Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-09-06

ofpver looking there for chtuks"
Cried Miss Victoria, triumphantlv, and
If Matilda had heard Il Sepulehral
" Here" issued from under the bed ol
out of the black void of the closet-thc
door of which opening near the head OF
the bed stood slightly aja- il would
have ehimed III exactly with her
terrorS.
Don't YOU think we had better light
y candle and search the house Vie
toria?'
=" You ridiculous creature" was the
elder Miss Burncy's reply; how do you
suppose, with visitors coming aud go
ing all day, that any bad character
could possibly have found n chance IL
come m9 Nonsense Let us hon into
bed. The sooner we are asleep, the
sooner il wilIhc morning
Side hy side the sisters lay down,
with tired bodies and excited brains.
No mind, however philosopnlc, nor
any series of Investigations, would ever
enable ono TO determine IN regard tu
these two ladies NJ just what instant Oil
that memorable night tho trouble al
their waking thoughts passed into the
complexcd trouble of dreams. But il
seemed To- Miss Victoria that her head
had hardly touched the pillow before
she had gone down stairs anu WAS buSi-
~ III work pulling II set Of silver forks
out from the crease Of the sofa, where
she had hidden them, and was trying to
hide them oycragain without being
scCn i'll the dark, shadowy, suspicious
looking parsonage, who followed her
about and turned up just rs She thought
herself escaped from him. AS for Miss
Matilda, she had II vivid realization OF
being alone in brilliantly lighted
house, followed by her waking dread
intensified. namely, that some one
without was looking III upon her.
There were curtains that rolled ny
automatically as soon rs they were
pulled down, and innumerablc gas-icts
that re liz themselves when put out.
she He'd to an upper room. NloNcd by
an uncomfortable impulse, She went "a
Il window and pccpcd through il blind.
Horror Of horrors There in the broad
glow of hight thrown into the yard from
II lower window, was plainly to be seen
il human figure outlined in the act OF
STOPPING down to look through II key
hole She tried to shrek ON, for Vie.
toria, struggled, gasped and woke
The terror of her dream was strongly up-
Oh her and she lay staring into the dark
with wild-heatng heart. She could
hear her sister breathing placidlv be-
side her Did She hear nothing else
Yes the hall clock ticking soberly
Nothing clseg Yes AZ surely ms either
of these sounds another. Neither the
ilutter of any garment nor fall of any
foot, yet distinctly such lndescrbable
sounds ~ 20 70 make up slow and
stealthy motion. She was positive that
somebody was in the room. II seemed
ages of intolerable anguish before she
could drag her hand from under heI
head and urge it over toward her sister
against leaden hcayiness
she finally succeeded il touching Vic.
toria on her shoulder. The quiet
slumberer, gave II pull and sputter
tossed uneasly, and murmured in.
distinctly
" Is tina you, Tilly. Wha' ye wan 2?
every syllable Of which pierced the list
eners frightened heart like something
keen and deadly.
Matilda's only mode of reply was a
sharp pinch, which brought her sister
broad awake Tilly's monitorv touches
warned not tospcak.
They both lay listening intently. an
was still for few brief seconds, and tho
eldest sister was about to ilounce over
with II pcltish exclamation about not
being 50 cowardy rs lilly, when again
the disturbing sound came-the eau.
tious slipping and sliding, the subdued
yet definite stir Of some mo2ing body
Matilda quaked anew; and then Vic
toria turned cold.
Whether it was one minute, or FIVE
minutes, or nalf M uour, during which
these two women palpitatingly hung
upon the cessation and removal 81
those secret and terrible sounds, neither
could ever determine; but all nj once
Victoria, without word or warming
flashed aut Of bed, banged 70 the closet
door and turned the key III the lock.
lhefe may De more burglars III the
house, lilly" she exclaimed in a voice
Of suppressed excitement; "but I've got
one Of them in here-quickl help me
70 bar the door"
Never was the heavy, old-fashioned
bed whirled on its creaking castors ~
According to her sis
tiers peremptory directions, Matilda as
sisted in pushing the head-board close
against the closet door, and then, there
being considerable distance between
the foot board and the side wall Of tie
room, she herself suggested that they
should wedge together other pieces Of
heavy furniture across the space, thus
forming strong barricade.
Now said Victoria, breathlessiy,