The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-01-09

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enough to force my limbs to bear me in
pursuit-and my blood seemed to be
iced water, my flesh was creeping. my
hair was bristling up, as, still in dark
ness, / crossed the hall and found the
staircase without difficulty.
Why should not find it. dark, pitch
dark as it was? l knew the road to it
well! Once before had reached it in
darkness, and many times besides, in
dreams, had / crossed that space! Like
sudden revelation the truth came to
me. 1t came to me as the key turned
| in the lock. Twas in that very house
into which ! had strayed three years
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-
plated crime. / should see with re-
stored sight the spot where, blind and
helpless, had nearly fallen victim to
my rashness. But Pauline, what brought
her here?
Yes. as expected! as, in fact. felt
certain! The stairs the same and the
Intel of the door in the exact place it
should be. l might be reacting the
events of that fearful night, complete
even to the darkness. For a moment /
wondered whether the last three years
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 matchbox from my peck
ct l struck vesta, and by its light l
entered the room which once before /
had entered with little hope of ever
leaving.
My 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 comprehended
nothing as.yet. But l felt that some
thing was struggling within her, and l
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
mel
The wax light burned down to my
fingers, and was compelled to drop it.
l struck another, then looked about for
some means ofmaking the illumination
sustained. To my great JOY found a
| half-burned candle in a candlestick on
the mantel-piece. blew the thick dust
out of the cup formed by the melted
wax at the bottom of the wick, and
after r little spluttering and resistance,
managed TO induce it to remain lighted.
Pauline stood always in the same at
titude, but l fancied her breath was
9uickening. Her fingers were playing
colr-ulsively round her temples, iidget-
ing and pushing her thick aair back,
striving it seemed to me. to conjure
thought to return to that empty shrine.
| could do nothing but wait; and whilst
l waited / glanced around me.
We were in good sized room, sub
stantially but not fashionably furnished:
the style altogether was that of an
| ordinary lodging-house. 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 tssassins were
SO busily engaged. l could mark the
spot where / fell upon the yet guivering
body, and shuddered as l could not
resist peering on the floor for traces of
the crime. But if 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 on
high, looked in. The room was of much
the same kind as the other one, but, rs
| fully expected, it contained 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
room; lifted the dust-covered lid of the
piano and | struck a few notes. Doubt
less it was the tragical associations of
the scene which made me, without think
ing why or wherefore, blend together
the notes which commenced that great
song which | had heard rs l fingered
outside the door, listening to the sweet
voice singing, and wondering whose
Voice it was. As | struck those notes i
looked through the folding-door and ut
the motionless statue-like figure of
| Pauline.
\ nervous trembling seemed to pass
over her frame, She turned and came
toward me. and there was 4 look in her
| face which made me move aside from
the piano, and wonder and fear what
was to take place.
The cloak had thrown around her
had fallen from her shoulders. She
seated herself on the music bench, and
striking the keys with master hand
played brilliantly and faultlessly the pre-
| lude to the song of which | had struck
a few yagrant notes.
was Thunderstorm. Never till now
had she shown the slightest taste for
music-as have said. it appeared rather
to annoy and irritate her. Now she was
brin ging out sounds which it seemed alb
surd to expect from that neglected and
untuned piano.
| ishment ceased. As well as if | had
been told, knew what would happen
or part of it. l was even prepared,
when the moment came for the voice to
Join the music, 10 hear Pauline sing as
faultleSsly rs she Wis playing, Yet to
| sing in the SAME subdued manner as on
that fatal night. So fully prepared
was that with brcathless 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-
] mpnf and hnr.a her 10 n sofa clos, hy