The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-09-14

the Girls ana poor Mlma's illness ana
grief for the loss OF her lover, had made
that impossible.
So we were lonely enough, and moth
or was almost as uneasy rs myself at the
idea of being left "wthout a man in
tho house." by papa's sudden call to
town; the worst of IL was that he was
certain to DO absent for two nights, at
least, and we knew little of the gard
ener and his son, and liked them even
less.
BY papa's advice we said nothing to
the servants as TO how long he would
be away or where he was going, and
he, taking q small bag, started on foot
for the high road, where he could find
q conveyance to the station. 1t would
have been easier and pleasanter for
him to have ridden into the village,
but to do that Jake would have had to
saddle the horse for him, and would
necessarily have known of his depar-
ture.
We battered ourselves that. by the
present arrangement the two men-ser-
wants would never miss him from the
house.
The night passed peacefully and
quietly enough. | am competent to
make the statement, for don't think l
closed my eyes, or lost my conscious
ness in sleep, from midnight until long
after morning dawred; a fear-a ner.
vous dread--an indetinable sense of
danger threatening-kept me alert and
awake.
The first consequence of which was
that was intolerably sleepy all next
day, and in the early hours of the af-
ternoon stole away to my own room to
take nap; just as l reached my own
door, who should | see upon the stair
case, the upper staircase, as if coming
down from the top of the house, but
Jake-the gardeners boy-carrying an
open knife.
stopped in sheer surprise. Certain.
ly he had no business in the house that
could take him beyond the kitchens.
"What are You doing hereP" demand
ed promptly. He gave me a furtive
glance out Of ki5roun black eyes, as
he shuflled past, slipping the knife into
his pocket, but no word of answer.
watched him down the stairs and
out of sight, and then went into my
room, full of strange uneasiness
Falling asleep at last, as lay wonder
ing what could have been his errand
there, the second of my two dreams
came to me.
A horrible, terrifying dream. 1t was
night, and there were robbers in the
room-men with lanterns and long
knives, and Grape masks upon their
faces, through which their fierce eyes
glared hideously. 1t seemed to me
that, looking from my bed, Isaw moth
er on her knees before them, and heard
her beseeching them, in low tones OF
terror, to work their wicked will as
quietly as might be, for poor Mima's
sake. Nina was still sleeping thought,
in an inner room, and chill of horror
crept through me as l realized how ta-
tai, in her weak and nervous state, the
shock of this midnight alarm might
prove to my poor sister.
At the same instant realized some
thing else-namely, that no one seemed
to take note of me, or be aware of my
presence. Taking advantage of this, I
slipped from the bed and the room un-
seen, and away, swiftly and silently,
upstairs.
was going to the bell-tower to ring
the bell and summon help. In this
vivid dream seemed to fly up the
dark staircase on the wings of fear;
and 10! | was in the bell-tower. |
stretched forth my hand to grasp the
rope, but graspei q hand instead-a
hand With a knife III IT,!
With wild shrek of terror | sprang
from fhe bed to the floor, and awoke.
Almost my first waking thought was of
Jake, as had seen him coming down,
the upper stairs just now, carrying an
open knife!
| stood quite still for few minutes,
trembling, but with certain resolution
growing in my mind. | had never
been up into the bell-tower, and had,
indeed, a nervous prejudice against tho
place; but I was going there now. and
alone, to see If the rope was in order
l looked out of my window first. The
afternoon had wore away while slept,
to judge by the sun on the lawn. II
help were needed from the five miles
distant town, it could not reach us be-
fore nightfall, thought, and who was
TO summon itp Out on the lawn stood
Jake and his father, talking together
and casting side-glances toward the
house. felt an instructive distrust of
them; yet now, while l could be sure
they were not spying on me, now was
the time TO investigate the condition Of
the bell.
Away l went, up the seldom-used
stairs, almost as swiftly as in my dream.
Being aitern Don, the little belfry was,
of course, from its open Sides better
lighted than my own room There was
no need to do more than look in. The
rope UdS ne,oW cut--one short end
hanging high above my reach, the rest
lying in d great useless coil on the floor
underneath the silent boil
Even mother was not disposed TO
laugh at my dreams when | told
her that. She was brave and sensible
woman, fortunately don't know
what the fate of towards might not
have been-and we took counsel to-
gether quietly, without letting Nina
hear word.
l had to 60 and bring help from the
village, there was no other way. and IL