The Red Cloud chief., 1877-01-25
footsteps In the hall, outside his door.

footsteps in the hall, outside his door.
The FIRST thought flashing across his
excited brain Vas Roberts" Walter
Was no coward. Blowing out his light,
he stepped softly 70 his door and swung
it open ~noiselessly.
Peering into the deep gloom. he be-
held a sight that ffoze his blood with
horror.
Gliding like a ghost along The de-
serted hallway-her snowy night-robe
~auttering softly. while her glorious
wealth OF golden hair fell around her
like a shimmering veil-he saw the
form Of Maud Lyle, his friends step
mamma.
Close held in her jeweled fingers. she
clutched a weight Of tuberoses, whose
deathly perfume filled the midnight air.
lowering above her head. with
clasped hands and cleaning eyes, he be.
held the wrath Of Andy White.
Nearer and nearer drew the specter
10 the woman. until clasping her wrist
in its airy grasp, it led her toward the
roof.
In a moment Walters mind was made
up. Quickly awakening Frank. the
twain assembled the stairs leading to the
~house-tOp. and emerged into the air in
time to 9 the specter ere it had faded
into space.
With q sigh the somnambulist re-
traced her steps. followed by the two
men, until her chamber door hid her
from their view.
Pale as ashes, Frank looked at Wal
ter, who met his glance with the in
quiry: "How do you make it out?"
II have thought her bad, but never q
murderess."
Il do not understand"
maud Lyle was once the betrothed
wife of Andy White. They quarreled
and parted over a simple girl. This is
well known. Yet until this hour l did
not suspect poor Andy died fOully."
"What reason have you for believing
this ?" asked Walter.
Frank turned quickly.
"His shadow following close upon her
footsteps, and her adherence of the
flowers by whose fatal perfume he died.
Let us retire now. BY this hour to-
morrow night nay father must be a wit
ness to these shadows"
At the breafast table they met again,
and after the bride-wife had left the
room Frank began his tale.
OF course, Mr.. Lyle pooh-poohed the
idea as Professionalism Outlandish for
belief; but nevertheless. half an hour
before midnight he passed into Walters
room, and waited the hours approach
which was to reward this strange sight.
AS the great clock struck the first
chime Of midnight's witching hour his
frame shook like one in a fit Of ague.
Eleven, twelve, the iron tongue pro-
claimed. and, as the sound died slowly
away, again the footsteps pressed the
carpeted hall. Swinging open the door,
Frank pointed into the darkness where
the ghOstly form ledthe sleeping woman
towards the roof. A great sob broke
from the old mans lips IS he followed
the younger men into the wake Of the
vision.
"Hist!' cried Frank. as they emerged
upon the roof, "she is speaking"
soft. soft" cried the sOmnambulist
"He sleeps; she shall not tear him from
me! thy perfume, rose, shall steal the
life l love. So, so, they rest upon his
breast. Ha, ha, ha! no flower as sweet
as tuberoses Below
Chuckling to herself, she stepped
upon the stone coping circling the roof,
and called softly: ANDY! Andy"
AS he heard the cry, Mr.. Lyle shook
like a leaf, and grasped his sons arm
for support. Again the sleeper called
upon the specter, and out OF the dark
ness it stepped toward her, bearing in
its bony fingers a hundred withered
stems of the tuberOse.
AS he beheld the decayed blossoms,
Mr.. Lyle uttered a shrek of horror and
staggered back. The cry awOke the
sleeping woman, and, with a piercing
scream, she tottered and fell v e into
space.
They heard the body crashing down
through the leafess trees, and then
with a dull thud, it struck the frozen
earth, and even as Maud Lyle's dying
shrek rent the midnight air, the wrath
of Andy White faded away forever.
Down in the old ch~urchyard in a
quiet, shady spot, the body of the beau
tiful murderess lies in repose; no flower
blossoms upon her grave, for, cen as
the plants bud, they wither and decay.
Long years have almost erased her
face from the old mans memory, but
hidden away he keeps a withered bunch
of those fatal flowers. the sole remem
brance of those terrible shad0ws.-N
Y. Mercury.