Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-04-14

ing passiyelv. l got up again, and struck
Il match. The wick OF the candle was
slow to light, and during those moments
| noticed that the sound had ceased. As
! say, ! was frightened-very frsghtened.
And the unbroken silence seemed more
terrible han the sound. There was
something ghostly and supernatural
about.it. that brought back the old ter
ror | used to feel as a child in PASSING tho
room that Is said to I've haunted at night.
And just then the clock in the belfry
struck. | dared not go TO the window.
Ny hand tren,bled so that ] could not
take up the candle, but l looked toward
the window. The first thing that struck
enc was that the laths Of the blind, in
stead of lying flat, as they generally do,
when down, and as | had left them, were
opened and turned edgeway--do you
know how | meanI'
She held her hands, that trenlbled vii
the recollection of her terror, n above
the other horizontally.
But the next thing" she continued,
and then stopped, with a little shudder,
while we who listened held our breath
the next thing l saw was two great
black eyes that caught the light from my
candle in between the lower laths Of the
blind"
She paused, and then continued with
more tirmness-
Il think l fainted-I must have done
so, for ! was conscious of nothing after
that. until | found myself upon the floor.
The light was still burning upon the Ia
bile. AS recollection returned to me. |
looked toward the window. The laths
were no longer open, but turned flat.
Then it occurred 10 me that all j had seen
was merely imaginat!ve-that it was
merely a realistic drcam-that | had gone
through tlose experiences in my sleep.
Ny great terror was one. ! went with
out fear to the window to ascertain if the
night was as | had seen it. There was
the gray mist; the flame of the candle
did not flicker. Nevertheless, when I
looked down and saw how impossible il
was for anyone to have too outside the
window, l felt convinced that at least
the vision Of the two eyes was imaginary
an outcome of the fear | felt when !
looked toward the window. l lay down
again, and though | could not sleep for
sometime, / heard no further sound
whatever. save the Ginning of the clock
"ls il not very probable, my dear, said
the baronet, ''that the sound You speak
of WAS also the outcome Of fcarf"
L ustu no rear WHICH i WelL luSt 10 tItc
window. The sound was a reality. 1t
is that / wish explained"
"Do you know what time it was when
the tapping first began, Miss Lascellcs:'
Van itoeck asked.
1T was "A quarter 10 one by my watch
when i recovered from the it,"
May l ask, Miss, without ~ofrcnse, if a
thing of this kind hes ever happened tn
you afOre|" asked the Judge.
"As a child l was timid, but l cannot
remember ever being SO frightened"
you don't look as if n trifle would
skeer you, | will allow" and. rising from
his chair, the Judge added, "if you'll ex-
Use me, I'll go and prospect the place
straight off, for I'm forth TO say it looks
10 me like rs if the Kid had been taking
n hand in the game"
by all MEANS said the baronet. 'the
sooner the truth is discovered the better"
We all went out onto the lawn which
faced that part Of the building in which
Edith's room was situated.
On the way, Van Hoeck, who had TAX
en- my arm for guidance, grippcd it tight
ly and whispered:
What did | tell you? This is the be-
ginning of the end"