Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-02-08
ont Of. the counten's room carving ,

; out of.the Countess's room, carrying d
gold-hilted dagger and pillow.
II crossed the passage to the opposite
, door, and there paused, listening.
J The passage III which it stood divided
dozen sleeping rooms, and this was tho
threshold Of the Counts.
From within came muffled low sounds
that told of heavy sleeper
Assured beyond all doubt Of the pro-
foundness Of this repose, the tall dark
draped listener slowly turned the handle
of the door. and went in, closing it after
wards.
Absolute quiet prevailed around the
awful, de- d, deep silence Of the night,
which is so sinister and SO intense, be-
cause it tells Of human consciousness GUS
pended. large household, with its
many pulses Of fear aud hope, passion
aud purpose, hushed aud every eager
personality surrounded 10y the stiffness,
and wrapped in the semblance Of death.
A long interval elapsed between the 60
ing in and the coming out of this strange
visitant to the Counts room,
But when the dark figure again appear
ed in the passage the dagger and the pill
low were gone, and the hands that had
held them were trembling, so that their
hold on the door handle was less certain
Tia Ill it had been before and in their eff
fort to turn itnoiselessly the hasp slipped,
making a sudden grating sound. Per
haps it startled the sleeper within, for the
loud breathing audible a few minutes be-
fore had ceased.
At any rate, it startled some cue else.
Jose and Rosette being the only Italians
in the household, and the peculiar SER
wants of tho Count, had assigned to them
q small room between theirmaster apart
Ilnents and those OF Scshaya Sastri and
on the night iu question had sat up late,
talking over the mysterious occurrences
of the past fortnight till they had con-
vinced each other that something unusual
was astir.
Nerves wrought up by night confer
ences are not easily composed to slumber,
and the ftful rest of the husband and
wife had already been disturbed several
times by soft, slight sounds that soon
subsidized. and afterwards by Big Ben"
striking three, when the sharp click of
the shooting hasp uwoke them both again
suddenly and completely.
The Counts door 70 whispered Jose,
springing out of bed.
His own door Was always kept ajar, Sc
cured by Il chain, so that he or Rosette
might be easily summoned ii they were
wanted in the night and the valet had
Just pushed it us far open as the length
of the chain would admit, when tall,
dark figure hurried past, and disappeared
down the passage.
This sight frightened the Italian so
: horribly that he was afraid to stir He
and his wife stood silent for long time,
strainiug their ears for the faintest sound
but no sound came, nor did the figure re-
turn or give any further signs of move
ment.
The stillneas Of the night remained un-
: broken, ard Rosette suggested that thel
master might have woke up feeling i'll, as
he went to bed in such queer state, and
: that ms they were such friends he might
2 have gone to the Princes room instead
of waking them or the Countess.
, There was no arriving at certainty
) without personal risk. which neither was
+ inclined to incur so, after little more
listening and conlectnring, drowsiues'
Overpowered them.
Pcoplo who lie down under the Unfit
| ence Of vivid imuginations or strong e1
G citement rarely awake in the same menta
! state. As rule the morning finds then
l heavynnd half-stupeted,
INC ltult.'ii ~. . wv IT, ,rore con
exception TO tIt' th,e ,n 10y o MI ,a uu
sclous ol n!9ut % .iAY I.a ie' TS how drs.s
sI'p.c5on' "u' , o. 1',t tnecfotion md VEN
GU :, ~ rs,,aI fr,r,es NJ min,
very oa IA ImciF osr, i as Iber %
!, % we IcSpe'''' '1.''i'' " '-'N''
. ana MISTRESS .,o c,r,. s.uI os1eer Wit,
Jose loun 'Ho SouII o'l nIo @s' ro,nd bi
tho penoio'iei u.S|m u" va UlV1o n -
laCt! an rs i'21I' $500 tLe roon
""Klne, INC l"l't' Nm" itin4 10 !,;ti' ;orli
anu Puilt" i; W .u H.. lrs nn;4o md III,
'nilii-l .+lts, ,,.o,,IJ ,,.I,l,ca the re
, Pr 40 Ct,,,cte 1i1 ma. stir and tbeI