Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-03-20

Il WoTu, WITHOUT gesture OF surprise,
without anything that showed she was
more aware of my presence than before,
passed me and entered first. l followed
her. and, closing the door behind me,
found myself in perfect darkness. /
heard her light quick step in front of
me; L heard her ascending the stairs; |
heard a door open, snd then. and only
then, l summoned up presence of mind
enough TO force my limbs to bear ME in
pursuit-and MY blood seemed 10 be
iced water, my flesh WAS creeping. my
hair was briStling up. rs, still in dark
ness, crossed the hall and found the
staircase without difficulty.
Why should not find it, dark. pitch
dark as it was? | knew the road to it
well, Once before had reached it in
darkness. and many times besides, in
dreams, had | crossed that Spacei Like
4 Sudden revelation the truth came to
me. II came 10 me as the key turned
in the lock. Twas in that very house
into which l had Straved three wears
ago. was crossing the very hall, as
cending the same stairs. and should
stand in the identical room which had
been the scene of that terrible unex-
hist4SN OIAAilS L StlbAA4N SNt VIII IL
STORED sight the spot where. blind and
helpless, had nearly fallen victim 10
my raShneSS. But Pauline, what brought
her here?
Yes, as | expected ~. in fact, l felt
certain' The stairs the same and the
Intel of the door in the exact place it
should be. might bc reactiug the
events of that fearful night, complete
even to the darkness. For moment |
wondered whether the last three wears
were not the dream; whether was not
blind now; whether there was such a
| being As my wife? But l threw the
| fancy aside.
Where was Pauline? Recalled to my
| self, | realized the necessity of light
Drawing my match-boN from my peck
ct | struck 4 veSta, and by It's light l
| entered the room which once before
had entered with little hope of ever
| leaving.
Ny first thought, my first glance, was
for Pauline. She was there, standing
erect in the apartment, with both hands
pressed to her brow. The expression
of her face and eyes was little changed;
| it was easy to see She comprrhended
nothing rs vet. But | felt that some
thing was struggling within her, and |
dreaded the moment when it should
take conference and form dreaded it
for her and dreaded it for myself
| What awful passages would it reveal to
me.
The wax light burned down to my
fingers. and was compelled to drop il.
| struck another, then looked about for
! some means ofmahjN@ the illumination
sustained. To my great JOY found u
| half-burncd candle in Il candlCStick on
the mantcl-picce. blew the thick dust
out of the cup formed 10y the melted
wax at the bottom OF the wick, and
after a little Sr!uttcrng and resistance,
managed to induce it to remain lighted.
Pauline stood always in the same at
titude, but l fancicd her breath was
quickening, Her fingers We're playing
convulsiycly round her temples, tidgct-
ing and pushing her thick hair back.
striving it seemed 10 me, to conjure
thought to return to that empty shrine.
| could do nothing but wait; and whilst
| waited glanced around me.
We We're in u good sized room, sub
stantiallv but not faShionahlv furnished;
the style altogether was that of an
ordinary lodginghouse. 1t was clear
it had not been occupied for some time.
as dust lay thick on every article
could throw my mind back and recall
the very corner of the room in which
was stationed whilst the :sSaSSns were
SO busily engaged. | could mark the
spot where fell upon the yet quiyerine
body. and | Shuddercd as | could not
resist pcerin@ ON the iloor for traces oil
the crime But ii the carpet was the
same one. it was Of dark red hue and
kept its secret well. At one end of the
room were folding-doors it must have
been from behind these | heard those
haunting sounds of distress. | threw
them open, and, holding my candle OF
high, looked in, The room was of mucl
the same kind as the other one, but, n
| fully expected. it contained Il piano
the very piano. perhaps, whose notes
had merged into that cry of horror.
What possessed me! What impulse
urged me, ! shall never know. | laid
down the candle: | entered the bach
room; | lifted the dust-coyercd lid of tn,
piano and struck Il few notes. Doubt
less it was the tragical associations o
the scene which made me, without think
ing why or wherefore. blend together
the notes which commenced that grea
song which | had heard as | fingered
outside the door. listening to the swee
voice singing, and wondering who's,
voice it was. As | struck those notes
looked through the folding-door and n
the motionlesS statue-like figure o
Pauline.
| A nervous trembling seemed to pas
over her frame, She turned and cam,
toward me, and there was II look in he
face which made me move aside from
the piano, and wonder ard fear wha
was to take place.
The cloak had thrown around he
had fallen from her shoulders. Sh,
seated herself on The music bench, ant
striking the keys with master hanc
played brilliantly and faultlassly the pre-
lude to the song of which | had strucl
q few vagrant notes.
/ was thunderstruch Never till now
had she shown the slightest taste fol
music-as have said. it appeared rathel
to annoy and irritate her Now she wa!
bringing out sounds v hich it seemed ab
surd to expect from that neglected ant
untuned piano.
But after the first few bars my aston
ishment ceased. As well rs if | haC
been told, | knew what would happen
or part of il. | was even prepared
when the moment came for the voice tc
join the music. to hear Pauline sing as
faultlessly as She was playing, yet tc
sing in the same subdueI manner as or
that fatal night. So fully prepared
was that with brc4thless emotion
waited until the song came TO the very
note at which it finished when once be.
fore listened to it. So fully prepared,
that when she started wildly to her feet
and uttered once more that cry of hor-
ror. my arms were round her in mo-
mcnt, and bore her 10 sofa close by.
TO her, as we'll as TO me, all the oc-
currences Of that dreadful night were