 10 that way catcl
her in her prauks, for BY this time
had quite decided that it was Oh" VIII
was amusing herself BY frightening
US.
made oil the haste / could in get
ting up the back stairs, and cropping
my way along the narrow passage lead
ing to her door, but al within VA
dark, and only when I had called ,
haIf.dosen times did I receive = sleep,
answer from her bed at tho other enc
1
OF the room. @~..t g - .s... ..~ T.. -
"Can yeu get me light, Bah p
.""Yst, Miss Mary, but what is tn
matter 7 is Miss Ferry sick I" sh'
asked in an anxious voice ~ she jump
ed up and ielt around for matches. tn
light showed her in. her usual night
dress, and not an article out Of place i,
her room. The dress she +. had wor,
hung from a peg at the foot. Of her BET
and her uoderclothss lay across > clair
but no striped linen vas in sight. any
where, ard Bah must have been mis-
tress Of magic if those sleepy, surprised
looking eyes were .deceptions.
Ii made = very shallow excuse abou
wanting : light 10 the kitchen, and M