The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-28

In the lines that furrewed her brow, there
was a haggardness more terrible than the
haggardness of age. In the locking of
her lips, there was an anguish beyond the
utterance of words. Though she served
me, l do not think she saw me. There
was no recognition in her eyes; no ap-
parent consciousness of any object or cir
cumstance external to the secret of her
own despair. All this l noticed during
the few brief moments in which she
brought me my supper. That done, she
crept away, abjectly, into the same dark
corner, and sank down again, mere
bundled heap of clothing. ....
As for her husband there was some
thing unnatural in the singular immobil-
ity of his attitude. There he sat, his
body bent forward, his chin resting on
his palms, his eyes staring fixed st the
blackened hearth, and not even the in
voluntary CULVER of a nerve to show that
he lived and breathed. | could not de-
termine his age, analyze and observe his
features as l might. He looked old
enough to be fifty, and young enough to
be forty; and was fine muscular noun
taineer, with that grave cast of counten-
ance which is peculiar to the Valasian
peasant. ...I ....
/ could not eat. The keenness of my
mountain appetite was gone. | sat, as it
fascinated, in the presence of this strange
pair; observing both, and, apparently, by
both as much forgotten as if had never
crossed their threshold. We remained
thus, by the dim light of the lantern and
the monotonous. ticking of the clock, fol
some forty minutes or more; all pro-
foundly silent. Sometimes the woman
stirred, as if in pain; sometimes the COWS
struck their horns against the manger il
the clubhouse. The herdsman alone sal
motionless. like man cast in bronze. Al
length the clock struck 9. / had by this
time become 90 nervous that | almos
dreaded to hear my own voice interrup
the silence. However, pushed my plate
noisily aside and said, with as much show
of ease as | could muster:
"Have you any place, friend, in which
l can sleep tonight
He shifted his position uneashy, and
without looking round, replied in thu
same form of words as before:
"Yes,,syou can sleep, traveller"
"Where? In the loft abovew
He nodded atfirmatively, took the Ian
tern from the table, and turned towarc
the dairy. As we passed, The ligh
streamed for moment over the crouch
ing figure in the corner.
us your wife ills' l asked, pausins
and looking back.
His eyes met mine for the first time
and shudder passed over his body.
eyes," he said with an effort, "she il
ill.,"
/ was about to ask what allied her, hui
something in his face arrested the ques
ton on my lips. / know not, to TIM
hour, what that something was. coulc
not define it then; 1 can not describe i
now; but l hope may never see it in
living face again.
I followed him to the foot Of ladde
at the further end of the dairy.
Cup there" he said, placed the lanterr
in my hand, and strobe heavily bacl
into the darkness.
Iwent up and found myself in long
low granary, stored with corn-sacks, hay
onions, rock-salt, cheeses and farming
implements. In one corner were the un
usual luxuries of mattress, rug, anC
a three legged stool. My first care wa.
to make systematic inspection OF TIN
loft and all that it contained; my mex
to open little unglaz d lattice with
sliding shutter, lust opposite my bed
The night was brilliant, and stream o
fresh air and moonlight poure in. Op
pressed by strange, underlined sense 0
trouble, extinguished the lantern AM
stood looking out upon the solemn peak
and glaciers. The solitude seemed to m
more than usually awful; their silenc
more than usually profound. I coul
not help associating them, in some vagu
way, with the mystery in the house.
perplexed myself with all kinds Of will
coniectures as to what the nature of tha
) mystery might be. The woman's fac
: hau ted me like an evil dream. Agai
9 and again went from the lattice to tn
ladder and from the ladder back to tn
lattice, vainly listening for any sound i
: the room below. A long time went b
thus, until at length, overpowered by tn
a fatigues of the day, stretched myself o
i, the mattress, took my knapsack for
a pillow, and fell fast asleep.
: l can guess neither how long my slee
a lasted nor from what cause l awOke.
: only know that my sleep was dreamle'
e and profound, and that l started from
suddenly, unaccountably, trembling
r every nerve ,and possessed by an owe
whelming sense of danger.
! Danger! Danger of what kind? Fro
| whom? From whence9 / looked aroun
$ i was alone, and the quiet moon wi
e shining in as serenely as when | fe
asleep. got up, walked to and fro, re!
|. soned with myself; all in vain. l coul
4 not stay the beatings of my heart.
: could not master the horror that o.
e pressed my brain. felt that / dare
s not lie down again; that l must get o,
of the house somehow, and at once; tn;
# to stay would be death; that the instin
, by which I was governed must at q
n costs be obeyed. T..
d / could not bear it. Resolved to escap